The Halloween season is in full swing and Hulu is celebrating with their annual Huluween lineup. This year, that includes an original film titled Grimcutty, which sees a scary internet meme stir up panic amongst all the parents in a small town as they become convinced it’s making their kids harm themselves and others.
The moral of our dependence on technology has been used almost excessively in films in recent years. While that seems like the path down which this film will tread, it refreshingly is not. The film insteads takes a couple of twists and turns en route to not really delivering any moral at all, but at least it’s not just more of the same as what we’ve seen a lot recently.
While this film does have some enjoyable elements, it’s biggest flaw is simply the design of the creature. The concept of the Grimcutty could be horrifying were it not betrayed by the fact that it looks like something that could be purchased in a Spirit Halloween. It has its moments when you catch it in brief glimpses from the right angles, but when it is seen head on, the creature just doesn’t instill fear.
That being said, this film does deliver some truly terrifying moments. As long as the creature lingers in the shadows or simply creates those creaks and bumps from off camera, viewers are left trembling wondering when he is going to pop up. Unfortunately, those moments are few and far between and vastly outnumbered by ones in which the lumbering creature simply can’t create the same horror. This film would have benefited from the Jaws treatment. If only the Grimcutty was not working.
Sara Wolfkind is one of the few bright spots in the cast of this film, delivering a great performance as the young victim who no one believes. Whether she is performing blood-curdling screams while face to face with the creature or just emotionally trying to convince her parents of what is truly happening, Wolfkind hit her mark. Another standout is Brenda Schmid, who plays the understanding-yet-emotionally-distant friend. Together, they create a great horror hero duo.
One thing this film does very well is build tension. The story manages to slowly boil, despite too many viewings of the monster, as it keeps the viewers wondering exactly what is happening. Even within smaller moments, the hint at the creatures arrival can keep the audience wondering when he will pop up as they feel the hair stand up on the backs of their necks.
Another note on which the movie hits is just about every horror cliche you can imagine. Characters are constantly behaving in a way nobody would, walking into potentially dangerous situations alone and believing themselves to be out of danger when they are clearly not. This is more a mark of the genre than anything else and could even be looked at as a positive for some big horror fans.
Another mark of the genre is leaving unanswered questions in the end, which this film certainly does. The twists and turns, which are exciting in the moment, become a bit diluted by the lack of information provided in the end. Again, this is fairly common in horror films, but it does leave viewers with a bit of a sour taste and a thirst for some answers in the end.
Overall, Grimcutty is a fine watch if you’re looking for something new this Halloween season. It delivers an interesting original story with a strong performance from its leading actress. Unfortunately, it just misses the mark in terms of the titular creature. It’s unlikely this is going to be added to your annual Halloween rotation, but it’s certainly worth watching at least once.