FANTASTIC FEST: ‘Mr. Crocket’ Takes Us Back To The 90s

A period horror story, Mr. Crocket is set in 1993 in Pennsylvania. With a cold open that goes for the jugular right from the jump, the story shifts to one about processing grief when we meet Summer (Jerrika Hinton). Trying to process her husband’s death and still be a loving mother to her son, Major (Ayden Gavin), is a monumental task. Especially as Major’s behavior keeps getting worse and worse, pushing Summer to her limit, then a videotape appears and captures her son’s undivided attention.

Directed by Brandon Espy and co-written by Espy and Carl Reid, Mr. Crocket hones in on how children’s media mesmerizes them, offers them safety, and can be exploited. It does this with all the admiration for B-horror aesthetics and the kind of Freddy Krueger camp you can put into a tight 88-minute film.

“Mr. Crocket’s World” is all about friendship, and when Major begins to obsess over the man on the TV, Summer has to decide if good behavior means anything when her son is just a zombie in front of the television set. Well, the VHS tape is a portal to a killer deadset on kidnapping children after brutally (and humorously) murdering their parents for their child-rearing transgressions.

Getting it out of the way, Mr. Crocket does fall victim to telling and not showing the audience things with long exposition that transitions the film’s three acts. With too much explanation and hamfisted connections between characters, the downtime can feel contrived. It’s the film’s biggest fault, but it doesn’t mar its moments of high-camp goodness.

A love letter to A Nightmare on Elm Street, Espy has created a film that plays with familiar concepts but still makes them unique. Mr. Crocket is a gorefest with fantastic practical effects and large swings that ultimately make up for some of the script’s awkwardness. The cast and crew are dedicated to capturing the 1990s, not only in the aesthetic of the time all the way down to the SEGA handheld but also in genre tone.

Every sequence of the titular Mr. Crocket (Elvis Nolasco) exacting demonic justice against a bad parent (or at least who he deemed is bad) one-ups the last. You start in one place, and he goes one step further whenever you think he’s done. I mean, I think it’s safe to say that being force-fed by having your stomach cut open attached to a monstrous chair is up there with the blood fountain out of bed. And that’s just how the film starts. 

While Espy has tapped into the campy past, he’s also been able to capture the current zeitgeist of horror and things designed to entertain children. I may not be a Five Nights At Freddy’s fan, but the use of twisted mascots and children’s entertainment is pretty spot-on for the video game that has captivated younger generations. It’s ultimately a smart play to capture a variety of viewers, from those who remember the 90s to those who weren’t even making memories at that time.

From an acting perspective, Elvis Nolasco, as the villain of this entire endeavor, absolutely steals the show. He’s menacing and charming all at once. His absolutely disturbing smile would be endearing if not for the circumstances. Nolasco’s ability to shift Crocket’s expression on a dime while delivering absurd lines belongs to the greatest horror villains. A character that is supposed to feel safe and loving while also shifting into evil incarnate is executed exceptionally well, especially when his backstory is revealed.

Mr. Crocket is a genuinely fun time at the movies. The ways the team brought to life the Hellworld, the monsters, and the viscerally camp kills drive the film home. Mr. Crocket is the perfect double feature with any film in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, Creepshow, or even Trick or Treat, which means the film is perfect for Halloween.

Mr. Crocket screened as a part of Fantastic Fest and releases on October 10, 2024, exclusively on Hulu.