In 2015, New York Magazine published a fascinating article about two 12-year-old girls being tried as adults in Waukesha, Wisconsin for attempted murder.  Quite matter-of-factly, the girls copped to stabbing a classmate while playing hide and seek in the woods and when pushed further by detectives, claimed that they were only following orders from the Slenderman, a faceless, lanky modern day boogeyman whose very idea was birthed as an internet meme.  Creepy right?

In a similar fashion to the article, this HBO doc examines the origins of the Slenderman mythology and dissects the horrific crime that it inspired.  It includes interviews of the families involved as well as footage of the police questioning and trial.  Beware the Slenderman is another true crime swing for HBO, but unfortunately it’s a swing and a miss.  At two hours, it’s twice as long as it needs to be and is also just kind of a drag.  You’re better off just reading the NYM article.  Currently streaming on HBO.  Grade: D

PS – Does Waukesha, Wisconsin ring a bell?  No, it’s NOT the same Wisconsin location as Netflix’s Making a Murderer as I initially wondered.  But it IS the hometown of the current Bachelor, Nick Viall.