Beware the Slenderman

In 2014, the American Midwest was rocked by an unfathomable crime when a teenage girl was stabbed and left for dead in the woods by her two best friends. The young perpetrators claimed that they had committed this act out of fear for "Slenderman." The story circulating on the internet about this fictional bogeyman is that he abducts children – or is he perhaps a protector of children? This creepy figure is depicted as a slender and extremely tall man without a face, with tentacles protruding from his back. The suburban girls Morgan and Anissa became obsessed by this modern mythical figure. Countless reworked photographs, written testimoniesand-style video clips had made his existence ever more plausible. The girls hatched a plan to kill their girlfriend Bella, as a sacrifice to ensure that Slenderman spared them. This chilling account goes further than standard true crime films by addressing the elusive and powerful influence of sinister websites on young children. Hoaxes and photographic montages make it more difficult than ever to distinguish fact from fantasy.