What Is 'Zepotha' And Is It Real? The Alleged '80s Horror Movie Going Viral On TikTok Explained

TikTokers are going crazy for a horror movie supposedly from the 1980s called Zepotha. According to the videos, Zepotha is a shocking and often forgotten film from the '80s, and although there's tons of fan art and alleged footage of the movie appearing online, many claim they can't find any evidence of its existence, begging the question: Is Zepotha real? Here's an explanation.

What Is 'Zepotha?'

While Zepotha is being touted on social media as a horror movie from the 1980s, the movie doesn't actually exist. It's a fake movie invented by TikToker and musician Emily Jeffri in mid-August as a way to gaslight and troll viewers into believing it exists.

In her original video, she encourages viewers to leave comments under thirst traps claiming that the video poster looks like a character from Zepotha. She explains how she hopes the fake movie will spread to the point where people create characters, lore and more surrounding it. That seems to be happening, with the original video boasting over 5 million views and social media quickly filling with memes about the fake film.

How Is 'Zepotha' Used In Memes?

Following the original video's success, TikTokers began posting videos also claiming that Zepotha is real. In their videos, they describe characters, plot points and scenes from the movie, some even claiming there's a Zepotha 2. Some people go the extra step and create scenes from the movie using both original footage and old horror movie footage.

The meme has spread outside of TikTok to sites like Tumblr, where some users are a little angry about how similar the Zepotha meme is to Goncharov, a fake movie invented by Tumblr users. The movie has also inspired a Reddit page, /r/Zepotha, where users are sharing character mockups, posters and more for the beloved fake horror movie.

@zep0tha got the idea from @☆antonia☆ PLEASE WATCH THEIR VIDEO ITS SO FUNNY 😭😭#zepotha #80s #horror #ZEPOTHA #maxandlyd #fyp ♬ original sound – ZEPOTHA

@lonepinemusic Ugh this movie is so good! Hidden gem really #zepotha #80shorror #slasher #horror #horrormovie #zepothamovie #crt #crttv ♬ DO YOU REMEMBER ME – jeffri

For the full history of Zepotha, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.