Zepotha, a horror movie very few people have heard of is doing the rounds on TikTok. If you’re an ardent user of the app, you may have seen one of the many comments left on popular videos claiming someone in it reminds the commenter of a character, or perhaps you’ve seen off-the-cuff Zepotha reviews from users claiming it’s one of the best horror movies ever made.
But why have so many genre enthusiasts, who have seen the best movies horror filmmakers have to offer over and over, never heard of it? Well, the lore says that’s down to the fact the film was only available on VHS and DVD. A forgotten video relic is an enticing idea, especially for a genre of storytelling that loves lost-and-found nasty mysteries.
The real reason, however, is actually not that at all. You’ll never find it in a DVD bin or on any of the best streaming services because Zepotha doesn’t exist.
The trail begins with a TikTok by Emily Jeffri, who decided to start her very own trend on the app. Her post extends an idea for “a new bit” where she and cohorts would collude to create “a fake horror movie called Zepotha,” which sounds suspiciously like Zathura to us.
She offers instructions for those wishing to join in, telling them to comment things like “omg u look EXACTLY like that one girl from Zepotha,” on thirst traps and such. “Together we will witness new lore develop, main characters will energy, etc., and we can convince thousands of people that this weirdly titled 80s horror film actually exists.”
Since floating the sly idea, many users have hoppen on the bandwagon, with some even creating a Wikipedia page for the film to make it seem more real. This is not the first time a stunt like this has been pulled off: The Blair Witch Project famously convinced some moviegoers that the film was actually made up of real found footage.
Some people have even been posting fake trailers to YouTube. The one below, produced by the very-real ‘B34’, teases #ZepothaReborn. There is no Zepotha PR team prepping legit new movies to release alongside the trend (at least, not yet) but it’s nice to see fake marketing on the up and up again. It’s not novel, but maybe it’s just as devilishly fun as it was back in the 90s.
If you’ve landed here because you love horror lore, real or fake, check out our guides to the Scream 7 release date for all your meta needs, the Saw X release date if you’re a gorehound, and we’ve also got lists of the best monster movies, best ghost movies, and best vampire movies to fit the occasion.
And for the team’s thoughts on the genre new and old, check out how Stephen King saved The Evil Dead franchise, why we think Scream 4 had the best Ghostface reveal, and why horror movie fans are celebrating a truly gruesome anniversary today.