Film Review - The Boogeyman (2023)

Horror in the theatrical landscape is as healthy and thriving as anything unleashed in cinemas right now. Yes, we’ve mentioned this before but, as 2023 hits its usual summer madness, the genre is still something that has not only helped exhibitors and studios in its post-pandemic recovery but has also produced some of the best and most unexpected successes, helping refuel it into something of a slam-dunk in the style of superheroes. Indeed, since the start of 2022, we’ve seen Evil Dead Rise, and M3gan continuing the trend. Heck, even Russell Crowe’s The Pope’s Exorcist has grossed $72million worldwide.

Truly, horror is thriving and it has seen studios change their initial plans of having some of those aforementioned films go straight to streaming and notch them up into theatrical releases given the current wave of popularity. That was the plan for Rob Savage’s The Boogeyman, that was until it was put in front of an audience and, such was the reaction – especially from Stephen King, who penned the short story on which the film is based – that its course correction was istered. We can only echo what a great decision it was; let’s face it, the bottom line is that horror is better enjoyed by an audience.

From the maniacal mind of King – based on his short story from 1973 – The Boogeyman focuses on the Harper family, who are reeling from the recent death of their mother. Younger sister Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair) is still finding her feet in her own life but the devastating turn of events has left her feeling hopeless, while her older sister Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) is already navigating the murky world of teenage angst and has been dumbfounded by her mother’s absence. At the same time, their therapist father Will (Chris Messina) is trying to pick up the pieces as best he can but is struggling to fill in the gaps. Soon, after a strange man (David Dastmalchian) arrives unannounced begging for a session with Will, a dark entity surrounds them all and threatens to feast upon their grief in the most terrifying way possible.

Savage has already acquired something of a following after his first couple of films struck chords: 2012’s Strings, made for just £3,000, won accolades at the British Independent Film Awards, but it was 2020’s Host that had become his calling card, becoming one of the first pandemic-era films to embrace the world of Zoom and create a creepy, ominous chiller that got under many people’s skin. Dashcam, his 2021 effort, didn’t ignite in the same way but his potential as a filmmaker was hugely evident and with The Boogeyman, he really hit his stride. With its bigger budget, and a larger canvas but similarly eerie and disturbing images, it fits right into Savage’s wheelhouse and he revels in the expanded surroundings, keeping the scares tight and lean and the atmosphere as unnerving as you’d expect. While much of what is happening on the screen is hugely familiar and thus not quite as raucously scary as it might have otherwise been, it feels fresh enough under the filmmaker’s skillful eye to earn its place among the strongest horror offerings of 2023.

It’s also elevated by uniformly excellent turns from his cast, led by two stellar performances from his young actors at the centre of the story, Sophie Thatcher and Vivien Lyra Blair as the sisters who are being stalked by the titular demonic presence. Both beautifully convey the grief, confusion and sadness they are dealing with at different moments of their lives with aplomb and grace and are the true breakouts of the film.