THE BOOGEYMAN
Starring: Chris Messina, Sophie Thatcher, David Dastmalchian Director: Rob Savage
Category: IIB
3.5/5 stars
One of Stephen King’s scariest stories, 1973’s The Boogeyman, a tale of madness, monsters and child murder, has already inspired two short films. For its major studio debut, director Rob Savage (Host, Dashcam) and writers Mark Heyman (Black Swan), Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (both A Quiet Place) manage to steer away from the bleakest elements without declawing it completely, which is quite an achievement.
After the death of wife and mother (Marin Ireland) in a car accident, the Harper family are left reeling. Dad Will (Chris Messina) is a therapist, but he cannot open up to his children. Teenager Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) feels isolated at school, and her younger sister Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair) is terrified of the dark.
It probably doesn’t help that they live in a huge, empty house decked out in funereal colours.
Arriving unannounced for a session with Will, Lester Billings (David Dastmalchian) – the main character in the original short story – describes how his three kids were killed by the Boogeyman, a closet-dwelling creature that preys on the vulnerable.
When Will disappears to call the police, Lester sneaks upstairs and hangs himself, passing on the curse, J-horror style, to the Harpers.
Savage’s earlier films impressed with their technical trickery, and he shows what he is capable of here. The early scenes, in particular, feature some clever reveals, such as when Lester appears, refracted, through a washing machine door.
Skulking in the shadows like a huge, half-glimpsed arachnid, the Boogeyman is a triumph of inky CGI and repulsive sound effects. Because it’s afraid of the light, the filmmakers have fun finding new ways to fight it – from an open fridge to mum’s trusty Zippo.
The only problem is that, by opening out the story, Savage and Co explain away the mystery. In King’s original, we’re never sure whether the Boogeyman is real or just a manifestation of Billings’ insanity. There’s much less room for ambiguity in a film.
Although the monster begins as a Babadook-style grief metaphor, it’s ultimately revealed to be an actual creature that can be hurt and, therefore, hunted. Pennywise the Clown suffered a similarly disappointing fate in It: Chapter 2.
Tense rather than terrifying, The Boogeyman is far better than most studio horror films and a cut above the recent crop of King adaptations (Pet Sematary, Firestarter). It’s even earned praise from the author himself, who – wisely – saved it from going straight to streaming. The Boogeyman franchise begins here.
The Boogeyman opens in cinemas today