When a desperate patient unexpectedly shows up at psychiatrist’s home seeking help, he leaves behind a terrifying supernatural entity that preys on families and feeds on the suffering of its victims. A film by Rob Savage, starring Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina, Vivien Lyra Blair, David Dastmalchian, and Marin Ireland.

A supernatural horror film based on a short story of the same name by Stephen King, first published in the March 1973 issue of the magazine Cavalier and later included in King’s 1978 collection, Night Shift.

Sadie Harper (Sophie Thatcher) and her sister, Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair), are still reeling from the sudden death of their mother, Cara (Shauna Rappold), who was recently killed in a car crash. Their father, Will (Chris Messina), is a psychiatrist who specializes in helping his patients cope with loss and grief. However, he is struggling to do the same for his own children. He avoids talking about their mother’s death with them, and instead refers them to another psychiatrist.

A disturbed man walks into Will’s home office unannounced. Will is reluctant to accept a new patient without an appointment, but the man’s desperation is palpable. The man introduces himself as Lester Billings (David Dastmalchian) and begins to tell his tragic story. He claims that an evil entity killed his three children, but no one believes him.

Will excuses himself to go to the restroom, intending to call the police. However, before the police arrive, Sadie and Will discover Lester’s body hanging in Cara’s closet. It appears that the evil entity has been following Lester, and now it has attached itself to one of Will’s daughters. That night, Sawyer is awakened in the middle of the night by a loud noise. The closet door swings open, and she sees a demonic creature under her bed. She screams and falls to the floor.

How is it possible that no one in the house can hear the scream? Are they living in a palace? Where is Dad? Sadie is in her room, watching a YouTube video about how to contact the dead, hoping to communicate with her deceased mother. Things is getting weirder. When Sawyer shows up in Sadie’s room, I thought she must be already dead, and the evil entity has taken her appearance. (That would be a good twist, but nope! She is just the same girl who fell out of her bed.)

The film is so unrealistic to the point that I am unable to comprehend its absurdity. When one hears a strange noise, one is supposed to walk away from it, not towards it. When one sees a dark room ahead, one should turn back. But in this film, the characters do the opposite!

The film drags on for about an hour with little to no action. When Sawyer tells Sadie that she believes the evil entity does not like light, it seems like a no-brainer. How could Sadie not know this? Yet, Sadie continues to walk into the dark basement with a hockey stick. I cannot help but sigh. Perhaps they all deserve to die.

The most unintentionally humorous moment is the scene where Lester’s wife, Rita (Marin Ireland), believes she can kill the evil entity that has been alive for at least 10,000 years with a mortal weapon like a shotgun. This film is worse than CHILDREN of the CORN.

THE BOOGEYMAN was theatrically released in the United States on 2 June 2023, by 20th Century Studios. The film was originally planned to be released on Hulu, but the studio decided to release it in theaters after receiving a positive test screening.