The Boogeyman Review: The term “horror by numbers” isn’t true
Movie: The Boogeyman
UnfoldedNow.Com Rating: 2.5/5
Cast: Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina, Vivien Lyra Blair, David Dastmalchian
Rating: PG-13 (Terror|Teen Drug Use|Some Strong Language|Violent Content)
Genre: Horror, Mystery & thriller
Original Language: English
Director: Rob Savage
Producer: Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, Dan Cohen
Writer: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods, Mark Heyman
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 2, 2023
Box Office (Gross USA): $33.4M
Runtime: 1h 38m
Distributor: 20th Century Studios
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox, NeoReel, 21 Laps Entertainment
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital
The Plot Of The Movie
Sadie Harper, a senior in high school, and Sawyer, her younger sister, are still grieving the loss of their mother and aren’t receiving much help from their father Will, a therapist who is also going through a difficult time. A frightening supernatural creature that preys on families and thrives on the agony of its victims is left behind by a desperate patient who unexpectedly arrives at their house seeking assistance.
The Boogeyman Review
The Boogeyman is a 90-minute horror film based on a 12-page Stephen King short story. It is the latest horror film from the studio, which has been attempting to bury it under the spider verse. The trailer claims that the film is an adaptation of King’s short story and features a therapist and a boogeyman. However, the production team feels that they have been given the scripts by Stephen King, who is good at something but not for free.
The film revolves around Sophie Thatcher and her family, with her sister played by Vivian Lyra Blair, and her father played by Chris Messina. The boogeyman is latched onto their family, and the movie starts creepy with good camera work and sound design. However, from the opening to the end, there is a consistent 90 minutes of diminishing returns.
One of the positive aspects of the movie is the first half, where the film attempts to be a psychological thriller over horror. The slow burn in the first half is enjoyable, but the last act is disappointing due to its cliched horror movie nonsense. The difference between Slow Burn and slow comes down to the payoff in the end, as the movie ends up feeling slow.
The acting was great, with Sophie Thatcher largely carrying the film. Vivian Lyra Blair, who played Little Princess Leia in the Obi-Wan series, was clearly a good actor. She absolutely sells the character of the little kid looking scared out of her mind, and the camera work when she is on stage is also impressive.
However, the film ultimately ends up being disappointing. The audience feels like they are sitting still in church, waiting for something special to happen, and the tension builds throughout the 90 minutes. The movie felt like it might be better if drunk, but it could have been a better time if the audience were drunk.
In conclusion, The Boogeyman is a disappointing horror film that started out great but ended up disappointing. While the film has some positive elements, it ultimately falls short of its potential as a psychological thriller.
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