Mr Crocket explained: Hulu’s new horror movie based on terrifying short film
HuluMr. Crocket is a fun horror movie about a terrifying TV host who kills parents and kidnaps kids, and it’s launching on Hulu just in time for Halloween.
Mr. Crocket started life in a terrifying movie short. The brainchild of writer-director Brandon Epsy, the character first appeared in Hulu’s ‘Bite Size Halloween’ series via a 2022 film titled ‘Mr. Crocket.’
The short revolved around a kid repeatedly playing an old VHS tape featuring the titular TV presenter, and was so successful that the streaming service turned it into a feature.
So here’s everything we know about the Mr. Crocket movie, which debuted at Fantastic Fest in September.
What is Mr. Crocket about?
Mr. Crocket is a horror movie about a children’s TV presenter who kidnaps children through their television set.
As played by Elvis Nolasco, Crocket is a seemingly friendly TV host who sings songs and teaches life lessons; think Mr. Rogers, but with a mean streak.
As while he seems harmless, Mr. Crocket is actually a very bad man, traveling through TV sets into the family living room, abducting the kids who are watching, and killing their parents before he departs.
The story is set in 1993, and revolves around a mom who survives Crocket’s assault, and will stop at nothing to find the evil entertainer, and track down her missing kid.
How to watch the short
The Mr. Crocket short can be viewed on Hulu as part of the streaming service’s ‘Bite Size Halloween’ series. The six-minute film debuted on October 1, 2022.
HuluSpeaking to ScreenRant about the concept, Brandon Epsy says the idea came from a real-life TV show.
“It was inspired by my oldest son,” Epsy reveals. “He was obsessed with this show called Blippi. I couldn’t get him off the screen at all. I couldn’t break his stare or anything.
“It was like he’s in a different world. Once I yelled at him about it and I had a dream that night, like, what if Blippi came out of the TV for me? And then I came up with Crocket.”
Mr. Crocket cast: Who’s in the Hulu horror?
Here’s the main cast of Mr. Crocket:
- Elvis Nolasco as Mr. Crocket
- Jerrika Hinton as Summer
- Ayden Gavin as Major
- Kristolyn Lloyd as Rhonda
- Alex Akpobome as Eddie
Is it worth watching?
HuluMr. Crocket is a fun film that plays like a cross between Mr. Rogers and Nightmare on Elm Street.
Elvis Nolasco is perfectly cast as the title character, friendly one minute, then malevolent the next. While Jerrika Hinton is superb as the mom obsessed with putting a stop to his nefarious ways.
Much of the movie is concerned with her character tracking him down; a mystery that isn’t all that exciting. But where Mr. Crocket excels is through its puppets.
The title character’s show – Mr. Crocket’s World – features giant creatures who help sing his songs and teach his lessons. They also come through the TV set to do their master’s bidding, and are a wonder to behold, as adorable as they are terrifying, and the real reason to watch Mr. Crocket.
The feature – plus the short on which it’s based – are both now streaming on Hulu. For more scary stuff, check out our list of the best horror movies of all time. While for more from Fantastic Fest, we’ve got reviews of Heretic and Terrifier 3.