The Boogeyman - A Movie Review

Did you look under my bed for monsters? What about the closest?

Inspired by the captivating short story written by Stephen King, The Boogeyman haunted its way into theaters in 2023. Following the tragic loss of their beloved mother, a family discovers an insidious entity haunting their house, threatening to take them into the darkness.

As an avid Stephen King fan, I was looking forward to seeing The Boogeyman in theaters. After the film’s conclusion, I exited the theater dissatisfied with the film. Offering little originality, The Boogeyman is a generic horror film spawning gripping suspense but required more fleshing out in its narrative.

The cast is the standout of the movie, embracing their roles, despite the noticeable inconsistency in their character development. Thanks to the authentic dynamic, it lent a genuine touch to the narrative. Notably, Sophie Thatcher delivers the best performance. Grieving the loss of her mother, Sadie is burdened with the daunting task to vanquish the darkness.

In addition, Vivien Lyra Blair is remarkable as the younger sister, Sawyer. Her character was the most inconsistent. One instant, she is terrified of the dark presence only to confront the darkness by the end of the movie. Thatcher and Blair had captivating on-screen chemistry, sharing heartwarming sisterly moments.

Don’t even get me started on the dad’s portrayal (Chris Messina)! Writers had no idea how to guide this character through the story. He lets a strange man wander into his home and he’s strangely absent during pivotal moments! It’s odd that he doesn’t come running at the sound of his daughters screaming from the demon.

The worst characters in the film are Sadie’s friends. Two words: Toxic Friends! These characters are the most shallow, underdeveloped, and repugnant people. I thought I was going to pull my hair out with how dumb one of the girls was. Bethany (Madison Hu) is the only one who needed to exist, but then she is scrapped from the story.

Restraining the appearance of the monster to a minimum, its appearance is left up to the viewer's imagination. Through skillful editing, little glimpses of the monster leave little opportunity to thoroughly examine its distinct features. It had a cool and terrifying design but was reminiscent of other monsters.

The Boogeyman is your basic horror film that doesn’t do anything special. Writers missed an opportunity to explore a completely different scenario involving the titular monster. The monster’s strength to darkness and vulnerability to light is reminiscent of Lights Out.

Initially, the narrative was delving into a psychological route, however, it’s abruptly discarded. Rob Savage should have expanded the storyline of The Boogeyman to delve into a psychological narrative, analyzing themes like fears and psychological struggles of the characters. A psychological exploration would have constructed a more impactful storyline and intensified viewers' emotional investment in the story.

Fortunately, The filmmaking fares better than the story, exhibiting skillful camera pans and a couple of well-executed jump scares. However, a significant portion of the film meanders as characters aimlessly navigate dark hallways or rummage through boxes containing remnants left behind by their departed mother.

As I watched this movie in a packed theater, I was surprised by how silent everybody was. Sans for these two teenage boys sitting next to me who made for unexpected entertainment. Jumping in fear at jump scares or giving amusing commentary, I started chuckling when they insulted Sadie’s irritating friends. I couldn’t agree more with that.

Despite its flaws, The Boogeyman is still entertaining. The Boogeyman is playing in theaters and then it arrives on Hulu. If you want to check it out, go ahead.