Cucuy: The Boogeyman (2018) Poster

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4/10
Mexico wins the day
eventlaunch1 June 2019
This movie is not only crazy it's crazy with bad acting terrible dialogue and many cringe worthy moments however somewhere in this film is a good movie not that I'm recommending you watch it but if you do decide to watch what's ultimately a TV movie worthy of the sci fi channel than you would be wasting precious time you could use to do something or watch something noteworthy like Sinister
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4/10
You're not missing a thing here horror fans
eventlaunch1 June 2019
A generic horror movie loosely based on a Mexican folk lore tale bad acting no coherent plot and stupid decisions that lead to a degenerate finale. This is so bad I fell asleep the first time and had to rewind the whole film to realise I really didn't miss a thing of substance
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2/10
Lame kiddies movie
Necrocide-66611 February 2019
I don't have much to say about this 'horror' movie, because there's really not much about it to say. Production value is good, acting is passable. This is a highly derivative, by the book, cookie cutter 'made for tv' job... If you're looking for horror, you won't find it here. This is basically a kids movie, reminds me of goosebumps or scooby doo. Unoriginal, predictable, weak plot, not scary (at all) and just plain boring for the most part. This is the movie equivalent of cheap and nasty, production line fast food. Don't waste your time....
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1/10
Tragic
lailanemo1 February 2019
If someone presented me with the option of rewatching this film or being stung by 1000000 bees I would choose the bees.
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3/10
The monster was my favorite character
iceman8886915 March 2019
I eye-rolled so much during this movie that I almost got dizzy. Generic story with horrible writing and dialog. My favorite characters were easily the monster, the bully kid and the strange guy, all of which did not get enough screen time. The main character was generic and very unlikable. The only good thing about her, is she was good eye-candy.

In the end, I was rooting for the monster, but the movie proved true to the end that it was a bad movie with that horrible, unrealistic story book ending. There could have been potential here, especially with the effects on the monster, but they really went the wrong direction. Seriously, generic movie with barely anything to offer for actual entertainment. Don't be fooled by the fake reviews. Either they have something to do with the making of this movie, or they have not seen many movies.
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3/10
The movie is a joke
abbasmokbel12 January 2019
The movie tried to be a horror but instead it turned to be so bad that you laugh at it Bad acting Average direction The director forgot to mention one kid
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7/10
The Mexican Boogeyman
Elvis-Del-Valle7 June 2023
The film presents a variant of the Boogeyman according to Mexican folklore and that is the closest to the classic version of this character. It's a moderate budget movie that doesn't offer much, but it's pretty decent. The attempt to bring a representation of the classic legend that, despite being based on Mexican folklore, is quite similar to other classic versions of the legend, is appreciated. The design of the creature is quite good and is quite close to the possible physical appearance that the Boogeyman could have, since in most times it has been described as a large creature with a robe and a monstrous appearance and carrying a sack in some versions. Where he takes the children he kidnaps. Of course, the appearance of the Boogeyman varies according to folklore and region, but the Cucuy is quite close to the classic version. As for the rest of the movie, it's pretty simple without much to say. It's probably not the horror movie some would expect because it's a movie geared towards a younger audience, but at least it manages to tell the terrifying story of this Boogeyman in the most traditional way possible. My rating for this movie is 7/10.
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OK wow
donthemovieguy27 January 2022
This made for TV movie has faults, of course...but I am giving this a solid TEN because they don't hesitate to show terror with children that most movies would shy away from! It's a camp fest of the best kind and one I was continually surprised by!
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5/10
A generic horror movie formula...
paul_haakonsen4 June 2019
While "Cucuy: The Boogeyman" definitely was reminiscent of the glorious 1990s hay days of horror, then the movie was also suffering from being generic and non-distinct.

The movie was enjoyable enough for what it was, don't get me wrong. And I did sit through the entire movie, being mildly entertained. But the movie just never got up into a scary mode, or kicked into a high paced gear, nor did it offer anything overly exciting to the horror genre that haven't already been done countless times before in other horror movies.

The concept was enjoyable, for sure. But it just felt like, 'come on, I've seen something very similar to this is other movies from some decades ago'. So on that account, the movie was suffering from being unoriginal. But hey, if you haven't, by some miraculous manner, never seen a 1990s horror movie, then chances are you will find great enjoyment in "Cucuy: The Boogeyman".

As for the creature, the Cucuy, presented in this 2018 movie. Nah. Just nah. For a seasoned horror veteran as myself, then a man wearing a latex mask with lacking proper facial movements, and glowing red eyes, just didn't cut it. For a younger audience perhaps, but not for seasoned veterans of the horror genre.

The acting in "Cucuy: The Boogeyman" was actually good, especially taking into consideration the generic storyline and script that they had to work with. But the actors and actresses definitely helped make the movie enjoyable.

The movie was lacking scary moments and the atmosphere, while they did indeed try, just didn't really prove to have that much of an impact.

The storyline was generic, albeit straightforward. Don't get your hopes up for anything grand or innovative here. No, instead you get a very mundane horror movie that follows a very used formula of how to make a creature feature. Predictable and lacking surprises and scares.

All in all, then this was a very generic horror movie. One that is adequate enough for a single viewing, but then it will be bagged, tagged, stored and forgotten.
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8/10
Boogeyman meets Disturbia
tupper_stephen18 October 2018
Based on a true Mexican urban legend about a boogeyman who abducts, & eats, naughty children, I am pleased to report that "Cucuy: The Boogeyman" is a step above the usual Syfy Channel movie. I admit that I'd never heard of a Cucuy before, but after reading about its ghastly history, I'm surprised it's taking this long to make a movie about it. Although, apparently, Stephen King's new book is about this same monster.

The story starts like a creepier Disturbia. A troubled teen (Jearnest Corchado) lashes out to protect her sister (Bella Stine) & ends up under house arrest... in the same town where a bunch of kids have gone missing. Her uncle (Brian Krause from the better Charmed) is a cop & he's preoccupied trying to find the kidnapper. But when our heroine suspects that her odd neighbor might be the culprit, no one believes her. She starts to investigate & without giving anymore away... realizes that its the boogeyman that's been taking the kids.

While most of the victims are kind of brats (a vain Mean Girl-type, a skateboarding bully), eventually the Cucuy turns on the good guys... and the stakes are raised.

The set up might not be the most original, but the scares work really really well. There's one scare in particular about selfies that I really liked. The story does take some interesting turns & there's a ending set in the Cucuy's lair that is well done.

I wish it was bloodier. Still there are some good effects and most seemed real. The monster itself is practical although it looks like they added some kind of animated fog to him at times. It's an interesting design that reminds me a little of Leprechaun, but the movie keeps him in the shadows for most of the movie.

The performances are good. Jearnest Corchado is one to watch for sure. Bella Stine is also good & sympathetic as her deaf sister. The sign language was a nice touch. Their mom, who is also on Riverdale, has a couple of good scenes too.

Since it's Halloween & everyone's looking for good scary movies that they haven't seen before, make some pumpkin spice popcorn and check out "Cucuy: The Boogeyman."
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7/10
Exciting and spooky
kyleallencole911 November 2018
I caught this one during Syfy channels 31 days of Halloween. This one was a spooky little film that fit perfectly with the Halloween season. Definitely a different take on the whole boogeyman myth, which was refreshingly nice.
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1/10
Such a stupid horror movies
mieugs11 December 2019
* Very disappointed * stupid dialogue * cops are ego and stupid. * The victim's stupid mother after seeing the boogeyman with her own eyes, still says "it's real !!" and then look on her face was as if she couldn't believe what was happening in front of his eyes. * very bad. * waste time * So wasting your time seeing this kind of movies with stupid action during facing the freaking moment. * Stupid joke movie.
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1/10
Incredible movie, a must see
fluffchop28 July 2021
You just have to watch this movie. OMG the effects, the story, the dialog are all incredible. One of the best movies that I totally didn't turn off after 18 minutes. Who the hell cares less about anyone or anything in this film. When will they learn the rules of horror movies. T&A + Blood, learn it.
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4/10
Dumb
andreahrg28 June 2020
This is a stupid horror movie, but one you can definitely laugh about. It wasnt boring but could get very cringy. The acting was sub par at best, the effects werent great but had a very "b-class movie from the 80's" feel to them. Not sure of thats a compliment. Wouldnt watch again but was alright as a one time thing
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2/10
DISTURBIA HORROR MOVIE FORM
wnot-8440826 January 2021
ALL THIIS MOVIE WAS TO ME WAD DISTURBIA IN BOOGEYMAN HORROR MOVIE FORM
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6/10
Actually Quite Enjoyable!
grahammwiles12 February 2019
At first thought one would think - "Ah boo, another typical horror story!"

I was pleasantly surprised. The concept and story telling differed from the main stream horror movie themes. The acting was good, the Cucuy was well represented and looked real, unlike some other films where the monster looks so artificial.

Overall a good time spent watching a film, that does have it flaws, but works.
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4/10
Just a pastime
tostesarantes23 February 2020
I really don't know if it was director's intention, but, at the end, is a decent preteen movie. Nothing more than this.

Sometimes made me remember of the "Monster in the Closet" from 86. Of course, this old one is darker and poorer produced. Maybe that's what that I miss in Cucuy.
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8/10
Better-than-expected SyFy Channel effort
kannibalcorpsegrinder20 October 2018
Stuck under house arrest, a teen comes to believe that the source of a string of children disappearing around the community is directly related to a boogeyman of Mexican folklore known as the Cucuy and must convince a local neighbor to help her stop the creature and rescue her captive sister.

This one wasn't all that bad of an effort. One of it's stronger points is the fact that it plays incredibly well with the concept of the new boogeyman at the center of the film. Bringing aboard a culturally-specific boogeyman that not many are familiar with or now about is a slightly-original touch that makes this somewhat more engaging than just a regular boogeyman on the loose effort. Not only does that work nicely but there's also the general specifics of the legend to take into account due to that specific boogeyman, including the idea of kidnapping bad children and stealing them away into his special sack to be dealt with later that invokes specific viewpoints of the story as well as the focus on that culture for the characters which allows it to make sense to feature the creature. This one utilizes that setup to launch into a strong series of confrontations that provides this one with plenty to like about the creature appearing in the community, from the opening appearance at the guy's house to abduct the brother to the later appearance at the teenage girls' house who keeps seeing the being in her selfie's and then finally the great scene of it appearing in their house to abduct the sister which is rather creepy and enjoyable how it plays off with the switch in its target. The finale as well is incredibly strong and enjoyable with the entity chasing them through it's underground lair following the abduction of the older sister as that allows for some creepy work to be had within the confines of a creepy location as they try to get away and lead into the final battle that has plenty to really like about it. As well as the strong and truly worthwhile practical effects-work, these here are what hold this one up over it's few minor negative aspects. The main detriment working against the film is the setup here involving the initial reasoning for her house-arrest, as this doesn't make any sense in the slightest as to how she got involved in that considering it's the setup for the entire film. This one gives it such a lousy reasoning for the girl to get that sentence that's generally ignored for large sections of the film with only a few passing mentions making it somewhat questionable why it was brought up since it played no real part in the story. As well, the continuous rounds of cliches present, from the doubting authorities and the mysterious stranger who's on their side all along to the strange coincidence that turns out to be the missing clue they needed to understand the creature and its purpose. The last flaw here is the rather low amount of stalking scenes present here due to the vast majority of the middle portion of the film staying on the investigation of the incidents and getting everyone onto her side in order to fight the creature. Despite not limping along with a dull investigation since it's focus is on the neighbor who's actually on their side unknowingly, this stays interesting but it doesn't provide the continuous creature attacks that are usually found here. Otherwise, there isn't much else really wrong here.

Rated Unrated/R: Violence, Language and children-in-jeopardy.
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6/10
The Cuckoo-Wee Is Better Than The Baba-Duck.
P3n-E-W1s329 July 2022
Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of Cucuy - The Boogeyman; here's the breakdown of my ratings:

Story: 1.25 Direction: 1.50 Pace: 1.25 Acting: 1.25 Enjoyment: 1.25

TOTAL: 6.50 out of 10.00

This teenage horror-story-come-dark-fantasy flick pits our anti-heroine against a supernatural being from her nation's mythology who steals naughty kids away to punish them.

Peter Sullivan, who wrote and directed, does an admirable job with the story. He packs it with realistic morality. Such as Sofia Martin's house arrest. Her sister gets bullied at school for being different. Her distinction is deafness, which means she requires aids to help her hear. One day a group of bully boys torment her and steal her hearing aids. Sofia spots Amelia's distress and decides to head the thugs off while Amelia gives chase. Sofia confronts the thieves after pulling the car in front of them. The leader gets in her face, and a fight ensues. A copper in the area dives in without identifying himself and gets Sofia's elbow to his jaw. This striking of a police officer gets her placed under house arrest, while the bullies apparently go free to later vandalise the school - practical police work at its best. I can see this happening as we are constantly fed news stories of innocent people convicted of misdemeanours while criminals walk for their role in the crime. The trouble is this bleakness may be true to life, but it adds a depressing mood to the picture. And as we progress, we are administered more of the same. The dark feel of the story needed to be a tad brighter. I can't help but believe a more idealistic moralism would have been the way forward. Having bullying kids braying for somebody to commit suicide and children vanishing from their homes should be dark enough for anybody. But, sadly, not everything is dismal in this too real fantasy world. The ending is fanciful, considering all the events leading up to the finale. The conclusion was the moment when justice could be served cold and bloody and messy. But once again, the bad guys get away with it. The story poses many questions, like, should people who egg on a suicide victim to take their life be convicted of murder or manslaughter? Regrettably, Sullivan doesn't venture to answer any of them, denying the story power and social ethics. And had a few alterations and inclusions been made, Cucuy had the chance to become a strong and moralistic tale.

I admire and respect Sullivan's directorial skills over his writing. He doesn't rely on filters to set the atmosphere, as I stated before, the depressive feel comes from the story and its events. He's even excellent at letting the stage settings create the mood. For example, at the start of the movie, there's a creepy shot of the naughty boys' house. It's detached and stands alone on a darkened plot of land, and lights glow from its windows. And the same can be said about the home next door to Sofia. Even when we see it in daylight, it still holds an ominous air. This feeling is due to the bad paintwork and deteriorating doors and windows, and the unkempt yard with its dilapidated fence and dead plants. If a child stealer would live anyplace, it's in a house like this. The stage setting works thanks to Sullivan's decent composition of the scenes. And though the pace doesn't vary too much, the director uses it perfectly to add an extra atmospheric feel to the segments. When Sofia spots the Cucuy in her neighbour's garden, we see her weigh her choices. Can she follow it; after all, she's wearing an ankle tag. The steady pace gives Sullivan time to show her indecision and her resolve. Then when she sets off on the chase, the same tempo works well to establish the three-minute countdown her tracker provides her. Will it be enough time to get where she's going and back before the law to come a'calling with sirens blazing?

On the whole, the cast is good. Not great, but definitely above average. Though, Brian Krause appears a smidgen out of sorts. He seems a little off-kilter as chief copper, Kieran Martin. But that could just be the way he's written.

Cucuy: The Boogeyman is worthy of one watch, though it's not the type of movie you'll probably return to view again. I probably won't. I know it's a young adult horror, but I still believe more issues required addressing fully and frankly - it would have added so much more to the picture.

Wipe up that cuckoo-wee and check out my Absolute Horror and Obsidian Dreams lists to see where I ranked Cucuy: The Boogeyman.

Take Care & Stay Well.
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6/10
Worth Watching
bryanmartin110 July 2020
This is a movie that is targeted toward teens and tweens. If you view it with that filter it's a flick you can have a little fun watching. Likely a made for TV film, but a better one.
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10/10
Amazing movie
salinascm-590836 February 2019
Its a great movie it just started and caught my eye i watched it and i loved the movie great people director did amazing everyone on the cast
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8/10
way better movie then i thought it would be
starhopes8122 May 2019
When i watched the preview it looked half way decent but was the type of movie that looked like it could turn out very stupid and boring too that i either watch 5 mins or so or watch but not even pay atten to it. but it turned out way better then i thought and its based on mexican urban legends so that is kinda interesting to me also. i did enjoy the movie set urban legends. so this was a nice look into another culture's urban legends. the bullying in this movie was pretty sad. but it really happens. in my day idk if it was worse or better. coz was no online. was so cell phones. was hardly even pcs back then. so your tourment wouldnt end up posted somewhere. but instead however you would get it face to face and could more likely turn phsycial .nobody should ever bully for any reason ever. its a huge prob and getting worse ever day.
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10/10
This is a great movie
jacobjohntaylor17 March 2019
This is a very scary movie. It one of scariest movie I have seen. It has a great story line. It also has great special effects. It also has great acting. If you were scared by The silences of the lams or The Shinning this will scary you out of you mind.
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8/10
Not sooo bad.. but not great at all.
joaofelipefeijo6 December 2020
This is not a bad movie.. but some details like not having the signs language captioned, Sofia holding the cereal bowl and spoon with both hands and tipying in the notebook (?!) And the Cucuy's rubber teeth dancing, make it a little poor.. as well as the lack of emotions from some actors here and there.
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10/10
Macabre perfection, if you're at all familiar with the legend!
tereethompson18 October 2020
I love when entitled, malicious bullies get handled! "¡Malo!"
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