Keep your closet door shut:’The Boogeyman’ Review

20th Century Studios presents a horror mystery that will leave you wanting to invest in a night light.

From director Rob Savage, “The Boogeyman” (2023) is just another one of the many adaptations that have followed Stephen King’s first published short story of the same name in 1973.

Although there were a few shortcomings, there are still a few unique factors that made the film enjoyable. King’s short story follows psychiatrist Dr. Harper, who meets with Lester Billings, a man who describes the murders of his three young children over the course of several years.

The short story, which can be read here, https://xpressenglish.com/ wp-content/uploads/Stories/TheBoogeyman.pdf, inspired writers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods to create the following scenes. Psychiatrist Will Harper (Chris Messina) is the father of Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) and Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair), and they are having to come to terms with their mother’s recent death after a fatal car crash.

Will, occupying his time with work, experiences a break-in from Lester Billings (David Dastmalchian).

When Billings is discovered by Harper, he begins to tell him the story of his children’s deaths at the hand of a supernatural being. Despite nobody believing him, he believes the entity has been latched onto him.

Billings, soon found dead by Sadie in her mother’s art closet, changes the directory of the film’s tone. Harper and his daughter struggle to get back to normal and start to notice strange things around their home. With the PG-13 rating, the film was rather tense, more than it was terrifying. Although everything was beautifully done, filled with pleasing cinematography and an interesting use of color, there was something lacking in the sense of fear. Many intense scenes which included the boogeyman were extremely low on exposure, making it difficult to see. When the boogeyman is revealed aside from its two glowing eyes in total darkness, its face is grotesque and spider-like, much to every child’s worst nightmare. The jump scares are subjective, but it is still done notably well. Young actress, Vivien Lyra Blair, undoubtedly showcases the best performance, much to my surprise. Dastamalchian also gave an outstanding performance and surpassed other members of the cast. Acting is crucial in horror films; it needs to feel believable, and there were too many stale performances by cast members For the super fans of horror, this film might feel underwhelming. It had its moments but it still doesn’t fill my mind with fear like actually reading King’s short story. I would say Savage’s film comes down to personal preference in horror for the audience. “The Boogeyman” can now be seen at the local Stillwater AMC.