Review: ‘Grimcutty’ YA Horror for Huluween

“Grimcutty” is a Hulu original horror film. To call it modern would be an understatement. It stars a hip young cast and features present day tech platforms. Its plot revolves around a gruesome internet meme stalking phone obsessed teenagers. It’s ripe with deficiencies but I’ll admit the solid acting and fast paced scenes kept me mildly invested from start to finish.

The subtext is teen anxiety. Asha (Sara Wolfkind) is a typical modern teenager. She has well-meaning parents who are pushing her to succeed. There’s a little brother (Callan Farris) who likes to rag on her. Asha considers herself an “influencer” as she operates an ASMR YouTube channel. I had to look it up ASMR. I shook my head then proceeded to watch videos for an hour.

The latest internet trend is a meme called Grimcutty; a hideous creature that causes teenagers to harm themselves or others. Asha sets out to find the source of Grimcutty and stop it once and for all. Or until the obvious sequels.

Great performance from Sara Wolfkind

I really enjoyed Sara Wolfkind in the central role. As Asha, we get a character that’s got more depth than a standard horror movie lead. Wolfkind is young, and has the potential to go on to big things in Hollywood. And has a really cool surname. The supporting cast is fine. It was funny to see Shannyn Sossamon, who I knew from “40 Days and 40 Nights” all grown up as Asha’s mother.

“Grimcutty” misses with its direction. Filmmaker John Ross has a cool monster to work with. The Grimcutty is creepy to behold. Its movements are unnerving, and when it charges a victim its pretty scary. But he reveals it too soon. As in literally the very first scene. There’s no buildup of suspense at all. And when you analyze the mechanics of the script, there’s a lot of holes.

There’s also an inconsistency with the intended viewing audience. I found the film too mature for young viewers. There are heavy themes and some gory moments. It’s also too silly for adults. Again, the plot is riddled with flaws. And while the monster itself is chilling, its overly visible with CGI.

“Grimcutty” is getting trashed online, which is a bit ironic. Its not awful. Watch it with the intent of a fun but goofy Halloween – Huluween – movie.

“Grimcutty” is available to stream on Hulu.

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