“The Boogeyman” Review
In the dark lurks a creature that stalks a family in “The Boogeyman,” based on a short story by Stephen King.
Stephen King is not only the master of horror, but he’s also no stranger to adaptations for film and television. In 2017 and 2019 alone, there were eight films made based on King’s novels and stories. However, despite so many cinematic versions of King stories clogging the horror market, many of them feel fresh and give a lively energy to the ever changing landscape of horror. “The Boogeyman” is a strong example of this and makes for one captivating and chilling watch at the theater.
In the film the Harper family, father Will (Chris Messina) and daughters Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) and Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair), are reeling from the death of their mother in a car crash. When a deeply troubled man (David Dastmalchian) visits Will, seeking his help as a therapist, he relays a terrifying story about a demonic entity that preys on families struggling with grief. As strange things go bump in the night, the Harper family begins to slowly realize that something is lurking in the dark waiting to strike.
When it comes to monster movies, “The Boogeyman” is what I really enjoy about this type of horror. It’s cleverly hidden in the dark so you can’t clearly see what it looks like, the scares jump out at you with an appropriate amount of build-up and there’s just enough of a backstory surrounding the titular creature to where you understand how it works but it’s still mysterious. However, what makes this film truly worth watching are the performances of the three main characters.
While I disliked “65,” which was written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (who wrote “The Boogeyman” with Mark Heyman), I love Beck and Woods as filmmakers and this film is proof of that. “The Boogeyman’s” script is exceptional with character development and does a good job of masking a plot about grief with a supernatural thriller.
Despite the young ages of Sophie Thatcher and Vivien Lyra Blair, they’re no stranger to pulling off good performances with Thatcher being captivating in “Yellowjackets” and Blair killing it as a young Princess Leia in “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” In this film, they are clearly experiencing massive amounts of grief, especially Sadie, and that generates an immediate connection with the audience. Chris Messina also brings a great turn as this man who wants to be there for his daughters but just finds himself shut down by this terrible tragedy.
While based on a Stephen King short story, “The Boogeyman” takes liberties with the story. The only real connection to the short story (which can almost be read now as a prequel to the film) is with David Dastmalchian’s scene in Chris Messina’s office that is so tense and chilling. So, both King fanatics and average filmgoers will be pleased at how this film takes the original atmosphere of Stephen King’s short story and intensifies it, while making the source material its own.
As director, Rob Savage makes a hauntingly beautiful film with brilliant visuals that are amazing at keeping this creature hidden while still making the frame clear. At one point, Sadie finds herself in a home that is full of lit candles in order to keep this entity at bay and it’s cinematically breathtaking. Between the acting, Savage’s directing and a script that contains a tremendous feeling of dread, I’m so grateful that “The Boogeyman” didn’t go straight-to-streaming on Hulu as was the original intention.
I think because this is based on one of King’s short stories, I feel that this film might fall by the wayside and I don’t think it should. I don’t know if “The Boogeyman” is one of his best adaptations, but it’s one of the most enjoyable ones of recent years and it will make you think twice about shutting off the lights before bedtime.
