Don't Hug Me I'm Scared (2011)

I said I wasn't planning to do a daily Halloween Month Movie Marathon™, but I came across something today that I felt needed a review.  Prepare yourselves for the horrifying YouTube series called Don't Hug Me I'm Scared (2011).

SYNOPSIS:
Don't Hug Me I'm Scared (2011) is a short educational British children's show, only airing six episodes at 3-1/2 to 8 minutes per episode.  Each episode teaches about a fun concept, like being creative, time, healthy eating, etc. But each episode turns dark at some point, changing from a fun, bright kid's program into psychological horror.  What exactly is this show about...?

REVIEW:
If you haven't watched this show yet, I highly recommend you do.  Like, right now, before you read further.  It's so short, you can burn through all of it in about a half hour.  You can find it on YouTube, where it originally aired.  You only need to watch episodes 1-6; the other videos are teasers for episodes, with their first video being an odd unrelated short about "Bad Things That Could Happen."

Red Guy, Duck Guy, and Yellow Guy, waiting for their favorite show to air

The show depicts three puppets: Red Guy, Yellow Guy, and Duck Guy.  Throughout the series, they explore different educational concepts that always end with a dark twist.  Red Guy, losing faith in the show, disappears after episode 4 and Duck Guy, terrified of the new direction the show takes, tries to leave in episode 5, leaving Yellow Guy to have an existential crisis by himself in episode 6.

Yellow Guy drowning after his bed turned into a pool of oil. Symbolic? Literal? I can't tell anymore.

Meanwhile, Red Guy wakes up in the "real world" and experiences humiliation at work and on a stage show, while Roy (Yellow Guy's creepy father) watches him from the shadows.

Red Guy at work in the real world... in widescreen aspect all of a sudden.

So... what's the point of this show?  What exactly is going on in each episode?  This has been an ongoing discussion with fans for many years now.  And the creators aren't helpful, claiming that they've read a ton of fan theories, and "all theories are correct."  Well, as it turns out, the creators believe in art as a personal experience; that is to say, whatever your interpretation of art is, is the correct interpretation. So if they have a point behind their show, it's inconsequential.

This leaves fans to come up with their own theories about the horrors going on within the show, and even behind the scenes.  The Film Theorist, in a 2-part video (part 1 here and part 2 here), has crafted the most popular theory on this show: that it's all a children's show created by Red Guy and sponsored by Roy.  He goes on to claim that the overall series is a critique of children's shows, telling kids to be creative, but only within certain parameters.  They brainwash children into conforming to certain educational boundaries and discouraging any true creativity, held down by sponsors who want to push their own vision to earn revenue.

Roy watching porn as his son, Yellow Guy, sings and dances about it

However, as popular as this theory is, it forgets that the creators themselves have been trying to make a sponsored TV show out of this YouTube short.  As a matter of fact, they finally got their wish, and as of September 23rd, 2022, season 2 aired exclusively on Channel 4, a British streaming service.  It's also only six episodes, but this time, they're half-hour episodes with a full production budget.  I have not seen them yet, so maybe more clues as to what's going on with this show will be shown.

One of my favorite theories is that the whole show is Red Guy's attempt to hold onto his childhood as he's approaching adulthood.  He's the only adult-sized character on the felt-covered "show," but when he wakes up in the real world in episode 6, all the adults look like him and everything is tangible and real, not felt or crafted.  Or animated either.  When he goes on stage to perform with his puppet versions of the show's cast members, a guy comments on how rude he is for being naked on the stage.  But he's wearing the same outfit as his show, while all the other "red guys" wear normal adult clothing. Ever since he left the show, the remaining characters struggle to hold onto their reality as it slowly crumbles, perhaps showing his childhood slowly being forgotten and discarded.

Duck Guy being consumed by a giant can of food. Symbolism for mindless consumerism? I have no idea anymore.

There's a recurring date throughout the show (June 19th), which could be seen as Red Guy's birthday.  The date doesn't change until the end of the show, when he also changes.  As a matter of fact, all the characters change then.  So perhaps it's symbolic of him accepting adulthood and learning to let go of his childhood.  But the next season that just released shows the original cast, with no changes.  So... I guess we'll get more clues in the next series.

Be creative!

RECOMMENDATION:
If you love shows that acknowledge the existential dread in our lives, or perhaps you enjoy a dark psychological thriller with no true meaning, you should check out this web series. Hopefully the new season will reveal more of this dark world, adding or changing current theories about it.  Meanwhile, this show is very re-watchable, because there are so many creepy details hidden in the background for you to discover.  You should definitely check it out!