Horror has always reigned as one of the most bankable genres in the business because it appeals to the primal urge audiences have to be scared out of their seats in a darkened room, which helpfully explains why even outright crimes against cinema like The Bye Bye Man manage to turn a tidy profit.
Despite taking an absolute drubbing from critics and crowds alike – with the supernatural slasher topping out at 18 and 22 percent on Rotten Tomatoes from either party – it still conspired to take home almost $30 million at the box office on a budget that was under $7.5 million. Even at that, though, the film’s lasting legacy had nothing to do with any of the events that unfolded onscreen.
Instead, if you’ve spent perhaps a little too much time online, you’ll no doubt recognize director Stacy Title’s awful tale of terror from the long-lasting meme it ended up spawning.
An urban nightmare starring Doug Jones as a vengeful spirit that features the likes of Carrie-Anne Moss, Faye Dunaway, Leigh Whannell, and even Prince Harry’s ex-girlfriend Cressida Bonas among the ensemble forever being remembered as The Peepee Poopoo Man isn’t exactly what any of the creatives would have had in mind, but at least it retains a level of infamy.
Whether or not streaming subscribers are aware is an entirely different question, but seeing as FlixPatrol has named The Peepee… The Bye Bye Man as one of the most-watched features on Chili this week, it isn’t going to be long until they find out one way or another.