The Boogeyman (2023 film)
The Boogeyman | |
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Directed by | Rob Savage |
Screenplay by | |
Story by |
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Based on | "The Boogeyman" by Stephen King |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Eli Born |
Edited by | Peter Gvozdas |
Music by | Patrick Jonsson |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | 20th Century Studios |
Release date |
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Running time | 99 minutes[2] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $35 million[3] |
Box office | $82.3 million[4][5] |
The Boogeyman is a 2023 American
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 to
The Boogeyman was theatrically released in the United States by 20th Century Studios on June 2, 2023. The film received mixed reviews from critics and has grossed $82 million worldwide.
Plot
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 called Lester Billings visits Will's office. Lester explains that his three children 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 "The
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
- Sophie Thatcher as Sadie Harper
- Vivien Lyra Blair as Sawyer Harper
- Chris Messina as Will Harper
- David Dastmalchian as Lester Billings
- Marin Ireland as Rita Billings
- Madison Hu as Bethany
- LisaGay Hamilton as Dr. Weller
Production
The Boogeyman is a film adaptation of Stephen King's 1973 short story "The Boogeyman".
On June 26, 2018, it was announced filmmaking partners
Principal photography began in February 2022 in New Orleans.[11]
Patrick Jonsson composed the film's score.[12]
Release
Theatrical
The Boogeyman was released by
Home media
The Boogeyman was released on digital formats on August 29, 2023, followed by the release of the DVD and Blu-ray on October 10, 2023.[16]
Reception
Box office
As of August 1, 2023[update], The Boogeyman has grossed $43.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $39.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide gross of $82.3 million.[4][5]
In the United States and Canada, The Boogeyman was released alongside Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and was projected to gross around $15 million from 3,205 theatres in its opening weekend.[3] The film made $4.8 million on its first day,[17][18] and went on to debut at $12.4 million in its opening weekend, finishing third behind Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and The Little Mermaid.[19]
Critical response
On the
Wendy Ide of The Observer wrote, "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.[24] Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter said the film "mostly works, thanks to the expertly calibrated atmospherics, a memorable visual style... and the committed performances of a very talented cast."[25] 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."[26]
Kevin Maher of The Times gave 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."[27] Jake Wilson of The Age also 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."[28]
References
- ^ a b c Scheck, Frank (May 25, 2023). "'The Boogeyman' Review: A Minor But Effectively Nerve-Jangling Stephen King Adaptation". The Hollywood Reporter. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
- ^ "The Boogeyman (15)". BBFC. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ a b Lang, Brett (May 30, 2023). "Box Office: 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' Swinging to $80 Million Opening, 'The Boogeyman' Eyeing $15 Million Debut". Variety. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
- ^ a b "The Boogeyman". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on January 30, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
- ^ a b "The Boogeyman". The Numbers - Financial Information. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
- ^ "The Boogeyman". Writers Guild of America West. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
- ^ McNary, Dave (June 26, 2018). "Stephen King's Boogeyman Movie in the Works With A Quiet Place Writers". Variety. Archived from the original on November 1, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
- ^ Geisinger, Gabriella (October 8, 2019). "Fox movies scrapped forever after Disney's big takeover". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
- ^ a b Fleming, Mike Jr. (November 1, 2021). "20th/Hulu Conjure The Boogeyman From Stephen King Short; Rob Savage Directs & 21 Laps Produces". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 1, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (January 31, 2022). "Yellowjackets Sophie Thatcher And Chris Messina Starring In Adaptation Of Stephen King Short Story Boogeyman For 20th Century". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
- ^ a b Grobar, Matt (February 22, 2022). "The Boogeyman: David Dastmalchian, Marin Ireland, Vivien Lyra Blair & Madison Hu Board 20th Century Studios' Stephen King Adaptation". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 22, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
- ^ "Patrick Jonsson Scoring Rob Savage's 'The Boogeyman'". Film Music Reporter. December 27, 2022. Archived from the original on January 25, 2023. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
- ^ Kit, Borys (January 20, 2023). "Hot Horror: Stephen King Adaptation 'The Boogeyman' Moves from Streaming to Theatrical (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
- ^ Graham, Jamie (April 27, 2023). "Stephen King loved The Boogeyman so much he urged them to release it in theaters". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on April 29, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
- ^ "'The Boogeyman' to Screen at CinemaCon Ahead of Theatrical Release". Collider. March 31, 2023. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ Dawe, Luke (August 1, 2023). "The Boogeyman Sets Digital and Physical Release Dates". Collider. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ 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. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
- ^ Murphy, J. Kim (June 3, 2023). "Box Office: 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' Spots Spectacular $51.7 Million Opening Day". Variety. Archived from the original on July 13, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
- ^ "Domestic 2023 Weekend 22". BoxOfficeMojo. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ^ "The Boogeyman". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
- Fandom, Inc.Retrieved June 16, 2023.
- ^ Fuster, Jeremy (June 3, 2023). "'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' Blasts Off to $113 Million-Plus Box Office Opening". TheWrap. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
- ^ 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. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
- from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
- ^ Scheck, Frank (May 25, 2023). "'The Boogeyman' Review: A Minor But Effectively Nerve-Jangling Stephen King Adaptation". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
- ^ Lowry, Brian (May 31, 2023). "'The Boogeyman' turns deep-seated fears into a small-scale Stephen King movie". CNN. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
- from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
- ^ Wilson, Jake (May 30, 2023). "Stephen King story scarier on the page than the screen". The Age. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
External links
- Official website
- The Boogeyman at IMDb