The Boogeyman is a 2023 American supernatural horror film directed by Rob Savage from a screenplay by Scott Beck, Bryan Woods, and Mark Heyman. It is based on the 1973 short story of the same name, by Stephen King. The film stars Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina, Vivien Lyra Blair, and David Dastmalchian.
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 Disney'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 photography began in February 2022 in New Orleans. Originally planned to be released on the streaming service Hulu, Disney eventually opted for a theatrical release first following positive test screenings.
Plot[]
The Harper family, sisters Sadie and Sawyer and their therapist father Will, are struggling to come to terms with the recent death of the family matriarch, who died suddenly in a car crash. Sawyer suffers from nightmares, and Will buries himself in work, while Sadie struggles to adjust back into school where her friend Bethany has joined a new clique of girls who treat Sadie with disdain.
One day, Will is visited by a man called Lester Billings who asks to speak to him. Lester explains that his three children have died, all killed one by one by an entity that he thinks has now latched onto him. Although sympathetic to Lester, a disbelieving Will leaves him alone to call the police. Lester slips away into the house with Sadie finding his body in her mother's art closet.
The family is disturbed by Lester's death but attempts to get back to normal. Sadie notices a strange mold beginning to form around the house while Sawyer glimpses a mysterious creature hiding under her bed. Sawyer alerts Sadie, who cannot find the creature and does not believe her sister. The girls later visit their therapist Dr. Weller to talk about their mother's death. Weller uses a flashing light to help Sawyer get over her fear of the dark, but Sawyer spots the creature again and ends up wetting herself. In the house, the creature continues to stalk and terrorize Sawyer while Sadie also glimpses it and begins to suspect the strange phenomenon is related to Lester's suicide.
Sadie listens to a recording of Lester's appointment and reads up about the Billings family online, discovering their address. Sadie has Bethany drive her out to the Billings' seemingly abandoned house where inside she discovers Rita, Lester's estranged wife, who still lives in the house. Rita identifies the creature as "The Boogeyman", claiming it as the culprit behind her children's deaths. She tells Sadie that the creature feeds off fear and enjoys toying with its prey hence the nightly attacks on Sawyer and that it can mimic voices. The only solution to ward off the Boogeyman is light. However, Rita seemingly spots the Boogeyman behind Sadie and shoots at it, causing a disturbed Sadie to flee the house.
The mold continues to spread across the house. That night, Sadie has a nightmare about the Boogeyman putting something inside her throat. As these encounters continue to escalate, Will and Sadie attempt to talk about the death of Sadie's mother with her convincing Will not to clear out the art cabinet. In the basement, Sadie seemingly encounters the spirit of her mother, directing the flame of an old lighter. At school, Bethany comforts Sadie and decides to organize a girl's night at Sadie's house to cheer her up. While smoking, Sadie coughs up a tooth that Sawyer had lost shortly after the Boogeyman appeared and realizes her nightmare may have been real. As a prank, Bethany's friends lock Sadie in the art closet, where she encounters the Boogeyman. A fight breaks out amongst the girls who all leave Sadie's house. Meanwhile, Sawyer is attacked by the creature and thrown into a TV, hospitalizing her.
At the hospital, Sadie is contacted by Rita, who believes she has come up with a way to kill the Boogeyman. Sadie arrives at the house where Rita has set up a trap with several shotgun shells. She suddenly attacks Sadie, planning to use her as bait for the creature. The Boogeyman appears and sets off the trap but survives and kills Rita. Sadie escapes and flees the house. Will calls her asking where she is, and Sadie realizes they're already back home. The Boogeyman attacks Will and Sawyer, dragging them into the house. Sadie arrives and finds a hiding Sawyer, who claims the creature took Will into the basement.
The sisters enter the basement and find the creature feeding off Will. They rescue their father and a chase ensues through the basement. With the help of Sawyer and her mother's spirit, Sadie manages to set the creature on fire, seemingly killing it and destroying the mold all through the house. Some time later, the family have a group session with Weller, having moved on from their experience. As they leave, Sadie is called back to the office by Weller only to discover she isn't there and the closet door is open. Weller appears and questions Sadie, who looks at Weller suspiciously and shuts the door.
Cast[]
- Sophie Thatcher as Sadie Harper
- Chris Messina as Will Harper
- Vivien Lyra Blair as Sawyer Harper
- Marin Ireland as Rita Billings
- Madison Hu as Bethany
- LisaGay Hamilton as Dr. Weller
- David Dastmalchian as Lester Billings
