The Boogeyman (2023)

A creature lurking in the shadows will terrorise a family already torn apart.

Successful, scary moments, but formulaic as a whole. The Boogeyman cuts right to it! Its first act conveys the horror and drama, sets the pace, and warns you about what you have signed up for. The appearance of Lester Billings – the amazing David Dastmalchian – solidifies both the genre and the subgenre and opens the door to our haunting childhood fear. The main characters, Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina, and Vivien Lyra Blair, pick up the torch and, till the very end, deliver solid performances.

Every sequence counts. As said above, the acting is exactly what it needs to be, and the jump scares are used properly (something I don’t say often). The photography is haunting, and Stephen King’s story is compelling. The story’s development into narrative, though, is its downfall. Arguably, nowadays, any story with a CGI monster called “Boogeyman” can not be that surprising for the audience. It is a story that has been told and developed numerous times despite its diverse portrayals. Rob Savage’s Boogeyman is not an exception, even though it was written originally by King (short story). In my opinion, Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook (2014) was the last time its portrayal properly balanced the psychological and physical horror. The Boogeyman is a decent effort. It’s meant to have flaws; it’s a (CGI) monster under the bed. But then, it’s Halloween week, and everything goes. So, turn the lights off and enjoy a decent horror during the celebration of the dead.

Personal note: Marin Ireland is like Barbara Crampton back in the day. She’s been into every horror I have watched in the last few years and really liked it. If you haven’t watched The Dark and the Wicked (2020), I most highly recommend it. I would watch anything with her in it.

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