In this Hulu full-length adaptation of the short Bite Size Halloween episode of the same name, the newly widowed Summer (played by Grey's Anatomy/Hunters' Jerrika Hinton), finds an old VHS copy of a kids' show starring Mr. Crocket (Godfather of Harlem's Elvis Nolasco). However, there's something not quite right about the show and its host and the grasp they have on Summer's son Major (Ayden Gavin).
The best part of this is the titular Mr. Crocket. Nolasco delivers quite a performance and brings us an unsettling character. It's hard to put into words what makes Crocket scary. I guess it is sort of the fact that he feels like someone who has a figurative mask on over what he really is, but the mask has partially slipped off, and he's not putting it back on; often never playing the character as full psychotic or full his show persona. Crocket feels like that person you met in real life that had some red flag issues if they had the power to do whatever they wanted.
Crockett's playhouse and his "pals" are distinct-looking and pretty freaky. The pals in particular are straight up nightmare-fuel.
However, the script never feels like it reaches its full potential, making decisions that don't quite work. (Also, doesn't help that due to the, I assume, low budget, that there are not a lot of extras around making the world feel desolate.)
The biggest issue here being the relationship between Summer and her son. Yeah, the mother and her child having difficulty dealing with the loss of a loved one storyline is well known and tried, but this oddly fails the formula. One could give the movie props for not being cookie cutter, but the storyline does not work. Major is portrayed as just too unlikable. Yeah, he just lost his dad, but the movie never shows like he was what before hand or any positive qualities whatsoever. Major feels more like a damaged child in real life that requires a fair amount of therapy. One could credit the movie for treating the topic more seriously, but this feels more like a topic that should've been in an A24 atmospheric horror movie, not one with an over-the-top murderous kids' show host.
Partially recommended. Lots of people will be into Crocket and his world, but others will just be bummed by the story.
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