Directed By Rob Savage

Starring – Chris Messina, Sophie Thatcher, David Dastmalchian

The Plot – High school student Sadie Harper (Thatcher) and her younger sister Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair) are reeling from the recent death of their mother and aren’t getting much support from their father, Will (Messina), a therapist who is dealing with his own pain. When a desperate patient unexpectedly shows up at their home seeking help, he leaves behind a terrifying supernatural entity that preys on families and feeds on the suffering of its victims.

Rated PG-13 for terror, violent content, teen drug use and some strong adult language

(2) The Boogeyman | Official Trailer | 20th Century Studios – YouTube

POSITIVES

Should you choose to embrace “The Boogeyman” as one giant metaphor for grief, and how it occasionally overwhelms those enveloped by it, you’re bound to get the most from this film, and specifically the direction from Savage, which feels like some of the absolute best from his ten years as a guiding storyteller. Between entrancing movements of the camera and ambitious angles in depiction, Savage conjures enough unsettling anxieties in the thickness of the atmosphere, with a lingering in the darkness that constantly plays to the vulnerabilities of the characters and audience alike, as they search for any kind of outline in the things we don’t understand that go bump in the night. Aside from this, the production design terrifically merits meaning behind the aforementioned theory about internal suffering that is externally pursued in evolving lighting schemes playing to the traumatic conflicts of the characters. When the film begins, there is this overhanging fog floating atop the lives of these characters, but as the film persists it physically transfers to diminishing lighting that not only plays effectively unsettling to the film’s chilling atmospheric dread, but also conjures an unshakeable grip of helplessness towards each of the characters, as they fight against the literal and figurative darkness that has nearly enveloped their household. The frights are a mixed bunch, but when they do land enhancingly with simplicity, it falls in the responsibilities of its cast, primarily Thatcher and Blair, who hand in mesmerizing turns as a duo of sisterly siblings plagued by the inexplainable. Because of such, Thatcher brilliantly absorbs emotional dexterity among a minefield of tenderness that effortlessly breeds the empathetic element of audience investment, outlining a fiercely compelling protagonist who never sacrifices her humanity in being a protector, and Blair’s facial registries boldly convey the magnitude and terror of the unraveling situation, serving as the eyes and ears for the paranormal entity that we only gain perception in depiction towards, the longer the film persists. On that front, I loved the simplicity of the film’s first half, where less served more in the depiction of the monster and the chills alike, with razor sharp editing, prolonged pacing and intricate sound designs subtly feeding into the designs of the creature, to which we’re rarely shed a light towards. This keeps attention and momentum towards the air of the creature’s arrival by remaining focused on those plagued by such terrifying circumstances, in turn keeping it from oversaturating the engagement with returns that grow less interesting by removing the mystique of its essence.

NEGATIVES

Not everything lines up ideal for the execution of this feature, as the film’s inferior second half is plagued by elements of familiarity and even lazy characterization that leads to an underwhelming climax. Most of this can be blamed on the abundance of cliches that somehow always find their way derivatively to the forefront of a Stephen King project, with fake-out dream sequences, over-the-top school bullies, monster conveniences, and of course underwhelming endings adding to the returns of a film that constantly fights an uphill battle with trying to find its momentum. Far too often, these elements add an unintended hilarity towards a film that should have little to no comedic levity to its conflict and ensuing paranormal titular antagonist, and considering they add nothing beneficial or even substantial towards the depth or frights of the film, could preferrably be omitted from the film’s finished product. Then there’s the wasted potential of Chris Messina, who does hand in a surprisingly dramatic performance, but is given nothing to do in a film that isn’t interested in exploring his grief. Considering he’s given top billing in this film, as well as serving as the head of this household, it feels a bit irresponsible that the film isn’t interested in diving deeper with his perspective, and in doing such wastes away a major dimension in the grief that plagues this family, from the person who arguably lost the most in the proverbial fire. Finally, while one could certainly take metaphorical meaning from the darker depictions caused from a lack of interior lighting with scenes during the third act, the climactic final battle is completely obscured in ways that make it difficult to telegraph just what is transpiring in this shell of shadowy disconnect. I can totally understand that darkness was the intended element of the atmosphere, but when it compromises the integrity of the film’s biggest scene, leaving it a chore to remain focused or invested in movements that we can’t even see, let alone feel.

OVERALL
“The Boogeyman” regretfully lives in the shadows of bigger, deeper horror thrillers that it borrows so heavily from, but does attain meaningful frights in a simplistic approach that pushes the boundaries of imagination, thanks to Rob Savage’s prolonged paranoia in the clutches of one unrelenting antagonist. While the film can’t attain instant classic status from a lack of originality in the construct or execution of its underwritten screenplay, the thick fog of creepy atmosphere sets in as a result of two spellbinding performances from Thatcher and Blair, who serve as the eyes and ears through darkness that serves as the manifestation of their characters’ unshakeable grief.

My Grade: 6/10 or C