Since the internet is a tool for many people today, it is normal to be a little concerned about the impact it may have on us. Some people worry about finding things they probably shouldn’t be looking at. Some worry about their identity being stolen. Even the idea that a stranger from the other side of the planet can find just about any piece of information about you is a little scary in itself. However, in a culture that relies heavily on the Internet for communication and socialization, a new set of fears can be found in how people behave.
Hulu’s latest original movie, Grimcutty, is a fun little thriller that joins the niche subgenre of internet horror: movies that use the ever-expanding influence of the information superhighway to tell spooky stories. While the titular meme face may look a little silly, it conveys a very real message about how interactions on the internet aren’t necessarily representative of those in real life and that our perception of it can directly influence our view of reality. With that in mind, it would be worth looking at what exactly? Grimcutty brings to the table compared to similar films.
Grimcutty highlights paranoia around internet trends
If you’ve been following the news, chances are you remember some of the bizarre trends that came and went. Do you remember the blue and black dress? What about Yanny and Laurel? Those were pretty harmless and inventive trends that emphasized how people see and interpret the world differently.
Chances are you remember Momo too.
The Momo Challenge was a made-up hoax event caused almost exclusively by the paranoia and ignorance of those who feared it. Presumably, a malicious social media profile encouraged children to commit suicide or participate in other acts of violence, with the profile in question including a nerve-wracking photo of a strange, bird-like woman. The fears were largely unfounded as conclusive evidence of Momo’s existence simply did not exist – even the horrific photo accompanying the posts turned out to be nothing more than a simple statue. The “news” spread largely through interactions between individual users on social media.
If you’ve seen grimcut, this all sounds eerily familiar. The film takes direct inspiration from these kinds of stories, where the dog-faced creature only materializes as a result of an overwhelming sense of fear or paranoia. If you want another real example of this — with empirical data proving this phenomenon — look at the recent Trend “Nyquil chicken”. Interest in the trend of cooking chicken in cold medicine only peaked when the FDA issued an official warning about it, attracting a significant amount of attention for what was initially a joke.
Grimcutty is not like other urban legends
Since Grimcutty is a tall, lanky, pale-faced creature in black, it wouldn’t be wrong to compare him to other internet-based urban legends. One that immediately comes to mind is Slender Man, a mysterious pale creature that took the internet by storm in the 2010s, along with other strange characters. But the context in which these two characters exist is slightly different.
Slender Man, Jeff the Killer, The Rake and other characters like them were created as “creepypastas” – the equivalent of a spooky campfire story. Therefore, each exists in dozens of different interpretations, with stories altering and rearranging most non-essential characteristics and behaviors. For example, Slender Man does slightly different things in each story, but the core concept of a “tall, pale man in black” remains.
Grimcutty is treated the same way. However, instead of details changing due to differences in how storytellers present the character, Grimcutty’s behavior is mirrored by the concerns of paranoid parents. Couple that with the fact that he only appears as result of that paranoia instead of being permanently in the shadows, and we have a unique creature that specifically highlights the dangers of misinformation.
How do other similar movies compare to Grimcutty?
Naturally, Grimcutty was not the first film to highlight a unique danger that the internet can pose. Other movies have tackled similar concepts directly related to the Internet.
Unfriend: Dark Web uses the bogeyman-esque idea of red rooms and the dark web to instill fear in the public. While the visible internet most people are familiar with is only a small fraction of what’s available, the efficiency with which the villains can manipulate reality undermines the real threat their antics can pose. Location tracking and swatting — sending a SWAT team to someone’s home under false pretenses — are unfortunately real things that can happen. But it’s not necessarily possible to cram those actions into a runtime of barely more than 90 minutes.
pulse, on the other hand, uses the Internet as a medium for an intentionally supernatural tale of ghosts, intertwined between themes of growing social isolation amid technological innovation. It’s a much more cerebral and subtle film by comparison, focusing instead on topics that concern society as a whole rather than just a single cultural issue.
Even the recently released DeadStream emphasizes how relying on internet attention can force people to do things they would not otherwise do. Staying overnight in a haunted house for millions of people to see may seem like a good idea if you need sponsorship money and opinions, but that kind of risky behavior goes beyond fantasies about ghosts and ghosts. In reality, people have done a lot more for a lot less.
Overall, Grimcutty might not be a perfect movie, but it’s an interesting summary of how quickly misinformation can wreak havoc, even when spread with good intentions.