The Boogeyman directed by Rob Savage is an official adaptation of Stephen King’s short story of the same. The film’s plot revolves around- High school student Sadie Harper and her younger sister, Sawyer, are still reeling from the recent death of their mother. They’re not getting much support from their father, Will, a therapist who’s dealing with his own intense pain. When a desperate patient unexpectedly shows up at their house seeking help, he leaves behind a terrifying supernatural entity that preys on families and feeds on the suffering of its victims. With a screenplay from Mark Heyman, Bryan Woods and Scott Beck, the film stars Sophie Thatcher, David Dastmalchian, Madison Hu, Chris Messina and Marin Ireland.
There is a quite a bit off hype around the film because of the cast and of course as it is a Stephen King adaptation. As the film recently premiered, some critics have vocalized their views on the film. So, is it worth the hype?
The Boogeyman Reviews Round-Up: A Dull Second Half?
Nick Schager (The Daily Beast) – “As stereotypical as they come, so devoid of originality that the most pressing emotion it elicits is pity for its leads, Sophie Thatcher and Chris Messina, who deserve better than to be put through this paint-by-numbers ringer.”
Todd Gilchrist (Variety) – “Good but not great, “The Boogeyman” vividly reminds viewers what it’s like to be afraid of the dark — but for better or worse, the effect doesn’t linger once the lights come back on.”
Leigh Monson (AV Club) – “‘The Boogeyman’ is the rare 98-minute film that feels like it needed further tightening to rein in its dramatic dalliances, but it’s also a film that hits hard when it decides to unleash its beast.” Original Score: B
Kristy Puchko (Mashable) – “The haunted house subgenre gets a fresh coat of blood and horror with this spine-tingling thrill ride driven by grief, rage, and fear.”
William Bibbiani (TheWrap) – “It doesn’t get into the meat of the protagonists’ troubled psychology so much as it gets into a series of PG-13 jump scares.”
Meagan Navarro (Bloody Disgusting) – “As thrilling as the horror can be, the oversimplified story doesn’t offer much beyond connective tissue for the frights.” Original Score: 2.5/5
Nick Allen (RogerEbert.com) – ““The Boogeyman” is packed with familiar beats and little personality, the horror equivalent of a rising music star making a fan-friendly Christmas album as their biggest project yet.” Original Score: 2.5/4
A.A. Dowd (Chron) – “Does The Babadook have representation? He should really start taking these derivative trauma phantoms to court.”
Kim Newman (Empire Magazine) – “An involving, ungimmicky ghost story with perfectly constructed menace and mayhem.” Original Score: 4/5
Kate Erbland (indieWire) – “Once “The Boogeyman” goes all in on becoming a screeching, jump-scare creature feature, most of its merits are hacked and slashed into oblivion.” Original Score: C
Frank Scheck (Hollywood Reporter) – “Mostly works, thanks to the expertly calibrated atmospherics, a memorable visual style, and the committed performances of a very talented cast.”
Bill Goodykoontz (Arizona Republic) – “Mostly what the movie needs is a more coherent story. While keeping an audience off-kilter and disoriented is a worthy goal, particularly in a horror film, it’s got to add up to something. In this case it’s more like meandering.” Original Score: 2/5
Derek Smith (Slant Magazine) – “Ultimately, The Boogeyman is like so many other modern horror films that prioritize mood above all else.” Original Score: 2/4
The Boogeyman will release in theatres on 2nd June 2023.
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