‘Mr. Crocket’ Review – An Unsettling, But Lacking Take On Kids TV Shows

Anyone who has watched a children’s show has no doubt had a thought: these shows have an implicit creep factor. From Barney The Dinosaur to Teletubbies, even the great patron saint of children’s programming, Mr. Rogers, has been subject to satire. It seems logical for a horror film to subvert the cheery optimism with a nightmarish tale. Enter Mr. Crocket. Think Mr. Rogers meets A Nightmare on Elm Street. While the film is effects-heavy and sparse on story, it manages to hold the attention as the audiences venture into TV land. In addition, Mr. Crocket’s take on a friendly neighborhood kid show is nightmare fuel.

The story is set in 1993 and follows a popular children’s show host, Mr. Crocket. Think Mr. Rogers with a dash of Blue Clues. Somehow, we do not know at the start, but Mr. Crocket is magically emerging from the TV. He slays their parents and kidnaps children watching the show. When one boy is snatched, his mother makes a daring quest to rescue him from the clutches of the demonic show host.

The film’s central focus is the disappearance of Major (Ayden Gavin). He is a disobedient son who is having trouble coming to terms with his father’s death. His constant acting out put him and his mother, Summer (Jerrika Hinton), at odds. As a result, the unseen watching eyes of Mr. Crocket make Major a major target for this boogeyman in the TV. Like Freddy Krueger entering people’s dreams, Mr. Crocket enters through the TV screen, snatching unsuspecting children. They return to his lair, which is neither heaven nor hell but a depraved take on a children’s show set.

The show in the movie even has a snappy tune, akin to all the nursery rhymes and other migraine-inducing songs in Barney to Mr. Rogers. The film has a ball inverting many of these kids’ tropes and staples, turning them into satire or horrifying concepts. When the story is thin, these elements come to bear and, at the very least, result in an equally unsettling and hilarious ride.

Mr. Crocket is an intriguing concept, but some parts feel stuck in the idea stage. Beyond the essential premise of a kid’s TV show targeting children of broken homes or ones under the care of neglectful parents, the film does not offer much social commentary. There is a soft critique of the zombification of children’s programming and the purpose of a TV in the house. Each of the kids targeted is in some form of turmoil or crisis. The letdown is the film stirs these ideas but never lets them blossom.

The titular character (Elvis Nolasco) brings Mr. Rogers warmth, evoking charity and odd quaintness. However, when the tables turn, he becomes a monster more in line with the wisecracking Freddy. The backstory on Mr. Crocket does strip away some of the mystique, but Nolasco sells it. He creates a psychotic version of any number of children’s TV shows. He is quirky and disarming with his teacher-like demeanor. This spells trouble, and it is enjoyable!

While the story may be as transparent and thin as any of those old kids’ programs, Mr. Crocket compensates with its over-the-top effects. These eye-catching and stomach-churning creations further the idea of a demonic and demented kids’ show, keeping the audience tickled and unnerved.

There are talking clocks that become creepy crawlies and chairs that morph into Venus flytraps. Imagine the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, but painted red and turned into a Halloween fun house; this is the land of Mr. Crocket. The film has the most fun in this area, creating out-of-the-box scenarios and morbid creations while singing a merry tune. 

Ultimately, there is a lot to enjoy in Mr. Crocket. The patchwork story leaves the audience wanting more. There are moments of brilliance, mainly when the movie speaks to the questionable allure of TV. Still, the character is an evil hoot, and the effects are jaw-dropping. If there was ever to be a twisted take on the sincere Mr. Rogers, then this is it.

Mr. Crocket will debut exclusively on Hulu on October 11, 2024.