In less than a decade, the Slender Man mythology has taken on a life of its own. What started as an internet meme has become a full-fledged horror phenomenon—it’s almost as if people are willing Slender Man into existence. And as you can see in the first trailer for Sony’s upcoming Slender Man movie, ignoring the title character’s influence can prove to be fatal. People don’t just disappear in this story, and the Slender Man has a way of getting into his victims’ heads.
The first trailer for Slender Man is light on story details and heavy on atmosphere, as we witness several terrified children falling under his sway and committing acts of violence in his name. The footage suggests that the victims of Slender Man aren’t necessarily able to stop themselves from doing his bidding, but that doesn’t make them any less deadly than the featureless creature himself.
Joey King, Julia Goldani-Telles, Jaz Sinclair, and Annalise Basso star in the movie as four teenage girls who take it upon themselves to debunk the legend of Slender Man (Javier Botet). We can safely assume that isn’t going to go well for the girls or their loved ones. By going after Slender Man, they’ve inadvertently invited him into their lives. That will probably prove to be a very costly mistake for all of them.
Screen Gems will unleash Slender Man in theaters on May 18.
What do you think about the first look at the Slender Man movie? Unleash your thoughts in the comment section below!
Want More Internet Creepery?
- Read our review of the Slenderman documentary.
- Listen to the Bizarre States episode about Slenderman!
- And finally, someone cosplayed as Slenderman and it was terrifying.
Images: Screen Gems
