The Boogeyman (I) (2023) User Reviews

The acting and the jump scares are top knotch, but the story and the pacing was sloppy

[nicolasroop · 6/10 · 2 June 2023]

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.

Quite enjoyable, if derivative

[sjo-15 · 6/10 · 20 June 2023]

Fairly enjoyable dark and creepy, jump scare fest.

Its a terrible title - makes it sound like an 80's straight to video affair.

Get past the title and what you have is a fairly enjoyable horror movie.

Theres not much any horror fan won't have seen many times - something goes bump in the night, the person experiencing it is not believed, things escalate... Jump scares.

Its fairly well done. It got a little silly towards the end that took me out of it a bit, but for the most part its enjoyable.

I doubt I'll watch it again or see it as a milestone film, but not every movie is a classic - some are just an enjoyable way to spend 90 minutes or so.

Refreshingly it is only 90 ish minutes rather than the current trend for over long posterior numbing.

Entirely forgettable

[steveinadelaide · 5/10 · 4 June 2023]

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.

Imagine if the Babadook were remade as a 90s horror film

[gavynhelfyre · 6/10 · 7 June 2023]

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.

Creepy from start to finish.

[paulclaassen · 6/10 · 7 September 2023]

There's been many 'Boogeyman' films through the years. This film is not part of a franchise nor is it a remake. It is a standalone film, and with all the Boogeyman films out there, this is definitely the best.

The film is off to a very creepy start, and the creepiness never lets go. This film is relentless, as it never allows the viewer to take a breath. It grabs you from the opening scene and completely reels you in, only to let go after the finale.

Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) recently lost her mom in a car accident. There to help her cope, is her little sister Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair) and her Dad, Will Harper (played by the very handsome Chris Messina). Sadie's school friends are mostly making fun of her. I enjoyed this back story, because it made me root for the family all the more. Sadie also goes from insecure, to heroin.

Will Harper is a therapist. One day, Lester Billings comes to see him, telling him a disturbing story of how his three children was killed by "a thing". Fearing Lester might be dangerous, Will calls the police, but before they arrive, Lester is found dead in a closet.

And now Sawyer starts seeing the same 'thing' Lester described, and the family's ordeal is about to begin. Hell, this movie gave me gooseflesh at times. It is constantly foreboding, and whenever there's a jump scare, there's a good reason for it - and there are plenty! I must say, I found the house very dark - even during daytime. I understand they wanted to create a scary atmosphere; similar to 'Lights Out', and its actually darn effective! It was much scarier that way.

Despite being a horror film, 'The Boogeyman' has a lot of depth. There are emotional and sincere moments I did not expect to find here. The actors also did an incredible job. But that goes without saying, considering every main actor is an award-winning actor. This is a very well made horror film that's sure to give young kids nightmares, so don't let your youngsters watch this!

As I said, the film never goes easy on the viewer. There truly never is a dull moment and chances are you'll be on the edge of your seat biting your nails throughout its 98 minute runtime. And it all builds to a good climax!

I had no idea houses in the US apparently have no lights...

[guinden · 4/10 · 6 June 2023]

I have seen some boogeyman movies and i must say this was maybe the worst. Not because of the acting or directing or cinematography or lore or the monster but because the absolutely stupid characters and their decisions.

The unrealistic insane decisions made by the family members are just beyond ridiculous.

Older sister and younger learns about the monster they know only the light keeps it away and what they don't do?

They never ever turn on the lights in the house! Like what is happening??

She also plays in total darkness with PS.. WHen she is pranked and closed in the room does she turn on the light? No!

Also father is a psychiatrist and after seeing her daughter terrified like hell he lets her still sleep alone still in the same room...

Like even when at the last act they go after the monster they still none of them have a single flashlight!

Lady who sets a trap cuts of the electric power of the lights instead turning it off so she can shot it with shotgun...

Either houses in the US have no lights or the main characters are the dumbest in the history of horror movies...

The equivalent of this movie would be a movie when a family learns about a killer shark in the bay and they only have to avoid going ito the water and yet every day they decide to rather go to the beach and swim the sea...

Great film about the monsters in your closet.

[michvanbeek · 7/10 · 3 September 2023]

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.

1h 38m, but felt much longer.

[BA_Harrison · 3/10 · 2 June 2023]

Remember Boogeyman from 2005 (and its sequels)? This film, based on a Stephen King short story, not only has a very similar title, but it's not a million miles away in terms of storyline either. It's slightly better than the 2005 film, but since I gave that one a rating of 1/10, that's not saying much.

The plot revolves around that old horror movie cliche, the monster in the closet (or under the bed). There's a nasty creature killing emotionally troubled children, but only after it has had fun scaring them; young Sawyer Harper (Vivien Lyra Blair) will be its next victim unless older sister Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) can do something to stop it.

Totally lacking in originality, The Boogeyman is instantly forgettable, generic, mainstream PG-13 horror that relies on predictable jump scares and loud noises to get any kind of reaction from its audience. The film reminded me of so many films in recent years -- Mama, Smile, The Babadook, Lights Out, to name a few -- with stock characters and an uninspired CGI creature.

Characters behave stupidly, no-one turns the lights on (a crazy woman would rather burn a few hundred dollars worth of candles than flick a switch), and Sadie faces the monster with a hockey stick when she has already seen it survive being blasted several times by a shotgun.

3/10 -- Further proof that they will make a film out of absolutely anything written by King.

7.1/10. Recommended

[athanasiosze · 7/10 · 24 September 2023]

I can't understand what some people are looking for. Horror movies can't get way better than this. If you are a horror snob, that's ok, but not every horror director is brilliant as Aster or Eggers. If you don't lower your expectations, almost every new horror movie will bring you more disappointment than enjoyment.

Rob Savage is a good horror director, i would even call him a hope for horror genre. I enjoyed his previous movies. BOOGEYMAN is even better. It's the best horror movie since SMILE.

Not a masterpiece for sure, it's flawed. I could live with less jump scares, they seem overused here. Furthermore, i would prefer for the monster to appear less on the screen. It would be more menacing if it didn't constantly pop out here and there. First half of the movie was scary. But, as it progressed, i got desensitized. It was not that scary anymore and there were some pacing problems in the second half.

However, the sum of it was good. Great acting, especially the young girls. Likeable characters: Not something usual in horror movies nowadays. I cared for them and there were many intense scenes that made me anxious. Spooky atmosphere, constant dread, viewer doesn't relax for a second. Monster was a great villain, i really hated it. I won't reveal the ending but i found it very good.

In general, this is not brilliant, neither groundbreaking or mindblowing. But it does what a good horror movie suppose to do. And, i repeat myself but i must emphasize about the characters. It's important for a horror movie to have likeable characters, i watched many ridiculous horror movies in which i didn't care if they live or die. BOOGEYMAN suceeds because these characters are very likeable. That's a lesson that every horror director should learn.

Not horrible, but not particularly engaging.

[Commander_Sani_Ceto · 5/10 · 10 June 2023]

I felt this was a mediocre movie. Some of the jump scares in the first half were pretty well done, but when the Boogeyman started to make a real appearance, the wheels came off for me.

I think the acting was pretty good but there was nothing original or special in this movie. I feel that it's difficult to make a truly scary movie that sticks with you long after you've left the theater; I was hoping The Boogeyman would stick to my bones a bit, but it did not.

If you're looking to kill some time with some jump scares, this is an okay flick. If you're looking for something truly frightening and engaging, I don't believe this is it.

Needed a better title. This is really good.

[benjaminskylerhill · 8/10 · 2 June 2023]

Truly, this movie was screwed over with its title. I know it's an adaptation, but "The Boogeyman" makes it sounds like a bottom-of-the-bargain-bin DVD movie. But while far from original, this is a thoroughly well-crafted, at times thoughtful horror film.

By far, this is one of the most frightening PG-13 movies I've seen. Director Rob Savage has a lot of talent, and he wields the camera with style and with care. Excellent sound design and mixing, as well as a smart subdued musical score, build anticipation for each scare and don't let up the tension once something has been revealed.

The monster is horrifying in its design, but Savage wisely doesn't show it to us very often, and never really shows it to us in detail. Dark, oppressive atmosphere pervades the screen and it leaves a lot of distressing things to the imagination.

While this isn't the first film to hold grief or trauma as a metaphor for its monster, it's done quite well here. The family dynamics in this script are restrained and well-realised, with satisfying thematic payoff at the end.

I have only one major issue with the film, and that's that the characters seem to easily brush off when they see horrifying things. They didn't sell the paranoia at all. And at a couple points Sadie finds potential proof of the monster's existence but never does anything with it. Perhaps there was some material left on the cutting room floor that fills in these gaps, but we may never know.

Still, this is a supernatural scare-fest that's several cuts above average and I would truly recommend it for anyone who enjoys a decent story with their spooks.

Really good conventional horror

[masonsaul · 7/10 · 6 June 2023]

The Boogeyman is a really good horror film that starts really strong and continues to have some good scares and a generally unnerving atmosphere, proving for both better and worse that Host & Dashcam director Rob Savage can also make a more conventional horror film.

Sophie Thatcher is so good, she essentially carries the film with the most emotional and layered performance enhanced by her tangible sisterly bond with Vivien Lyra Blair who is very convincing at conveying fear. Also worthy of a mention is David Dastmalchian whose brief appearance still leaves a lasting impression.

Rob Savage's direction is impressive, he moves the camera in some inventive ways and shows the creature itself just the right amount, never completely revealing its look until the very end. The music by Patrick Jonsson is suitably sombre and oppressive without overdoing it.

Is there a stronger word for generic?

[FeastMode · 2/10 · 2 June 2023]

The Boogeyman is the genericest horror flick I've seen in a long time. Everything in it has been done a thousand times before. The only new idea involves a spherical light. Other than that, there is absolutely nothing you haven't seen before, unless this is your first horror movie.

But I can still enjoy a generic movie if it's made well. It can be argued that Smile is fairly generic, but it was done so well that it became my favorite movie of last year. The Boogeyman, on the other hand, is extremely boring and completely unscary. I did not jump at a single jump-scare attempt. I never once felt creeped out.

It's also really dumb. I'll give a couple examples. Apparently electricity is really expensive in this world. I'm basing this on the fact that there are numerous scenes where all the lights are off in situations that make zero sense to have the lights off. An adolescent is hanging out in her room with all the lights off. A little kid is playing video games in the living room with all the lights off. Why?

Then there is a scene where the light switches no longer work, but Christmas lights still do. Huh??? How about when the closet door slams not once, but twice, and the 10-year-old child decides to investigate instead of running out screaming? That's normal child behavior, right?

In my eyes, The Boogeyman is everything wrong with horror movies. From someone who loves the genre, please do better. (1 viewing, opening Thursday 6/1/2023)

A monster that could be easily vanquished by one trip to Tractor Supply

[laflammemark · 7/10 · 31 December 2023]

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.

SkinWalker

[ebonykenneth-50118 · 7/10 · 25 August 2023]

Not a Bogeyman more of a Skin Walker like the creature from Barbarian except this was a good movie felt more like the first 3 episodes of AHS season 1 and the fact that there was a man who apparently had a demon latched onto him and it made him take his own life was pretty disturbing but seeing the girls take advantage of the sisters mind and making them more scared was just cruel. Not one of Stephen King's best in my opinion but it definitely beats the first bogeyman we don't get enough movies about the bogeyman only like 7 and that's mainly it this one however was fresh and exciting 6/10 for me.

The Boogeyman: Lazy, just lazy

[Platypuschow · 3/10 · 5 December 2023]

Plot

Still reeling from the tragic death of their mother, a teenage girl and her younger sister find themselves plagued by a sadistic presence in their house and struggle to get their grieving father to pay attention before it's too late.

Cast

Surprisingly other than David Dastmalchian who is in the film fleetingly I wasn't familiar with anybody.

Verdict

I'm a bit of a Stephen King fanboy, both books and movies. Though the movies are rarely faithful adaptations most are close enough to be very enjoyable and have that natural Stephen King feel about them. Yes there are exceptions, and yes this is one of them.

Boogeyman is the definition of generic, the definition of color by numbers, the definition of playing it safe.

What do I mean by that? I mean, there's no surprises. You'll have seen this before, every scene, the bog standard cgi creature, the cliches, the concept, everything.

I was never bored, it kept my attention and I used that attention to announce everything that was yet to transpire and called it accurately.

It's not that it's bad it's just offensively generic and that in turn makes it bad.

Rants

It's shocking how many Stephen King adaptations there have been, and the vast majority were not theatrical releases and many you may not even know are Kings and that's not even touching upon Nightmares & Dreamscapes. What frustrates me is all his books/short stories yet to be adapted yet we get remakes of existing adaptations such as Pet Semetary, IT, The Stand, Children of the Corn, Salems Lot, The Shining, Carrie, Firestarter etc. Give us new ones please!

Breakdown

Entirely recycled No surprises Plays it too safe.

The Darkness is its Own Fear Itself

[demonblade-37792 · 7/10 · 1 June 2023]

The Boogeyman (2023) is about a family of a male therapist who has to raise his two daughters by himself. He meetups with clients in his house until one day that this mysterious client appears. The mysterious client commits suicide inside their house while leaving a dark entity in the house with the family. The family of three start to endure the pain of the entity that brings to the family. It is up to them to stop the mysterious entity once and for all.

I went to see an early access screening of The Boogeyman (2023) in a select theater, and I thought it was good. The first impression of the movie that it does deliver a slow burn, but it still delivers. The suspense and buildup of the movie itself and the character's dialogue of Sadie (Sophie Thatcher), Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair), and Will Harper (Chris Messina) are all important to the end. It was great to see the 1973 short story being adapted to the big screen as Stephen King's mind portrays fantasizing monsters come to life. The monster reveal was creepy and entertaining to watch at the same time. King does deliver a hidden theme of when we are all scared of the dark as well. The Boogeyman writers are the same minds who made A Quiet Place (2018) and director Rob Savage that made the movie horrific to say the least. Overall, The Boogeyman is good with its acting, suspense, and horror. I would recommend watching it in theaters for a good horror-thriller watch.

Couldn't wait for it to end.

[ejones3157 · 1/10 · 6 June 2023]

Boring and a waste of time.

This was actually worse than the 2005 "Boogeyman" movie. I don't even know why this movie was called "The Boogeyman" as it wasn't even really a man, more of a creature. It looked like some creature from "A Quite Place" that got lost and ended up in this little girl's closet.

I don't even think we learned what it was or where it came from. Just that it'll make mold grow in your house and it has two baby arms that come out of it's mouth when it's about ready to kill you. That's it!

I was hoping this would be good, better than the 05' version but it's not. I heard this was supposed to go on Hulu instead of to the theaters and that's exactly where it belongs. Buried somewhere under Hulu's horror tab.

Stephen King's got something to say

[lee_eisenberg · 6/10 · 7 June 2023]

Full disclosure: I haven't read the story on which "The Boogeyman" is based, so I can only assess it on its own merits. It was okay, as I expected. Like many horror movies of recent years, grief plays a major part of the plot. Of course, most of the horror comes from jump scares.

As for the cast, they do a fine enough job, considering what they have to have work. The title character does turn out to be freaky in some scenes.

All in all, this is a movie that you'll probably enjoy enough. I wouldn't say that there were any scenes that stuck me with solid memory, but you do have to admire the intense scenes.

So, it's nothing great, but if you're willing to spend the day with some friends and watch something scary, this should be fun.

Squandered potential, poorly written.

[xzxhrkt · 4/10 · 2 June 2023]

Went into this movie with little expectations and was actually pleasantly surprised with how well they pulled off the boogeyman character, all the special effects, jump scares and creepy moments. Ontop of that all the acting was extremely well executed everyone committed to their character and really delivered pretty strong performances. Special nods to the main character and the man that played billings. That's about all the positive things I have to say about this movie though and that's where our spoilers will begin.

First off the little girl who pee'd in her pants the one time the lights went off in the therapist office is incredibly inconsistent with how afraid she is. When she first sees the boogeyman she actually has the nerve to continue investigating it, BY HERSELF, MULTIPLE TIMES, IN THE DARK WHICH SHE IS SUPPOSEDLY TERRIFIED OF. There's just little consistency to any decision she makes, right down to the end where she is playing her video games in a room with 0 lights on despite the fact she again, is terrified of the dark. No child that age would be sleeping alone, especially in her own room with door closed after seeing the boogeyman haunting her MULTIPLE times.

Now onto the dad who is by far the worst character. He's actually a therapist by trade but is the worst dad you've ever seen. Instead of consoling his daughters he just pawns them off on another therapist right after their mom died and man supposedly committed suicide in their house. Get a clue moron. He's nowhere to be found in the house at all times despite his daughters constantly screaming and crying. Right down to the end where his 6 year old is being tossed like a rag doll around the living room and he somehow shows up about 10 seconds too late. Somehow this moron still isn't buying the story despite the fact his daughter fliped the couch and suicide torpedoed into the living room TV. Even after the daughters extreme head injury, he brings her home from the hospital about 2 hours later as she knocked out in the backseat with no seatbelt on. Dad of the year. I swear in the climax of the movie we see this man straight up snap his leg like a twig yet his daughters who combined weigh less than half of him are able to assist him in walking all the out of the house from the basement. Later in the final scene not only is his leg not broken but he's not even limping or wearing a brace. What?

The older daughter also makes some incredibly questionable moves as well. The town they must live in must be about the size of a college campus as she can easily walk to and from school, from her house to the billings residence and from the billings residence to the hospital. All within a very small amount of time. After watching the boogeyman eat about a half dozen 12 gauge shot gun rounds point blank and rip a woman in a half (another character who is making insanely bad choices such as burning more candles than the entirety of all the churches in America, or completely giving up on any sort of cleaning or even keeping the backdoor of her house shut) she declares to her younger sister (who is wrapped in Christmas lights that are plugged in and working despite all the power in the house not working) that she can kill the boogeyman and proceeds to attempt to do so armed with a hockey stick.

There's more plot holes and poor writing littered about such as billings who is terrified of closets and the boogeyman deciding he going to into the closet and get killed by him? What? Honestly if I went over all the poor writing we would be her for about another 2000 characters.

This movie gets a 4 because the acting really is good despite the awful script, and there are actually a lot of creepy well done horror scenes in this movie. I would probably even watch it again because it kind of works as a dark comedy if you riff on the poor writing as you watch it.

Pretty good

[mbrock-57372 · 8/10 · 12 November 2023]

Honestly I don't get all the harsh critiques. If you're looking for a classic creepy, monster in the closet horror movie, this is it. I don't like jumpscares really, and this movie does have them but they didn't ruin the movie for me. It's one of those movies that made me lift the blanket up to my eyes and peek out the top during certain parts, but not the whole movie (which I can find exhausting). The ending is pretty unoriginal and unsurprising, but it ties it up pretty neatly. The movie does a good job of easing you into the spooky, and then going full out for most of the rest of the movie.. It can get visually dark a lot throughout (as light is one of the main elements to this film), so if you don't like dark movies, maybe skip it or wait til night time to watch 😉

A solid if largely unoriginal horror

[ethanbresnett · 7/10 · 9 June 2023]

The Boogeyman doesn't reinvent the wheel. It treads the same path as many horror films before it, with the overarching story feeling very familiar. However there's something in the way that this story is packaged that feels quite engaging and absorbing.

It has a very melancholic and sinister vibe baked into it which really heightens the whole feel of the piece. There's a very creepy air to it which a lot of horror films don't manage to conjure up, so this is a huge plus.

It boasts a good cast, with Sophie Thatcher putting in a solid performance in the lead role, and there's a strong supporting turn from Chris Messina too.

I liked the symbolism in the story and its exploration of grief. This element worked very well.

There are a few drawbacks though. The story sags a little and could have maybe done with 10 minutes shaved off. There are a few too many cliches and clunky moments in the dialogue and character interactions that feel out of place, and as mentioned the story is a little too familiar.

Still, I thoroughly enjoyed watching this film. It's by no means one of the strongest horror films of recent years, but it's far from the worst. It sits confidently in the middle of the pack and will keep you gripped and give you plenty of scares.

Oh God.

[okb94 · 1/10 · 3 June 2023]

This film is nothing but a collection of cheap jump-scares stringed together by a subpar plot that would have been old if it were released 20 years ago.

I don't mind jump-scares, in fact I think they can be a great addition to a horror movie if used well, but making a loud noise or loudly slamming a door every 3 minutes is just lazy writing.

Not gonna go into detail (not that there are much details to go into) but the whole movie is riddled with every horror movie trope you can think of.

I found myself constantly rolling my eyes over how nonsensical and unrealistic the characters were being in behaving and reacting to the events of the film.

This film is regurgitated garbage that has been many times before and I promise you, if you've seen any monster-horror movie ever, you've seen this one.

Not Scary at All. On The Lower End of All Cinematic Stephen King Adaptations

[RightOnDaddio · 6/10 · 2 June 2023]

This is, yet again, your very typical 21st Century Horror Theatrical Release. This movie will remind you of countless others that you've seen for the last twenty or so years. The effects. The story. The presentation. It will all be boringly familiar to you.

The fact that Stephen King's name is attached to this project has little to no significance.

So why did I rate this as highly as a six, you might ask?

Because I love horror movies.

Even the dumb ones.

Even the ones where my eyeballs get a tremendous workout from rolling so much during the course of the movie.

This one here though does have a decent soundtrack with the likes of Beck and Elvis Presley, so there is that.

The actors all do a decent job with the parts they are given.

Chris Messina does a decent job as the patriarch. His performance from Julie & Julia still looms large (can't believe I'm admitting this and in print!) Sophie Thatcher as the big sister really holds the film together and here reminds me so much of Anya Taylor-Joy. And while I'm comparing actors, Messina also reminded me of Dermot Mulroney in this most recent performance.

This family endures a horrible tragedy at the onset of this film, but it is never shown, and only spoken of.

As a matter of fact, there is a bit of confusion, at least there was for me, in the opening scene of this movie and to whom that incident relates to.

Look, this isn't a horrible film. It's not. It's just nothing fresh or different. If you're expecting that, and you may not be, you'll be disappointed.

A highlight here as well is the fantastic David Dastmalchian. He is always superb in his every role no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. He can go from quirk to creep with an ease unparalleled by any of his peers working in films today.

The Boogeyman is thankfully just a short hour and a half give or take with no end credits scene.

And as ridiculous as it may sound, I will watch this film again. I know. But I think it will play better on the small screen in late October and I'm looking forward to a repeat viewing at that time.

REALLY generic, but a decent third act

[aronharde · 6/10 · 2 September 2023]

The Boogeyman starts off with the most generic setup imaginable for a horror movie which really threw me off in the first half. There's a family with the recent tragic event who is trying to be part of a normal life again. Also the characters were really generic. You had the father who's trying to keep the family close, the young daughter who's still a child, the teenage daughter who was slightly rebellious and can't cope with the death of her mother and of course a character who has more knowledge about the entity and tells our main protagonist about it. The movie also borrowed a lot of scenes from other successful horror movies. The Boogeyman was afraid of light just like in the movie "Lights Out" (2016) and the design really reminded me of the creatures from A Quiet Place (2018) and there was a scene which was almost identical to another scene from the movie Smile (2022). So for the most part of the movie it's really generic and just nothing interesting happens, but towards the third act the Boogeyman is more on screen and I think that that's where the movie is the strongest because I think that the entity itself was the only interesting aspect the movie had up until now. Sometimes less is more but in this case I don't think this is true because I really enjoyed that The Boogeyman was not just some entity but he was a physically threatening creature that was also able to be harmed with for example a shotgun. This made the creature seem more threatening and scary because it physically interacted with all protagonists. The movie felt more like a Creature-Feature than a movie about some evil entity which I really enjoyed since I'm a huge Creature-Feature fan. Even though the movie is really generic and definitely doesn't reinvent the wheel it manages to keep a spooky atmosphere throughout and given it's a PG-13 rated movie I think it's a decent approach because the third act really helped the movie differentiate from other mainstream horror and it's definitely a better adaptation of the boogeyman than the 2005 version. One thing that really bugged me though was that there are several scenes where the light switches are turned off for no apparent reason, well except that The Boogeyman only attacks when it's dark. But then again the movie had amazing visuals and I think that Rob Savage did a great job directing it and it would have been really interesting to see what he could have crafted with a less generic script. I am looking forward to his upcoming movies. [6,4/10]