One of the best things about many great horror films is the way they use the medium to convey a message.
Grimcutty's message (if there is one) is not only terrible, but also irresponsible.
A Ring-like viral curse is being spread by social media. Kids are injuring themselves and even killing people - including family members - as a result. The parents, understandably alarmed, start to limit their kids' access to their phones and social media.
But the twist... It's the parents causing the problems. Whenever a parent gets too worried about what their kid is getting up to online, this makes said kid a target for the demonic Grimcutty.
So the message is: parents being protective of their kids and trying to keep them away from potentially harmful stuff online is the the real danger, and kids will be safer if they're just allowed to do what they want without restrictions.
I'm not a parent, but even I can see that this is a ridiculous idea to try and float. Admittedly, I don't think many people will try and read that deeply into this particular flick but, for those that do, it's not a great message.
I get the feeling that the film-makers just sat round a table and brainstormed ideas for how to make a film appeal to modern teenagers.
"Teens love Tim Tok, Instagram and YouTube. Can we do something with that?" "Teens hate it when their parents get preachy about what they're into, so let's make them the bad guys."
To be fair, the acting was largely good. Usman Ally as the dad pushed suspension of disbelief pretty close to its limits but this had far more to do with the script than his acting skills: if you're handed a rotten steak, it's going to be rotten no matter how good a cook you are.
The Grimcutty monster itself was laughably bad. It was cartoonist in design (seemed like the designers went for the obvious low-hanging fruit and just put Momo's head on Slenderman's body) and was further let down by poor CGI and absolutely no attempt at a subtle reveal; first time we see it, it's just there. No subtle suggestion, no mystique, just a big, clumsy Goosebumps monster on full display
These are just some of the issues, but this review is already long enough.
Maybe somebody thought this was a clever idea for a film, but I was left with the distinct impression that this was a cynical cash-grab exploiting the friction between the popularity of social media amongst kids, and their parents' well-meaning efforts to keep them safe.
At best: a bland and underwhelming effort.
At worst: toxic.
Grimcutty's message (if there is one) is not only terrible, but also irresponsible.
A Ring-like viral curse is being spread by social media. Kids are injuring themselves and even killing people - including family members - as a result. The parents, understandably alarmed, start to limit their kids' access to their phones and social media.
But the twist... It's the parents causing the problems. Whenever a parent gets too worried about what their kid is getting up to online, this makes said kid a target for the demonic Grimcutty.
So the message is: parents being protective of their kids and trying to keep them away from potentially harmful stuff online is the the real danger, and kids will be safer if they're just allowed to do what they want without restrictions.
I'm not a parent, but even I can see that this is a ridiculous idea to try and float. Admittedly, I don't think many people will try and read that deeply into this particular flick but, for those that do, it's not a great message.
I get the feeling that the film-makers just sat round a table and brainstormed ideas for how to make a film appeal to modern teenagers.
"Teens love Tim Tok, Instagram and YouTube. Can we do something with that?" "Teens hate it when their parents get preachy about what they're into, so let's make them the bad guys."
To be fair, the acting was largely good. Usman Ally as the dad pushed suspension of disbelief pretty close to its limits but this had far more to do with the script than his acting skills: if you're handed a rotten steak, it's going to be rotten no matter how good a cook you are.
The Grimcutty monster itself was laughably bad. It was cartoonist in design (seemed like the designers went for the obvious low-hanging fruit and just put Momo's head on Slenderman's body) and was further let down by poor CGI and absolutely no attempt at a subtle reveal; first time we see it, it's just there. No subtle suggestion, no mystique, just a big, clumsy Goosebumps monster on full display
These are just some of the issues, but this review is already long enough.
Maybe somebody thought this was a clever idea for a film, but I was left with the distinct impression that this was a cynical cash-grab exploiting the friction between the popularity of social media amongst kids, and their parents' well-meaning efforts to keep them safe.
At best: a bland and underwhelming effort.
At worst: toxic.