Wikipedia

The Boogeyman(2023 film)

The Boogeymanis a 2023 Americansupernatural horror filmdirected byRob Savagefrom a screenplay byScott Beck, Bryan Woods,andMark Heyman,and a screen story by Beck and Woods.[7]Based on the 1973 short storyof the same namebyStephen King,the film follows a family that becomes haunted by theBoogeymanafter a troubled man visits and inadvertently brings the creature to them. The ensemble cast includesSophie Thatcher,Chris Messina,Vivien Lyra Blair,andDavid Dastmalchian.

The Boogeyman
Atop a red background, the scribble of a large monstrous hand hovers over the scribble of a little girl holding a flashlight.
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRob Savage
Screenplay by
Story by
  • Scott Beck
  • Bryan Woods
Based on"The Boogeyman"
byStephen King
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyEli Born
Edited byPeter Gvozdas
Music byPatrick Jonsson
Production
companies
Distributed by20th Century Studios
Release date
  • June 2, 2023(2023-06-02)
Running time
99 minutes[3]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$35 million[4]
Box office$82.3 million[5][6]

An adaptation of King's short story was first announced in June 2018 with Beck and Woods writing the screenplay, but the project was canceled in 2019 due toDisney's acquisition of Fox.However, it was revived in November 2021 with Savage directing the project. Thatcher, Messina, Dastmalchian and the rest of the cast signed in early 2022.Principal photographybegan in February 2022 inNew Orleans.Originally planned to be released on thestreaming serviceHulu,the Walt Disney Studioseventually opted for a theatrical release first following positivetest screenings.

The Boogeymanwas theatrically released in the United States by20th Century Studioson June 2, 2023. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $82 million worldwide.

Plot

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Therapist Will Harper is struggling to overcome the death of his wife, who died suddenly in a car crash. His daughters, Sadie and Sawyer, are likewise struggling to deal with their mother's passing.

One day, a disturbed man named Lester Billings visits Will's office. Lester explains that his three children, including his youngest daughter Annie, have died, all killed by an evil entity that latched onto his family. A disbelieving Will goes to call the police. Lester slips away and Sadie finds his body hanging in her mother's art closet.

Soon afterwards, Sadie notices a strange mold beginning to form around the house while Sawyer glimpses a sinister creature under her bed. This creature continues to terrorize Sawyer while Sadie suspects the phenomenon is related to Lester's suicide. She visits the Billings' rundown house. Inside, she discovers Rita, the now-unhinged wife of Lester. Rita identifies the creature as "TheBoogeyman",the culprit behind her children's deaths. The creature feeds off fear and grief and can mimic voices. The only way to ward it off is by light. Feeling unsafe around Rita, Sadie flees.

During a sleepover with a group of girls from her school, Sadie encounters the Boogeyman and Sawyer is attacked shortly thereafter, ending up hospitalized. Sadie is contacted by Rita, who needs her help to kill the Boogeyman. When Sadie arrives, Rita attacks her, planning to use her as bait for her trap. The Boogeyman survives the trap and kills Rita. Sadie escapes and realizes her family has returned home. At home, she finds Sawyer hiding. The creature has taken Will into the basement.

In the basement, the sisters find the creature feeding off Will. They rescue their father and a chase ensues through the basement. After a struggle, Sadie sets the creature on fire, avenging the Billings family, and the family escapes the burning house.

Some time later, the family have a group session with their therapist Dr. Weller. As they leave, Sadie is called back by Dr. Weller, only to discover she is not there and the closet door is open, suggesting the creature has returned. Dr. Weller appears and asks why Sadie is there. Suspicious, Sadie shuts the closet door.

Cast

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Production

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The Boogeymanis afilm adaptationofStephen King's 1973 short story "The Boogeyman".

On June 26, 2018, it was announced that filmmaking partnersScott Beck and Bryan Woodswould write the screenplay withShawn Levy,Dan Levine,and Dan Cohen attached to produce for21 Laps Entertainment,with20th Century Foxset to distribute.[9]However, in 2019, afterthe Walt Disney Company's acquisition of 21st Century Fox,the film was canceled, along with other films in development.[10]In November 2021, the film was revived, and it was reported thatRob Savagewould direct from a screenplay byMark Heyman,based on original drafts by Beck, Woods, andAkela Cooper,withstreaming serviceHuluset to distribute.[11]In early 2022,Sophie Thatcher,Chris Messina,David Dastmalchian,Marin Ireland,Vivien Lyra Blair,andMadison Huwere added to the cast.[12][13]

Principal photographybegan inNew Orleansin February 2022.[13]

Patrick Jonssoncomposed the film's score.[14]

Release

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Theatrical

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The Boogeymanwas released by20th Century Studiosin the United States on June 2, 2023. It was originally planned to be released onHuluin 2023,[11]but following a positivetest screeningin December 2022, it was announced that it would instead be released theatrically.[15]According to Savage, "When the movie tested so well, we decided it was time to get Stephen King's input, so we rented out his favorite cinema in Maine." He also stated, "He knows what he doesn't like and if we'd have fucked up his story, he'd have told us. But he sent a lovely almost-essay about how much he enjoyed the movie. And then the next day I wake up and there's an email in my inbox from Stephen King and he said he's still thinking about the movie. He said a few more nice things and the nicest thing that he said was, 'They'd be fucking stupid to release this on streaming and not in cinemas.'"[16]An advanced screening of the film took place atCinemaConon April 26, 2023, as part ofthe Walt Disney Studios' presentation of their 2023 release schedule.[17]

Home media

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The Boogeymanwas released on digital formats on August 29, 2023, followed by the release of the DVD and Blu-ray on October 10, 2023.[18]

Reception

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Box office

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The Boogeymangrossed $43.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $39.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide gross of $82.3 million.[5][6]

In the United States and Canada,The Boogeymanwas released alongsideSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,and was projected to gross around $15 million from 3,205 theatres in its opening weekend.[4]The film made $4.8 million on its first day,[19][20]and went on to debut at $12.4 million in its opening weekend, finishing third behindSpider-Man: Across the Spider-VerseandThe Little Mermaid.[21]

Critical response

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On thereview aggregatorwebsiteRotten Tomatoes,61% of 195 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "The Boogeymanmight fall short of its terrifying source material, but a spooky atmosphere and some solid performances help keep the chills coming. "[22]Metacritic,which uses aweighted average,assigned the film a score of 55 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[23]Audiences polled byCinemaScoregave the film an average grade of "B–" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled atPostTrakgave it 2.5 out of 5 stars.[24][25]

Wendy Ide ofThe Observerwrote, "It's an effectively spooky horror film but a generic one. Savage's approach is efficient but workmanlike: he makes liberal use of jump scares and thunderous crashes on the score." She gave the film 3/5 stars.[26]Frank ScheckofThe Hollywood Reportersaid the film "mostly works, thanks to the expertly calibrated atmospherics, a memorable visual style... and the committed performances of a very talented cast."[27]CNN's Brian Lowry wrote, "As is so often the case with these movies, the buildup is generally more terrifying than the payoff, and Savage doesn't scrimp when it comes to jump-at-you scares."[28]

Kevin MaherofThe Timesgave the film 2/5 stars, saying that it was "90 minutes of dark corridors, plot holes and jump scares, followed by a silly climactic confrontation and some saccharine nonsense in a therapist's office."[29]Jake Wilson ofThe Agealso gave the film 2/5 stars, writing, "We're at a strange moment in horror cinema, when a film that presents as earnestly as this one can't match the complexity and ambiguity of early Stephen King."[30]

References

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  1. ^abcScheck, Frank (May 25, 2023)."'The Boogeyman' Review: A Minor But Effectively Nerve-Jangling Stephen King Adaptation ".The Hollywood Reporter.Penske Media Corporation.Archivedfrom the original on June 3, 2023.RetrievedJune 3,2023.
  2. ^abRoman, Julian (May 29, 2023)."The Boogeyman Review: Atmospheric Scares Devolve to Stale Horror Tropes".Movieweb.RetrievedJune 14,2024.
  3. ^"The Boogeyman(15) ".BBFC.Archivedfrom the original on May 16, 2023.RetrievedMay 15,2023.
  4. ^abLang, Brett (May 30, 2023)."Box Office: 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' Swinging to $80 Million Opening, 'The Boogeyman' Eyeing $15 Million Debut".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on May 30, 2023.RetrievedMay 30,2023.
  5. ^ab"The Boogeyman".Box Office Mojo.Archivedfrom the original on January 30, 2023.RetrievedAugust 2,2023.
  6. ^ab"The Boogeyman".The Numbers - Financial Information.Archivedfrom the original on June 6, 2023.RetrievedAugust 2,2023.
  7. ^"The Boogeyman".Writers Guild of America West.Archivedfrom the original on November 22, 2022.RetrievedNovember 22,2022.
  8. ^"Michael Bekemeier | Stunts, Actor".IMDb.RetrievedJune 1,2024.
  9. ^McNary, Dave(June 26, 2018)."Stephen King'sBoogeymanMovie in the Works WithA Quiet PlaceWriters ".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on November 1, 2021.RetrievedNovember 1,2021.
  10. ^Geisinger, Gabriella (October 8, 2019)."Fox movies scrapped forever after Disney's big takeover".Digital Spy.Archivedfrom the original on February 12, 2021.RetrievedMarch 13,2022.
  11. ^abFleming, Mike Jr. (November 1, 2021)."20th/Hulu ConjureThe BoogeymanFrom Stephen King Short; Rob Savage Directs & 21 Laps Produces ".Deadline Hollywood.Archivedfrom the original on November 1, 2021.RetrievedNovember 1,2021.
  12. ^Kroll, Justin (January 31, 2022)."YellowjacketsSophie Thatcher And Chris Messina Starring In Adaptation Of Stephen King Short StoryBoogeymanFor 20th Century ".Deadline Hollywood.Archivedfrom the original on January 31, 2022.RetrievedJanuary 31,2022.
  13. ^abGrobar, Matt (February 22, 2022)."The Boogeyman:David Dastmalchian, Marin Ireland, Vivien Lyra Blair & Madison Hu Board 20th Century Studios' Stephen King Adaptation ".Deadline Hollywood.Archivedfrom the original on February 22, 2022.RetrievedFebruary 22,2022.
  14. ^"Patrick Jonsson Scoring Rob Savage's 'The Boogeyman'".Film Music Reporter.December 27, 2022.Archivedfrom the original on January 25, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 25,2023.
  15. ^Kit, Borys (January 20, 2023)."Hot Horror: Stephen King Adaptation 'The Boogeyman' Moves from Streaming to Theatrical (Exclusive)".The Hollywood Reporter.Archivedfrom the original on January 20, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 20,2023.
  16. ^Graham, Jamie (April 27, 2023)."Stephen King lovedThe Boogeymanso much he urged them to release it in theaters ".GamesRadar+.Archivedfrom the original on April 29, 2023.RetrievedApril 30,2023.
  17. ^"'The Boogeyman' to Screen at CinemaCon Ahead of Theatrical Release ".Collider.March 31, 2023.Archivedfrom the original on May 7, 2023.RetrievedMay 7,2023.
  18. ^Dawe, Luke (August 1, 2023)."The BoogeymanSets Digital and Physical Release Dates ".Collider.RetrievedAugust 1,2023.
  19. ^D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 1, 2023)."'Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse' Posts Best Opening Day Of 2023 To Date With $51M+; 3-Day Now At $113M+ – Updated Box Office ".Deadline Hollywood.Archivedfrom the original on June 4, 2023.RetrievedJune 3,2023.
  20. ^Murphy, J. Kim (June 3, 2023)."Box Office: 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' Spots Spectacular $51.7 Million Opening Day".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on July 13, 2023.RetrievedJune 3,2023.
  21. ^"Domestic 2023 Weekend 22".BoxOfficeMojo.Archivedfrom the original on June 6, 2023.RetrievedJune 7,2023.
  22. ^"The Boogeyman".Rotten Tomatoes.Fandango Media.RetrievedSeptember 4,2023.
  23. ^"The Boogeyman".Metacritic.Fandom, Inc.RetrievedJune 16,2023.
  24. ^Fuster, Jeremy (June 3, 2023)."'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' Blasts Off to $113 Million-Plus Box Office Opening ".TheWrap.Archivedfrom the original on June 3, 2023.RetrievedJune 3,2023.
  25. ^D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 3, 2023)."'Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse' Posts Best Opening Day Of 2023 To Date With $51M+; 3-Day Now At $113M+ – Updated Box Office ".Deadline Hollywood.Archivedfrom the original on June 4, 2023.RetrievedJune 3,2023.
  26. ^Ide, Wendy (June 4, 2023)."The Boogeyman review – so-so studio debut from a budget-horror meister".The Observer.ISSN0029-7712.Archivedfrom the original on June 6, 2023.RetrievedJune 6,2023.
  27. ^Scheck, Frank (May 25, 2023)."'The Boogeyman' Review: A Minor But Effectively Nerve-Jangling Stephen King Adaptation ".The Hollywood Reporter.Archivedfrom the original on June 3, 2023.RetrievedJune 6,2023.
  28. ^Lowry, Brian (May 31, 2023)."'The Boogeyman' turns deep-seated fears into a small-scale Stephen King movie ".CNN.Archivedfrom the original on June 6, 2023.RetrievedJune 6,2023.
  29. ^Maher, Kevin(June 5, 2023)."The Boogeyman review — a disappointing, preachy horror yawn".The Times.ISSN0140-0460.Archivedfrom the original on June 6, 2023.RetrievedJune 6,2023.
  30. ^Wilson, Jake (May 30, 2023)."Stephen King story scarier on the page than the screen".The Age.Archivedfrom the original on June 6, 2023.RetrievedJune 6,2023.
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