Movie Review: The Boogeyman Will Have You Leaving the Lights On

Jump into spooky season with the release of The Boogeyman on digital retail including Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango/Vudu on August 29 and on Blu-ray and DVD October 10. Purchasing the film includes access to exclusive bonus features including a behind-the-scenes look into director Rob Savage’s vision for this frightening tale along with outtakes and more.

*I was sent a code to review this movie for free, all opinions are my own

The Boogeyman 2023 Movie Review

The Boogeyman movie, which is based on a Stephen King short story, aims to have you relive your most terrifying childhood fears with a creepy entity that only comes out in the dark.

The story involves two sisters who are dealing with the recent loss of their mother, and their dad, who of course doesn’t believe the little sister who thinks there’s something scary in her closet at night. Their father is a therapist who can’t seem to deal with the loss himself and prefers to not speak at all about the mom.

Everything changes when he lets a stranger into the house who seems like a desperate patient, but it is quickly revealed he’s much more and has lost all his children to a terrifying entity that feeds on its victims’ suffering.

This entity hits the suffering goldmine with the new family and latches on with an intent to take them all out as well. The older sister is the first to catch on and it’s up to her to save the family.

Cliche but Spooky

There’s a lot of monster movies already out about the boogeyman, and this one doesn’t really introduce anything new. It’s still the same creepy “nightmare in a closet” type of scenario, with a monster that has an aversion to light. But this entity is far from being a “man” and when you do finally get to see the monster, it’s more of a demon/alien looking thing.

It’s a creepy film overall, and I’m glad my son chose not to screen it with me, as he’d probably have gotten nightmares. It’s worth a watch for horror fans, but it’s not going to go down on your “scariest movie of the year” list.

One thing I found really weird was that it starts with a warning that the movie “Contains depictions of tobacco,” and I don’t recall actually seeing any tobacco products. However, in the first few minutes a baby is killed, and later there’s a suicide.

So I find it really odd we live in a society where we need to be cautioned that we might see a cigarette, but babies and self-harm are fair game with no warning needed. The only thing close to tobacco use was when the teenage girls smoke marijuana, though there was no drug use cautionary statement for that either.

So I guess the overall message is- give this one a watch if you are in the mood for a creepy movie with a creepy monster, but just not if you are concerned about seeing people smoking for about five seconds.

Bonus Features

• Into the Darkness Featurette – Open the door into the dark world of The Boogeyman as the cast and crew share how the terrifying tale, based on Stephen King’s classic short story, was crafted.
• Outtakes – It’s not all just jump scares and bumps in the night. Join the cast for some lighthearted fun in the outtakes.                                                       

Cast

Sophie Thatcher as Sadie Harper

Chris Messina as Will Harper

Vivien Lyra Blair as Sawyer Harper

Marin Ireland as Rita Billings

Madison Hu as Bethany

Lisa Gay Hamilton as Dr. Weller

David Dastmalchian as Lester Billings

Maddie Nichols as Natalie

Leeann Ross as Cassidy

Rio Machado as Anne

Shauna Rappold as Cara Harper

Cristala Carter as Detective Garland

Directed by

Rob Savage

Written by

Scott Beck

Bryan Woods

Mark Heyman

Produced by

Shawn Levy

Dan Levine

Dan Cohen

Music by

Patrick Jonsson

Based on the short story

“The Boogeyman” by Stephen King

In Stephen King’s short story “The Boogeyman,” the narrative revolves around a man who visits a psychiatrist to discuss a series of tragic events in his life. He reveals a disturbing connection between the deaths of his children and the presence of a malevolent entity that lurks in the closets of their home.

As the story unfolds, a sense of dread and fear intensifies, portraying the chilling supernatural menace of the titular boogeyman. Through King’s masterful storytelling, he weaves a tale that taps into primal fears and the vulnerability of childhood, creating a haunting and unforgettable narrative.