From the mind of author Stephen King, our JP reviews horror / thriller “The Boogeyman,” a film by director Rob Savage and starring Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina, Vivien Lyra Blair, and David Dastmalchian.
The Boogeyman
20th Century Studios
- Directed by Rob Savage
- Screenplay by Scott Beck, Bryan Woods, Mark Heyman
- Story by Scott Beck, Bryan Woods
- Based on “The Boogeyman” by Stephen King
- Produced by Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, Dan Cohen
- Starring Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina, Vivien Lyra Blair, David Dastmalchian
Studio Synopsis:
20th Century Studios presents “The Boogeyman,” a horror-thriller from the mind of best-selling author Stephen King, which opens June 2, 2023, in theaters nationwide. High school student Sadie Harper and her younger sister Sawyer are reeling from the recent death of their mother and aren’t getting much support from their father, Will, a therapist who is dealing with his own pain. When a desperate patient unexpectedly shows up at their home seeking help, he leaves behind a terrifying supernatural entity that preys on families and feeds on the suffering of its victims. “The Boogeyman,” directed by Rob Savage (“Host”) with a screenplay by Scott Beck & Bryan Woods (“A Quiet Place”) and Mark Heyman (“Black Swan”) and a screen story by Scott Beck & Bryan Woods based upon the short story by Stephen King, stars Sophie Thatcher (“Yellowjackets”), Chris Messina (“Birds of Prey”), Vivien Lyra Blair (“Obi-Wan Kenobi”), Marin Ireland (“The Umbrella Academy”), Madison Hu (“Bizaardvark”), LisaGay Hamilton (“Vice”), and David Dastmalchian (“Dune”). The producers are Shawn Levy (“Stranger Things”), Dan Levine (“Arrival”), and Dan Cohen (“The Adam Project”), with John H. Starke (“Sicario”), Emily Morris (“Rosaline”), Scott Beck, Bryan Woods, Ryan Cunningham, Adam Kolbrenner (“The Tomorrow War”), and Robin Meisinger serving as executive producers.
JP’s Take:
Fear is something innate in the human experience, whether you’re a child or an adult. Fear is that creature that lurks in the darkness and waiting to consume you. It dwells in your home, under your bed, and in your closet. “The Boogeyman” haunts our waking moments as much as our dreams. Stephen King’s least-known short story, bearing the same title, has been extended to the silver screen with creepy and thrilling results.
Sisters Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) and Sawyer Harper (Vivien Lyra Blair) are in mourning after the death of their mother. Their father, Will Harper (Chris Messina), buries his pain to hide his grief. Despite being a psychotherapist, he remains stoic in addressing his daughters’ emotional state. When a patient named Lester Billings (David Dastmalchian) walks into his office unexpectedly, claiming to have killed his kids, Will gets a wake-up call that’s shocking to the core. Although Billings claims to have killed his children, he explains that he didn’t do it, yet he somehow feels responsible for their deaths. Riddled with grief, David and his wife have divorced, as he explains that his children had warned him about a creature stalking them when they’re vulnerable. They call this creature the Boogeyman, and the Harpers fall victim to its trappings as well.
Adapted from Stephen King’s 1973 short story published in Cavalier magazine, director Rob Savage and writers Scott Beck, Brian Woods, and Mark Heyman make efficient use of the material given. Much in the same vein as Sam Raimi, Savage plays with sound, heightening the more suspenseful moods with knocks and creaks. In moments when closet doors spring open, you begin to shutter (scenes when you hear the creature mumbling and mimicking human speech) and your blood runs cold. Savage understands how to set the mood and exploit those moments. And when you witness the creature’s wrath, you immediately spring into fight or fright mode. The build-up is palpable, especially in scenes where daughters Sadie and Sawyer peer into the dark corners of their home, only to find out nothing’s there… since the creature hides in the darkness. Its movements are shadowy and fleeting, which makes viewers shriek.
Yet all these elements are amplified by the emotional state the characters are in. The deeper into despair they fall, the fiercer the creature becomes. These moments also cause our victims to confront their grief and fears, thus facing Boogeyman himself.
Adding to the dread is the lack of revelation of the creature in the beginning. Savage allows our imagination to run wild first while shrouding the beast in total darkness, and everywhere it roamed, light is never shed on it until near the end. Instead, you know it’s there by unseen movement when the camera pans from the closet to the bed or in scenes when Sawyer interacts with the Boogeyman using a lighted ball resembling the moon. As she rolls into the darkened place to light her path, the entity snatches the globe and crushes it. Instead, you hear the crunching sound and see the light of the globe go out. Savage does a fine job of showing how menacing the beast can be without giving away too much.
However, you’re not bombarded by these terrifying moments for long, as we’re given time to breathe and to get in touch with the characters. Towards the end, “The Boogeyman” makes a last-ditch effort to elicit frights out of viewers before finally revealing the ugly, grotesque brute. It was nicely timed and sinister in its dispensing.
When all was said and done, I felt at ease only to an extent. I dare not spoil it, yet in a good way, the ending left me with uncertainty. Rob Savage and crew did Stephen King’s work justice. They put on a minimalistic, yet effective fright fest, which got my blood pumping while stirring my emotions. I’ll be adding this to my horror movie marathon list.
Official Site: The Boogeyman
