Directed by:
Brandon Espy
Written by:
Carl Reid and Brandon Espy
Starring:
Elvis Nolasco, Jerrika Hinton, Alex Akpobome, and Ayden Gavin
Synopsis (IMDb):
A mother embarks on a perilous quest to rescue her son from a demonic children’s show host who is kidnapping kids.
Julian’ review:
Thanks to Hulu film Mr. Crocket, it feels like the horror genre of Black cinema may have another villain added to their roster in the form of a seemingly harmless children’s show host. It’s refreshing to see this original horror film grow from its 6-minute short on Hulu’s Bite Size Halloween series into a full-fledged movie. It’s almost similar to Bernard Rose’s 1992 Candyman film, but distinct in a horrifyingly good way. So, let’s talk about a guy who wants to be “friends” with your children.
Set in Pennsylvania 1993, Emanuel Crocket aka Mr. Crocket (Nolasco) continues his rampage against parents who treat their kids wrong, taking them to his dimension. Meanwhile, newly widowed single mother Summer (Hinton), tries to figure out how to parent her son Major (Gavin) as her annoyance grows weary. That is until a strange mailbox containing a VHS copy of Mr. Crocket’s World shows up at her doorstep.
The two have a bitter falling out prompting Crocket himself to take Major away. Partnered with Eddie (Akpobome) and Rhonda (Kristolyn Lloyd) both of whom Crocket has stolen their kids, She is willing to risk her life to get her son and all of the kids back from a madman whose real-life grievances have fueled his rage and hatred.
Nolasco was the standout for the movie as the titular villain. He brings a manic, charming (in a twisted way), and sinister personality to Mr. Crocket. He’s like a disturbed man who wanted to be a father, but never truly learned how to be a responsible adult. I’m not going to spoil why he became the person he is, but it shows that he has missed important development stages in his life that have made him terrifying.
Image via IMDb/Hulu/Disney
The rest of the cast did well too. Hinton’s Summer was a decent protagonist showcasing a mother’s will to do anything for their child. Summer and Gavin’s Major make up the emotional core of the film. Major was at one point an annoying little brat as how any kid would act at that age. But as the film continues, Major and Summer begin to connect in a beautiful way that speaks to how love is the greatest weapon of them all. And it showcases black motherhood that would resonate with audiences who are single parents of children.
Lloyd’s Rhonda was fine in the movie. Her character is the person who knows about Crocket’s motive due to her child being taken. She is the infodump needed to carry the plot forward and give the reason behind it all. Akpobome gave a good performance, but his character left me baffled as to how in the third act his personality changed. For him to be a good guy to all of a sudden turn slightly manic as Crockett for his reasons to see him.
Mr. Crocket is a decent film for those who loved Candyman or It and its various iterations. It leaves a message for adults to be better parents to their kids and to look up to kinder people in children’s shows like Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood or Sesame Street. Unlike Mr. Crocket, those shows’ protagonists actually teach kids and people the values of life.
I’m hoping it does get a sequel because it seems as though Mr. Crocket is not ready to let go yet. Pray he doesn’t show up on your television screen coming after your kids.
Image via IMDb/Hulu/Disney