The Boogeyman

While I give the film props for an interesting and unique creature design, it can't really elevate a movie that just feels mediocre.

The film presents itself as something of a metaphor for grief, but it ultimately feels extremely toned down and toothless. Jump scares aside, the movie does very little to ratchet up its tension, making its handful of tense moments feel a bit like islands in a sea of "get on with it".

The performances are fine, but ultimately the film never lets the characters really get to dig into their own trauma and depression in a way that might give the film some much needed depth. It ends of feeling as if someone wanted to make the Babadook, but in the style of films like House on Haunted Hill or Thirteen Ghosts.

It's a pleasant enough watch, but you'll forget it in a week.

Although there are many films with similar subject matter, many people will ignore this story as unoriginal and start naming a whole battery of films that would not be better. However, it is forgotten that this story is based on a short story by horror master Stephen King and dates back to 1973. Of course you cannot tinker with the story in such a way that it becomes a completely different film, but because the story is already a lot older than people think, it's best not to think that the movie just isn't good because there are many other movies that look like it, because The Boogeyman just turned out to be a more than fine horror movie. At the helm is director Rob Savage, who has impressed in recent years with The Host and Dashcam in the found footage horror segment. The director can handle the darkness well and knows how to build up the tension by showing the minimal.

The film immediately opens with a nasty scene, in which a young sleeping child is killed by something. This controversial opening immediately arouses interest in the how and what and especially why. After this, the story moves to the Harper family, with the father and two daughters coming to terms with their mother's recent death. Father Will is a therapist who one day gets a stranger into his room with a disturbing story about the death of his children and ends up committing suicide in their home. The youngest daughter Sawyer is afraid of the dark and is sure that there is a monster in her closet, but of course no one believes her. It is thrown on the loss of her mother and the suicide of the strange man that awakens an ultimately strong fantasy in the child. The story is strong and well put together up to that point and the tension is built up perfectly. You can leave that to a writer like Stephen King for the monster in the closet idea and the childish fears that come with it, of course, but in this one the director shows himself to be a skilled person to translate this oppressively and well to the screen.

The second act of the film moves more towards the visual and we actually get to see the shadow monster. The psychological effect is a bit off from the film, but the tension remains well present. This is also done smartly by often working with the color red, something that will eventually get on your nerves a bit (and that is meant in a positive way). Eventually the puzzle pieces come together and you get an idea of what the victims of the shadow monster have to do. The result is an explosive ending, which is actually a bit predictable. Perhaps that is the one point that many critics might have been right about. But this does not detract from the fun for the rest and in the end if you watch the film carefully, a great horror film has been delivered. Nowhere is the film boring, nowhere does the film take too long, the tension is built up well and there is no superfluous gore present, in fact. On the gore level, the film is very tame and then it is of course always nice if you manage to keep a film like this exciting, so The Boogeyman does exactly what it should do.

The Boogeyman has become a great horror film based on a short story by Stephen King. The film is exciting and the makers respond well to the childish fears of a monster in the closet or under your bed. No unnecessary filth or an extremely bloody whole, no, The Boogeyman plays more with the viewer's imagination. Towards the end, all brakes are finally released and perhaps that is the part where the director should or should have been a little more subdued, but okay. In the end, it doesn't really make the movie worse at all. The cast does a great job for the rest and the film is simply excellent for an evening of horror entertainment. The stories that the film would not be original is nonsense, but well, it's just what you expect from it and in addition, the story of The Boogeyman is older than many acclaimed horror films that deal with the same subject. What you can do best is just watch the movie and don't think too much about other movies.

This could have been a great horror film. The dread is there, the sets and lighting is perfect. You never really get a good look at the creature, and I felt that worked towards making the film much more suspenseful. The acting is all servicable and the characters feel real, for the most part. My issue with the film was how closed up the father was towards his wifes death and talking with his daughters about it. Seemed very unrealistic for how close they all seemed and only frustrated me in the end.

The pacing was also very off. The opening seemingly took forever to get to any of the good stuff, and when it does get there, we're thrown from scene to scene with almost no set up to it. Some of it felt like they were just throwing ideas for scary scenes at us. Almost as if they had no connection to the story other than the creature and the protaganists.

The film actually started out as a 1.5/5 stars but worked it's way up to 3/5 by the end of it. If the director and writers didn't put the effort into making us care about the characters, then it would've stayed a 1.5, but thankfully, they grew on me and by the end of the film, I was hoping they would make it out alive.

Overall, not a bad film. Slightly above average, but just be aware that it is not a perfect horror film and it does have it's fair share of problems and pacing issues throughout.

3 bumps in the night out of 5.

Never in human history has mankind had access to such a wide variety of lighting implements for virtually any lighting need.

You've got LED flashlights packed with thousands of lumens. Battery powered, solar powered, you name it. Even a cheap dollar store flashlight these days is capable of lighting up your entire backyard so you can see who's been stealing your underthings.

Headlamps? We got headlamps. Get one with a rechargeable battery pack and you'll never be without hands free lighting again.

Why not try the Ryobi work light, which will blast 4,200 blinding lumens at that hard to reach manifold, difficult basement job, or closet dwelling creature trying to eat your kids. It's powered by the popular ONE+ battery so you'll never be in the dark again.

Want something more budget friendly? Strap on a puck light or grab a packet of glow sticks at the dollar store (deep down, didn't you know we'd be back at the dollar store again?) and light up your world for mere pocket change.

Of course, if an ancient evil creature is menacing your family and that creature exists only in the dark, you may choose to go without all of these lighting needs and try fighting it with... Oh, I dunno. An bulk supply of tea candles? Your dead mom's almost-out-of-juice zippo lighter? Some 1970s era Christmas lights that depend on an extension cord, even though electrical power seems to be out all over the house?

Now, see here. I actually enjoyed The Boogeyman to some extent, because the scenes were shot well and it was decently acted. But come on. If even one of the bonehead characters in this movie had made just a cursory trip to Harbor Freight (I like to plug aaaall the stores,) they could have completely vanquished that rather feeble creature the very first night. Hell, what I keep in my glove compartment would have sent that Predator-wannabee packing lickety split.

I'm sorry, but when you get right down to it, that boogey creature wasn't all the powerful. In fact, the most dangerous thing it seemed to accomplish was the spreading of mold throughout the house. That's gonna cost the family a pretty penny to eradicate. Too bad they don't have a Tractor Supply, Dollar Tree or Harbor Freight in their neighborhood.

Kind of a cool movie and some scary scenes, but you have to suspend belief a little too much for it to really sink it. I mean, gee whiz, fellas. They make bright lights with little motion sensors on them now, because we live in a time of wonders.

The Boogeyman is a horror movie inspired by a Stephen King short story. The film revolves around Sadie Harper (played by Sophie Thatcher) and her younger sister Sawyer, who are struggling to cope with the loss of their mother. Their father, a therapist, attempts to assist them in dealing with their grief, but their household becomes a site of mysterious occurrences.

Directed by Rob Savage, known for his work on "Host" and "Dashcam," the movie is completely unoriginal. The plot feels predictable and derivative, borrowing elements from other horror films. The story progresses slowly, resulting in very few genuine scares.

The themes of grief and trauma are present in the film but are not explored in depth. The movie's overall tone aims for darkness and sombreness but fails to establish a pervasive sense of dread or suspense. Sophie Thatcher's performance as Sadie is commendable, delivering a solid portrayal of her character. However, the remaining cast members are forgettable, and their characters remain underdeveloped throughout the film.

The director, Rob Savage, demonstrates some competence with a few visually striking scenes. Nevertheless, the movie lacks a distinct visual style to set it apart. The score is forgettable, failing to leave a lasting impression, while the cinematography is serviceable but unremarkable.

The production design and special effects in The Boogeyman are decent but cannot salvage the movie's overall poor quality. The editing suffers from sloppiness, resulting in disjointed and poorly paced scenes. The dialogue lacks inspiration, with characters frequently delivering exposition and relying on clichéd lines.

The Boogeyman is an easily forgettable horror movie that struggles to deliver genuine scares or explore emotional depth. Its derivative and predictable nature, underdeveloped characters and slow-paced plot contribute to its lacklustre impact. The film fails to establish a distinct visual style despite a few visually striking moments. Unless you are a diehard horror genre fan, it is best to avoid this one.