Remember that movie? Where the main character accidentally does something so bizarre that it opens a portal to a realm. The only problem is that he does not remember what prompted his actions, as though he was under some spell. But this realm looks quite enticing and lures you with the ideal living for humankind.
However, when all the lead characters enter the portal, they are met with a rude awakening that the paradise-like scenery harbors the most evil. Now it is up to them to navigate their way out of the realm. But the challenge is that only one of them knows how he opened the portal; he seems to have forgotten since….or has he?
The slasher movie has some of the goriest killings, and it questioned whether the evil was in the supernatural or mankind….Now do you recall which movie I am talking about?
I guarantee you won’t simply because such a movie does not exist.
Recently TikTok got into a similar shenanigan when the collective decided to gaslight a movie onto the world. TikTok has revived several indie films since the quarantine, including ‘1,2,3, All Eyes On Me.’
So, when an unknown title like “Zepotha” started trending on TikTok, most netizens believed it to be a hidden blast from the past that not a lot of people knew about. With FOMO as the trigger point, many people boarded the trend to feel included. Unbeknownst to them, Zepotha is actually a cooked-up movie with a fictional cast and production. This movie, trending as the 1987-released slasher sci-fi horror movie, is nothing but a hollow shell of bored TikTokers who wanted to stir up some fun. And it is indeed entertaining!
What Is Zepotha on TikTok?
It all started with TikTok. Think of it like a mission sanctioned by the Secret Service from the oval office. Yes, it’s that serious!
One TikTok user proposed an idea–
“What if we created a fake 80s horror movie called ‘Zepotha’ and started commenting omg you look EXACTLY like that one girl from Zepotha or wait you look exactly like ____ from Zepotha.”
A very simple but menacing proposal and definitely hard to resist. This TikTok was taken as a commandment. TikTok joined hands to create a blockbuster from the 80s that never existed but is an underrated gem and is finally getting much-deserved attention, worthy of consideration for awards.
People started the chain plot, adding to the folklore of Zepotha, and finalized on four main characters– Maxine, Alaina/ Alaine, Cole, and Danny. They also implied the queerness in the identity of these characters, which added to the appeal since the 80s was not known for queer representation.
Moreover, there is no plot or any other information about the movie except the characters. Netizens are commenting on which character someone is most likely to be. These intrigued the people who were not in on the joke.
Thus creating a hilarious trend of a movie that became a sleeper hit in only one nation– the imagiNATION of a legion of TikTokers. Some creative netizens even made edits, fan art, posters, character portraits, and more.
TikTok’s Fake 1987 Horror Movie Trend Explained
Emily Jeffri, the OP, was the mastermind behind this trend. Their genius marketing strategy to promote their upcoming debut album, “Soundtrack for an ’80s Horror Movie,” was a unique way to stand out.
Although it is commendable how her vision panned out-
“Together, we will witness new lore develop, main characters will emerge, etc. & we can convince thousands of people that this weirdly titled 80s horror film actually exists.”
This hilariously diabolical plan seems to have worked, as that TikTok video has since amassed over 3.5 million views while perplexing people trying to find out what exactly Zepota is.
Some OG netizens pointed out that this trend is nothing but a stale rip-off of the epic urban legend of Gincharov. This meme started on Tumblr because of a weird shoe brand name, and people organically started building a fictional story around it. This trend actually had a plot, where people kept adding to the story and created several characters.
Meanwhile, the netizens who were unaware of either of the “movies” were struggling with the trend, but their reactions were hilarious–
What are your thoughts on this meta trend? Are you game to be a part of such a Mandela effect?
If you had to add a personality to the characters, what traits would you give them? Let’s have some fun creativity in the comments section below.
