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| Boogeyman HOME: movies.zertinet.com |
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I’ve got to be honest here – I didn’t hate “Boogeyman.” Sure, it falls apart, and never really has any ambition, but I was still with Tim (Barry Watson) through most of the story, wondering just what was happening and hoping he’d survive. Maybe it’s a sad commentary on the state of modern horror films, but I was thrilled to encounter a horror film that actually made me care just a little bit (and I do mean little) about the central character. Most of the reason for this can be found in the film’s prologue. About a child in his bedroom at night, young Tim is terrified that the boogeyman is in his closet. His dad comes in to convince him that there’s no such thing when a shocking attack is unleashed and, it later turns out, is abducted to the world of the unknown. Fifteen years later, that night continues to scar an older Tim. He grew up in psychiatric wards, is now terrified by closets and the dark, and is worried that anyone he loves might have their lives destroyed by this strange spirit that continues to stalk him. What ensues are a series of setups in which Tim must confront these fears. He finds himself in a stranger’s bedroom late at night, at a shady motel and then eventually in the haunted house of his youth, each time forced to deal with, you guessed it, a dark, enclosed space that calls to him through the ether. Yet I have to be honest. I had some fun here. The opening made it clear that these strange noises in the dark had fangs and could actually hurt someone, and Tim’s tortured life makes him a somewhat interesting and enduring character. Sure, in reality, we’re watching a ridiculous character get scared in a dark bedroom as the soundtrack churns away, but I really believed that he could be in danger, and wanted him to make it out okay. There’s also an interesting subplot that appears to imply that Tim himself is the cause of all these disturbances. I really felt as if I saw a twist coming that would have made the film a little bit more surprising and complicated. Director Stephen T. Kay’s (“Get Carter”) claustrophobic angles and lighting, as well as his increasingly manic editing also seem to point to a horror film that is far more psychological than supernatural. Alas, “Boogeyman” ends in a swirl of bland and boring special effects that reduces its meaning and numbs the senses. So what can I say? It added a few new twists to the formula and, for the most part, did what it was supposed to do. Before this self-destruction, I found myself jumping a few times.
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