Mr. Crocket: A Thin Line Between Good and Abusive Parenting
Mr. Crocket would have benefited from therapy… spoiler warning for those who haven’t seen the movie!
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope everyone has been enjoying 2025 as much as I have! As someone who has grown to appreciate bits and pieces of the horror genre, I'm trying something different for my second film piece. Horror will always be part camp, part jump scare, part nonsensical/unserious at times (see the Scream franchise… we can talk about it!), and part "holy crap, that was disturbing!". So it’s no surprise that Brandon Epsy's 2024 supernatural-horror film Mr. Crocket tells the story of a widowed mother on the journey to rescue her son from a demonic children's television show host who is kidnapping kids. This film surprised me and got me thinking about how we might view parenting in this society. Walking into this film after watching the trailer, I was pretty excited to see how the concept would play out. I love it when horror films get creative and branch out with storytelling! Mr. Crocket had much more gore than I expected, but the experience wasn't unbearable. While Mr. Crocket had good intentions at the start, he had a very skewed perception of what counted as "good" vs. "abusive" parenting when choosing which kids he was "saving."
The theatrical poster for Mr. Crocket (2024).
The film is set in Pennsylvania in 1993; a Black family is at the dinner table watching the show Mr. Crocket’s World, where a young boy, Darren, is berated by his stepfather, Kevin. Rhonda, his mother, tries to stop Kevin but is frustrated at her failed attempts and leaves the room. Suddenly, Mr. Crocket manifests himself from the television, gruesomely kills Kevin, and takes Darren with him to his magical world—leaving Rhonda frightened at the scene. Before knowing where the movie was going, this was the only scene where I was on Mr. Crocket's side (briefly). Kevin had it coming for me (not sorry). However, noticing how Mr. Crocket leaves Rhonda in disarray with a horrific scene of her murdered partner (though a terrible person) and missing son, I felt awful for her. She could've quickly taken Darren and taken the secret of seeing a magical children's television host murder Kevin to the grave, honestly. I'll come back to my thoughts about Rhonda and Darren later.
Jabari Striblin as Darren, sitting in fear at the dinner table.
Kristolyn Lloyd as Rhonda, watching Darren and Kevin.
A year later, we meet Summer and her son Major at Jerrel's funeral, Summer's late husband. After the service, Summer finds a Mr. Crocket's World VHS tape at a free library stand and gives it to Major, hoping he will enjoy it. Rhonda, now houseless, warns Summer about the tape's negative influence, but Summer dismisses her. Major soon becomes obsessed with the vibrant show, leading to disrespectful and disobedient behavior that Summer struggles to manage. Major’s actions stem from his grief, as he hasn't fully processed his father's death. Despite Summer's efforts to redirect him outdoors, Major throws a tantrum when she changes her tone. Frustrated, Summer exclaims she wants to quit being his mother, a statement not taken seriously except by Mr. Crocket. That night, Mr. Crocket emerges from the television, and off Major goes with Mr. Crocket into his mystical portal — leaving Summer powerless to intervene.
Jerrika Hinton as Summer after Jerrel’s funeral.
Summer visits the library to uncover details about Mr. Crocket, a former children's TV host who died in a police shootout after allegedly kidnapping Anthony Williams in 1979. While leaving, she encounters a static-filled television screen and is confronted by Mr. Crocket, who ominously mocks her quest, menacingly taunting her that she will never find him or Major. In the library, she meets Eddie Briggs, who shares that Crocket kidnapped his daughter. They recognize that Rhonda might have vital information to help them retrieve their children. Fast-forwarding a bit, they meet with Rhonda, who lets them know that Mr. Crocket travels telepathically through the airwaves to locate the children in need. The trio goes to confront Mr. Crocket, with Rhonda injured after being stabbed by him, leaving Summer and Eddie to face his nightmarish realm.
Summer in the library approaches the television screen, where Mr. Crocket has taken over.
Eddie (Alex Akpobome), Rhonda, and Summer confront Mr. Crocket.
As we unravel this demonic dimension, we learn that Mr. Crocket killed his abusive father when he was a teenager and made it appear like it was an accident to the police. When he got older, he created the show Mr. Crocket's World to make all the children smile. One day, on set, Mr. Crocket sees a sad little boy (Anthony) and boldly declares, "I knew there was something wrong at his home." He offers Anthony "a place to stay" (aka kidnapping him). The police find Mr. Crocket and Anthony; as Anthony hides in the closet, he sees Mr. Crocket killing the first two officers. Thinking it's safe, Anthony runs out to Mr. Crocket. However, not seeing the other officer fully prepared to shoot, Mr. Crocket jumps in front of the bullet, saving Anthony and resulting in his mortal death. Mr. Crocket signs a deal with the Devil, bringing all of the abusive parents' souls to hell in exchange for the children to come into his world to protect them. After Eddie reveals himself as Anthony, helping lure Summer to Mr. Crocket's dimension to kill her. However, unknown to grown-up Anthony, Mr. Crocket wants nothing to do with him!
Eddie (revealed as Anthony) preparing to kill Summer.
"Anthony is an innocent little boy. You are an old (a bit ironic for Mr. Crocket), bitter, insane man who has nothing to do with his life! You don't belong here," in Mr. Crocket's words. Mr. Crocket views adults as enemies, leading to his horrifying decision to have his terrifying version of Boogaloo Blue kill Anthony. This scene made me wonder why Mr. Crocket had such a visceral and disgusted reaction to Anthony: if he sought to save children from abusive parents, what would happen as they age? Would he have still killed Anthony? Would they have ruled his twisted realm together? If supported after killing his father, might Crocket still see all adults as abusive? Getting back to the film, Major is given a knife to kill his mother by Mr. Crocket, but when Summer professes her love for him as his mom, the knife turns into a magic marker, severing Mr. Crocket in half. The spell placed on the children is broken, and they return to the real world. Rhonda, who is still alive, reunites with Darren. Summer and Major improve their relationship, but Major's aggressive behaviors grow with children in fear of learning about "his new father." The film ends with the audience realizing Major has kept the magic marker, still being influenced by Mr. Crocket.
Okay, here's my beef with our villain: he was wrong to take Major from Summer and not leave Darren with Rhonda! Understanding Mr. Crocket’s background was essential for my second viewing. He had a distorted view of parenthood and abuse by recognizing only the overt forms: verbal, physical, emotional, and mental harm. This is a good thing to catch on when you’re around children. However, he misinterpreted the moment between Summer and Major; any sign of sadness from Major led him to label Summer a "bad mother." How is it that Darren's stepfather, Kevin, and Summer are on the same playing field as each other regarding parenting? When Mr. Crocket killed Kevin, I had a shocked reaction, yet I support protecting Black children, women, and queer individuals. Sooo… an interesting approach (to say the least); I wouldn’t have resorted to murder—instead, I would have prioritized ensuring Rhonda and Darren's safety and let society handle Kevin's actions. Something told me that Rhonda was being blamed for "choosing" (because we don't know how Kevin and Rhonda got together, so who knows how he was treating her) Kevin as a partner — a father figure for her son.
As for Major, I prefer not to judge children harshly, as they are still developing their identities and often mirror their parents. With the rise of "gentle parenting," we’ve seen a lot of discussion around the concept in this new era of parenting. I believe “gentle parenting” is just a new style that encourages positive discipline strategies (that don’t always include corporal punishment), acknowledges their child’s feelings/motivation behind their behavior (while also emphasizing the importance of children developing respect, empathy, and self-awareness), and accepts the children as they are. Critics label it “time-consuming” or argue that hitting is necessary for discipline. Still, I question the long-standing reliance on corporal punishment, as shown by various outcomes, including Kevin's. Look, I’m not a parent. I assert that corporal punishment is not the most effective disciplinary method, and I find it disheartening to see gentle parenting dismissed as “soft” or “wrong.”
Ayden Gavin as Major at Jerrel’s funeral.
I hope new or expectant parents recognize numerous non-violent methods for raising children (or that do not end up like Mr. Crocket). So yes, even while Major was grieving his father's death, he sought joy in any way he could. Sometimes, seeking out your joy as a child comes with creative ways that could disrupt the parent - highlighting how challenging it is to grieve and care for a child. Summer and Rhonda were doing their best for Major and Darren - it’s unfair for Mr. Crockett to judge both Black mothers so harshly. This is not to say that there aren't abusive Black mothers (I've met my fair share); it's that Rhonda and Summer were not abusive to Darren and Major. Mr. Crockett seems to equate a lack of constant happiness with abuse, which is a precarious stance. Summer and Rhonda weren’t “bad” parents! He killed Kevin and another parent who was abusing drugs, leaving his daughter being neglected. If they were abusive in his eyes, why not murder Summer and Rhonda?
Mr. Crocket fails to realize he is becoming an abusive parent by holding children hostage and hypnotizing them to view a false version of himself. He misleads them into believing he is their protector when, in fact, they need safeguarding from him. His traumatic past and lack of a trustworthy adult resonates with many, making him an ideal villain. He embodies the pain of an abused child thrust into adulthood with a bleak view of humanity, desperately trying to save those with similar experiences. Ultimately, despite his survival instincts, he transforms into the very monster he once killed.
Elvis Nolasco as Mr. Crocket looking menacingly