The Stream: No scary moments and the lead character does dumb stuff.

The Big Screen: The cast does well depicting a grieving family.

The Final Bill: A forgettable horror thriller that lacks any real scares despite the creepy atmosphere.

– Trip Fontaine
Director: Rob Savage
Writers: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods, Mark Heyman based upon a short story by Stephen King
Stars: Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina, Vivien Lyra Blair
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Rating: PG-13 for terror, violent content, teen drug use and some strong language
Runtime: 1 hour 32 minutes
Production Companies: 20th Century Studios, 21 Laps Entertainment, NeoReel, Twentieth Century Fox
Platform: In theaters June 2, 2023
Notable Trailers: A Haunting in Venice, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Hey, Streamers! Directed by Rob Savage, The Boogeyman is based on a short story by prolific horror writer, Stephen King. The title and association with Mr. King conjures thoughts of terrifying creatures that lurk in the darkness, lonely children, and unexpected supernatural elements. Here’s whether this film delivers any of those frightful promises.

The Boogeyman follows the story of the Harper family after the sudden loss of their wife and mother in a car accident. Will (Chris Messina) is the father, who is a therapist. He has buried himself in his work to avoid the grief of dealing with his wife’s death. Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) is having trouble readjusting to school after taking some time off following her mother’s death. Sadie also has taken on the role of caring for her little sister, Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair), who is dealing with fear of the dark. A creepy patient of Will’s comes to his office and talks about some unexplained deaths in his own family that may have links to darkness and the creatures that lurk there. Bumps in the night ensue.

Here’s the thing: this movie is fine – meh, at best. A movie like this must have a creepy mood and be scary. Unfortunately, The Boogeyman really doesn’t deliver on scares or thrills. Even though it is creepy at times, I can’t even say there are any good jumps scares. There are a lot of dark corners where creatures can lurk that add to the overall creepiness, but the mood never converts to actually being scary. Also, the film could have used more of a supernatural element to heighten whatever might have been frightening or thrilling. Nevertheless, I will say that the actors playing the Harper family – Messina, Thatcher, and Blair – are all good in their respective roles. Messina is mired in grief, guilt and fear, but he clearly shows love for his children even though he can’t help them. Thatcher has a strong screen presence even though she has to do very dumb and reckless things. Blair is precocious, but not in an annoying way.

Ultimately, The Boogeyman is fine, but it is not essential viewing for a theater. It delivers on building a creepy mood, but there are very few, if any, scares. It’s not very memorable despite the cast doing a good job. It might be a decent watch when it appears on streaming, so grab a handful of popcorn at home and turn out the lights.