by Jonathan Anderson
The Boogeyman is the latest jump-scare horror to hit cinema screens, tapping into our primal childhood fears of a monster hiding under the bed or in the closet. Only this time, it’s real…
Reeling from the death of their mother, Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) and Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair) are finding it hard to move on, especially as their therapist father, Will (Chris Messina), is often emotionally vacant or busy with work in his home office. When a distressed patient (David Dastmalchian) accused of killing his children arrives seeking help, things only get worse for the family as an evil entity follows him into their home.
The Boogeyman is based on an early short story by Stephen King – a staple for many films these days due to his abundant material – and the man himself has apparently appraised the film. Since the source material is from the 1970s, the movie does contain tropes that are less original in 2023 – an evil being latching onto grief/fear, disguising itself, making creepy noises, darkness versus light, and the jump scares, etc. However, these are often seen in King’s stories such as It and can be hard to avoid when adapting to the screen.
The monster itself is well done, appearing menacingly in physical and supernatural forms. And we do have a decent, strong child character who may just have the best line in the film. The Boogeyman is standard horror movie popcorn fare that will do its job of making you jump in the dark and prompt many a fan to check under their bed after watching.
The Boogeyman is released in UK cinemas on June 2nd
