HBO documentary Beware the Slenderman airs tonight

Slenderman, the most famous creepypasta character to date, is coming to prime time.

You may have heard of Slenderman (or “Slender Man”). He’s a tall figure in a black suit, with no face and exceptionally long arms that reach almost to the ground. He is sometimes referred to as having tentacles growing out of his back. Slenderman is known to stalk and/or abduct children. A series called Marble Hornets first introduced the idea of “proxies,” or people who are under the control of Slenderman. Here is where the new HBO documentary Beward the Slenderman comes in.

Back in 2014, two 12-year-old girls in Wisconsin wished to become proxies of the Slenderman. They determined the best way to do this was to brutally stab their friend 19 times. You can hear about in more detail in one of our previous episodes. The documentary will chronicle the girls’ arrest and conviction, as well as the psychological effects of internet memes on young minds. This wasn’t the only Slenderman-related crime (as chronicled in this episode), but certainly the most high-profile.

The documentary may not be particularly interesting in terms of horror, but it should give context into of horror-based myths and the separation of fantasy and reality. It is directed by award-winning director Irene Taylor Brodsky and should be a must-watch for fans of true crime documentaries. It airs tonight at 7 pm Pacific on HBO.

For more details, check out HBO’s website.