4 /5
Written by Luke Barnes
Summary
Tim, Barry Watson, is forced to return to his childhood home after the death of his mum. Whilst there Tim becomes once again wrapped up in fighting the unseen supernatural force that terrorised him as a child.
I think this film does a lot with very little. Without showing us the titular Boogeyman much the film creates an environment of fear, showing us that this entity is a threat and is not something to be taken lightly. It uses the simplest of scares to do this but it uses them so effectively that it works and leads to some great moments that are chilling.
When the film does show us the Boogeyman it does so sparingly as to still keep some of the myth around the character alive. The glimpses we do see highlight a well done monster with a distinctive design that is frightening. I think the film strikes the perfectly balance between not showing us the creature and showing us too much.
The main thing that I think holds this film back is the little girl twist. Throughout the film there is a little girl who acts as a guide of sorts to Tim informing him of the Boogeyman and his history. However, later in the film it is revealed that she is in fact dead and was one of the Boogeyman’s victims, this twist doesn’t work as it is blindingly obvious from the get-go that this was the case.
Overall, a strong horror film with an obvious twist.
Pros.
The scares
The atmosphere
Watson
The mythology
Cons.
The twist
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Another Millennial Reviewer 