Spread by hysteria, an Internet demon targets the kids and teens of suburban America. As they fall prey to the Grimcutty challenge – a thing that never gets less stupid the more you hear it – the tormented children begin grimly cutting themselves, and others, to death. Can ASMR vlogger Asha (Sara Wolfkind) break the pattern before Grimcutty claims her for himself? And has writer/director John Ross actually been on the Internet in the past five years?
Treading a similar path to The Ring, The Babadook, and other such curse movies (and coming in unfortunate proximity to the far superior Smile and The Harbinger), this supernatural horror film takes influence from ‘creepypastas’ Slender Man and Momo (if you have to Google them, you’re too old for this film). The twist here being that Grimcutty is spread by the parents’ hysteria, and not that of its victims. A smart hook, but one which isn’t supported by the performances or writing.
The film’s low budget excuses the cheap cinematography and even the horrible acting, but the same can’t be said for its storytelling. Showcasing a woeful misunderstanding of the Internet and teenagers, Grimcutty hammers home its point by making its adult characters comically stupid, from the secretive Mommy Blogger to increasingly ridiculous dad Amir (Usman Ally). There’s a timely message there somewhere, but it’s as blunt and clumsy as 2011’s Megan is Missing.
At the dark heart of it is Grimcutty (nope, still stupid), an off-brand cross between Slender Man and Death Note’s Ryuk. The demon is actually the best thing in it, even as overexposure dilutes its scares. It, and stars Wolfkind and Shannyn Sossamon, deserved better.
A comically out-of-touch Internet fable, Grimcutty is dull at best, borderline unwatchable at worst. Its nails-down-the-chalkboard use of ASMR had this reviewer reaching, retching, for the mute button.
About as enjoyable as eating Tide Pods, watching Grimcutty is a challenge in itself.
