The Boogeyman (2023) | REVIEW

Directed by Rob Savage (‘Host’) — Screenplay by Scott Beck, Bryan Woods (writers of ‘A Quiet Place’ ; ‘65′), and Mark Heyman (co-writer of ‘Black Swan’).

It’s safe to say that The Boogeyman isn’t exactly a new idea. Not only is it built on the classic boogeyman — is there something in my closet or under my bed? — superstition and childhood fear, but it has also led to several films. Uli Lommel’s 1980 film of the same name spawned two sequels in spite of so-so-to-bad reviews, and Stephen Kay’s 2005 film Boogeyman, which was a financial success in spite of poor reviews, also spawned two sequels. It’s safe to say that audiences like to be spooked by this familiar concept. Well, this week, another film of its kind was released. What is different between the previous releases and this 2023 Rob Savage film is that Savage’s film is based on a Stephen King story.

A Stephen King short story, that is. The film is based on King’s short story of the same name from King’s Night Shift, his first short story collection. A relatively quick read, the short story follows Lester Billings as he visits a psychiatrist, Dr. Harper, to talk to him about how his three children were murdered by the boogeyman. I won’t spoil the ending of the short story, but I will say that this film has changed the ending so that they may use the short story as their jumping-off point. In the film, we primarily follow the Harper family, as Lester Billings (played by David Dastmalchian) only appears in the film’s first scenes. After Billings has appeared in the home office of Dr. Harper (played by Chris Messina), Harper’s youngest daughter, Sawyer (played by Vivien Lyra Blair), who is already afraid of the dark, starts seeing a creature in the darkness, soon her older sister Sadie (played by Sophie Thatcher) starts seeing it too. When their father refuses to believe them, Sadie must try to figure out on her own how she may protect her family.

Rob Savage is not yet a household name, but many cinephiles will know him from the horror subgenre that he made his name off of, i.e. the screencast films. With Host (there is even a neat reference to this film in The Boogeyman) and Dashcam, Savage made his name among horror aficionados as one of the filmmakers who has managed to make horror movies built around the COVID-19 pandemic work. The Boogeyman, however, is a different beast altogether. And let’s just say he has put pressure on himself by declaring that he doesn’t think there is a Stephen King adaptation that is as ‘viscerally scary’ as his adaptation of The Boogeyman. While I liked the movie, I can’t say that I agree with him, and I think you would be doing yourself a massive disservice if you see it and expect all-timer scares.

Because it isn’t just the title that is unoriginal. Savage’s film is toying with the same concept that has been done dozens of times before including in David F. Sandberg’s Lights Out. The voices that the creature makes reminded me quite a bit of Alex Garland’s Annihilation. The creature design, though very creepy, also seems like a blend of things you’ve seen elsewhere. Tropes, cliches, and familiarity are things that Savage’s film does not escape. And still, it’s a good Friday night popcorn horror movie.

One of the strengths of Rob Savage’s adaptation is that the filmmakers have nailed the right atmosphere. There are a handful of really excellent horror set pieces built around the use of light. Blair constantly walks around with a ball of light that Savage’s film gets the most out of, they use Christmas tree lights to solid effect, it has this exposure therapy scene with a red lamp that is used in the film that keeps you on the edge of your seat, and there is a really creative scene where Vivien Lyra Blair’s character uses the light from a video game to protect herself. The opening and slamming of doors are used really well, and throughout the film, we see these eyes in the dark that kinda reminded me of the opening basement scene in Andy Muschietti’s IT.

I also think most of the dramatic family-centered scenes that are built around the themes of loss and sorrow are executed quite well, and I think one of the major reasons why they work is that the core cast is excellent. Though I think his character is a bit too absent, Chris Messina (Air) always makes the films he appears in better. Vivien Lyra Blair does strong child acting, and she thus continues to show the talent that she first showed in Obi-Wan Kenobi as young Princess Leia. Finally, casting Sophie Thatcher as the film’s lead is a bit of a masterstroke. Thatcher is a brilliant young actor and arguably the standout rising star of the Showtime hit series Yellowjackets. Thatcher is a very expressive actor who handles emotional work really well, and she shines here. I have some minor problems with how Sadie’s friend group is written, but they are more nitpicks than genuine issues with the film.

Rob Savage’s The Boogeyman is not the scariest Stephen King adaptation yet. Rather it is a relatively unoriginal but still competently made atmospheric scarer that will make you consider checking under your bed and inside your closet again. Its use of light and sound design, as well as some solid thematic work from its core cast, elevates the film. They all don’t have to be Get Out to be good, sometimes they just need to make you even a little bit scared of the dark again. The Boogeyman isn’t a bold new take, but it definitely gets the job done.

7 out of 10

– Review Written by Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen.