Based on the short story by Stephen King, the movie adaptation of The Boogeyman delivers when it comes to supernatural horror. While it attempts to delve deeper into real human emotions of loss and mourning, it doesn’t succeed. I have never actually read the source material of the movie. Still, director Rob Savage and his screenwriters made this adaptation come across as inspired by a short story. The Boogeyman works its magic when it comes to tension, effective jump scares, and startling imagery, but it doesn’t wholly work when it comes to the deeper issues its protagonists have.
The movie focuses on the Harper family, who recently lost their matriarch. Although patriarch Will (Chris Messina) is a therapist, the grieving husband’s father struggles with helping his beloved daughters (Sophie Thatcher and Vivien Lyra Blair) recover from this tragedy. When a mysterious and beleaguered new client approaches Will for help, the therapist has no idea whatsoever how to handle what seems to be his delusional state. Lester Billings (David Dastmalchian) claims a supernatural being framed him and has lost his children. However, before Will can understand what happened to Will and his family, the man appears to commit suicide. As the Harper family soon discovers, a demonic creature is responsible for this latest tragedy and preys upon those during their moments of suffering.
As far as horror movies go, The Boogeyman is a solid piece of cinema, but it also seems limited by the source material. Audiences should look no further if they are looking for thrills and frights. This one falls short if anyone wants more out of their horror. I am not saying that people will not enjoy this movie, nor will some folks not be satisfied, but I wanted a little more depth to this story that the filmmakers don’t wholly deliver.