In 1993, young Darren Harper becomes obsessed with ''Mr. Crocket's World'', a
children's television series hosted by the titular Mr. Crocket and his puppets Boogaloo Blue and Squawky Bird. The show's
VHS tape was in a
free library outside his home. During dinner, Darren's stepfather Kevin verbally abuses him until Mr. Crocket emerges from the television. He kills Kevin and disappears with Darren, leaving his mother, Rhonda, horrified by the gruesome scene. One year later, Summer Beverly struggles to manage her disobedient son Major in the wake of her husband Jerrel's death. Rhonda, now a homeless woman, warns Summer about Mr. Crocket. The free library with the ''Mr. Crocket's World'' tape appears outside Summer's home and she gives it to Major, who quickly becomes obsessed with the show. Meanwhile, Mr. Crocket kills
drug abuser Bill and kidnaps his daughter, Carey, while she is watching the same tape. One day, as Summer tries convincing Major to go outside, Major throws a tantrum. Summer snaps at him about wanting to quit as his mother and sends him to his room as a punishment for disobeying her. That night, Mr. Crocket emerges from the television and takes Major with him through a portal created with his
magic marker. Summer learns about Bill's death and connects Carey's kidnapping to Major's. She researches Mr. Crocket and learns that his full name is Emanuel Crocket, a local children's show host who was killed in a police shootout after he had allegedly kidnapped young Anthony Williams in 1979. Summer meets Eddie Briggs, a man who believes in her story after Mr. Crocket kidnapped his daughter a few months ago. They realize that Rhonda might know about Mr. Crocket's next abduction and track her to an encampment surrounded by televisions. Rhonda reveals that Mr. Crocket's powers are tied to airwaves and she has
telekinetically tapped into them to locate where he will be. The trio confronts Mr. Crocket and he proceeds to attack them, stabbing Rhonda while Summer and Eddie enter through his portal to a nightmarish version of the ''Mr. Crocket's World'' set where Major, Darren, Carey, and several other children are under his control. While monstrous versions of Boogaloo Blue and Squawky Bird restrain Summer, Mr. Crocket recounts how he killed his abusive father and made it look like an accident. Motivated to help other neglected children, Mr. Crocket grew up as a children's entertainer and created his show. During a taping, he met Anthony and realized he had suffered abuse. Mr. Crocket took him to his house, but police officers considered it a kidnapping, resulting in the confrontation that killed him. After dying, Mr. Crocket made a deal with the
Devil to deliver the souls of abusive parents in exchange for coming back to life with supernatural powers to protect children, a place to call his own and have the abused children he "saved" become his new family for all eternity. Eddie reveals that he is actually Anthony and has been manipulating Summer to get back with Mr. Crocket. However, Mr. Crocket rejects him because he is no longer a child and has done nothing with his life other than obsess over rejoining Mr. Crocket. He orders Boogaloo Blue to maul Eddie to death. Mr. Crocket allows Major to decide between him or Summer, to which Major chooses Mr. Crocket and is given a knife to kill his mother. When Summer expresses her love for Major, he secretly steals the magical marker from Mr. Crocket and Summer uses it to slice Mr. Crocket in half. She exits with Major and the other children to the real world as Mr. Crocket vows revenge while telling Major he will always be watching him and will go to his side should he ever call on him. A still-alive Rhonda reunites with Darren while Summer's relationship with Major improves as both resume their normal lives. Sometime later, Summer learns that Major's aggressive behavior is growing and children at his school are afraid of stories about his new "father". As Summer realizes that Mr. Crocket's influence is still present, Major pulls out the magical marker, insinuating that he might use it to bring Mr. Crocket back in some way. == Cast ==