El hombre del saco

I use a horror template that always promises success, mix it with the hip coming-of-age elements and go full throttle on jump scares. How can I still make a mess of the whole thing? Ok, I don't want to exaggerate. How do I make a merely average film out of the good source material? I'm borrowing too much from the Stranger Things concept without making my own. The choice of children doesn't make much of a difference, there's a lack of charisma for the most part. The synthy sound is mediocre and doesn't match the ambitions that the film sells in its marketing. I realise somewhere in the middle of my journey that I don't actually want to make a real horror film after all. What do I want then, I don't know, because generally there's a lack of big ideas? And scary, let alone horror. But hey, the pacing is right and the film only takes 90 minutes to watch.

The term "Boogeyman" has been widely appropriated to intimidate children into behaving well, fearing the threat of an unknown who will take them away if they don't oblige. Origins features the myth deriving from the Almería (Spain) region, and it's nice to see a local interpretation of the figure.

With children being abducted in regular time patterns, some of the plot points seem quite familiar. In fact, the movie tends to lean heavily on popular influences such as Stranger Things, IT, and Jeepers Creepers. This is a shame because El hombre del saco should have been bathed in Spanish folklore rather than American influences, so it's a bit of missed opportunity.

Origins is however a cut above many straight to VOD horror features, as there are some genuinely creepy scenes and visuals. The production values and effects are also done well enough to provide a creepy atmosphere.

Overall, Origins is a decent entry into the "Boogeyman universe". Plus if you're a Stranger Things fan, you'll probably enjoy this as well.

As in some American movies, the initial premise is good and full of potential but it goes to waste so soon. However, 5 minutes in and you can predict the rest of the plot. It has chances to be original, but it misses them all.

The scares are visually entertaining but too abundant and loud. It misses the goal of maintaining you tense.

But the most hurtful aspect of the movie is the dedication to look, sound, and happen as in stranger things. I don't deny that a viewer who somehow missed that series can enjoy this movie. But for the rest of the mortals, it's unavoidable to think you are watching a cheap Indian copy of the series. It hurts to watch.

On a more positive note, some of the actors are fairly good, and the effects are good. The only thing that feels professional in this movie.

Spanish cinema has way more to offer than this.

No pun intended - the movie is supposed to give us a new legacy ... a new ... well for lack of a better word (and the English title suggests as much anyway) ... boogeyman! Yes that is what it is called in Germany (and I reckon the same is true for the English/international release of the movie too).

The beginning is quite strong - even if we didn't know we are watching a horror movie, even if the movie did not already told us that it is a horror movie ... the setting, the way an "old man" is talking to a kid ... we know what we are going to get. And as the horror movie cliche goes ... we get that early shocker ... usually that is done and then you get some slower storytelling and all that ... here you get a second shocker thrown in for good measure ... whatever you make of it.

It is decent enough I reckon, the story flows fine too ... if you like horror ... well you could watch worse. Effects are ok too.

The Boogeyman is a character known globally with different names and different interpretations depending on the geographic location. El Hombre Del Saco is a movie that focuses on the Spanish version of the Boogeyman with a different folklore. This movie uses the story that gave rise to the version of the Boogeyman that they have in Spain and it is about a real crime that was used as a source for the legend. The case of Francisco Ortega came to be known as El crimen de Gádor and is considered the official source of the legend of El Hombre Del Saco. This movie uses that and takes some of the basics of the Boogeyman. In part it does not do a bad job and it helps that the story takes place in Gádor where the myth supposedly originated. The movie has a good setting, the suspense is decent and there is a good score. This is a movie that on the surface looks good and could be a good movie. What limits it is that it emulates It and Stranger Things a lot. There are moments of comedy that shouldn't have been used or at least should have been done correctly. The teenage characters have what it takes to be good characters at the level of the protagonists of It and Stranger Things. They have some family problems that could have served to give them much more depth, but only half of them were developed. There are good dramatic moments, but they are not enough. The film should have just had Paula and Alicia better written. The lore of El Hombre Del Saco in this film consists mainly of guilt as a source of power. In most versions of the Boogeyman it is the fear of children that gives him power and that also imposes punishment on disobedient children. In this film they modify that by using the psychology of children who feel guilty about the way their parents judge them and that makes them feel like they are bad children. Something that El Hombre Del Saco takes advantage of to hunt his victims. This lore leaves a lot to be desired and felt like an excuse to replicate the final confrontation with Pennywise in It: Chapter 2. That makes there is little coherence in the last moments of the film. The narrative and style bear some resemblance to Guillermo Del Toro's style and that makes me think that this film would have been better directed by that director. Del Toro knows how to tell a dramatic story with monsters or fantasy elements and he should have directed this film. El Hombre Del Saco is only recommended as a curiosity for those who want to know a little about the Spanish version of the Boogeyman, but it doesn't have much to offer. It will probably be an enjoyable film for a younger audience because it seems to be made for them. My final rating for this film is 7/10.