The Boogeyman (2023) spoiler free review

Don’t let it out. The Boogeyman is a American supernatural horror film directed by Rob Savage (Host, Dashcam). It is based on the 1973 short story of the same name by Stephen King. Originally meant to be released on Hulu the positive reception from test screenings made possible a wide theatrical release on June 2, 2023.

High school student Sadie Harper and her little sister Sawyer are still reeling from the recent death of their mother. Devastated by his own pain, their father Will, a therapist by profession, gives them neither the support nor the affection that they try to claim from him. When a desperate patient shows up unexpectedly at their house asking for help, they bring in a terrifying entity that preys on the family and feeds on their greatest suffering.

Film synopsis

The cast includes Sophie Thatcher as Sadie Harper, Chris Messina as Will Harper, Vivien Lyra Blair as Sawyer Harper, Marin Ireland as Rita, LisaGay Hamilton as Dr. Weller, and David Dastmalchian as Lester Billings.

My opinion

Based on a short story by Stephen King the film feels just like that: a short story trying to last more than is supposed to. Taking the principal aspects of the original resource ‘The Boogeyman’ tries to present a broken family on a moment of grief dealing with a monster hidden in a closet. Unfortunately, the film turns into a disappointing mess that not even the performances of Sophie Thatcher as Sadie Harper and Vivien Lyra Blair as Sawyer Harper can save.

‘The Boogeyman’ relies heavily into the most well known horror cliches: jump scares, the darkness, and a parent that doesn’t want to believe their kids. This turns an already generic horror film into a even more generic horror film, if that’s even possible. The biggest feeling that this film can evoke is boredom while it leaves you waiting for something to actually happen. The “action” doesn’t happen until the last 20 minutes and with a duration of 1 hour and 38 minutes the film drags itself until it doesn’t haves anything else to give. Predictable jump scares and ending the only positive aspect of ‘The Boogeyman’ is the score, that sadly is only used properly at the last 30 minutes, and Thatcher and Lyra Blair’s performances doing as much as they can do with the scrip.

The expectations for this film were high, it has been in production since 2018, but it didn’t fulfill them. The Boogeyman is now available on theaters.