Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Monster movie has decent scares, sympathetic characters.
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The Boogeyman
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 7 parent reviews
Based on 16 kid reviews
Kids say the movie is a terrifying experience, often too intense for younger viewers due to its themes of violence, strong language, and occasional drug use despite lacking graphic gore. While some find it effective and engaging, others regard it as predictable and unoriginal, suggesting it may only be suitable for mature pre-teens and teens.
- intense themes
- strong language
- predictable plot
- suitable for mature
- engagement levels
- no graphic gore
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In THE BOOGEYMAN, Will Harper (Chris Messina) finds himself caring for his two daughters -- teen Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) and younger Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair) -- after their mom dies in a car accident. Will, a therapist, continues his work but somehow can't deal with his own grief. Sadie encounters cruelty at school, and Sawyer develops an intense fear of the dark. Then Will has an unexpected visit from a strange man, Lester Billings (David Dastmalchian), who tells a harrowing story: His three children all died, and while Lester appears to be guilty, the real killer was a terrifying monster, captured in a drawing by one of the children. While Will is off discreetly calling the police, Lester hangs himself. Soon after, a monstrous presence -- which only lurks in the dark -- begins making itself known to the Harpers.
Is It Any Good?
Unlike director Rob Savage's innovative earlier movies, this chiller hits a few too many familiar beats, but its attention to character and emotion -- and a few good scares -- make it worth watching. Based on a 1973 Stephen King short story that was published in his classic Night Shift collection (which also yielded many other movies, including Children of the Corn), The Boogeyman was adapted by A-list screenwriters Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place), working with Mark Heyman (Black Swan). They've fleshed out a scant story that had just two characters in one location, but they've also leaned on the typical three-act structure of many other ghost/monster movies. (By comparison, a similar monster tale was executed with far more ingenuity in Lights Out.)
But director Savage -- whose excellent Pandemic-era Host made clever use of the panels in a Zoom chat -- still finds ways to make it work. He dives in on the characters' grief, which smoothes over certain logic holes and explains certain behaviors. And he goes all out with some nifty, spooky touches, such as Sawyer kicking her light-up ball down dark hallways to check for monsters. (Blair, in particular, is excellent, bringing some of the same pluck she demonstrated as young Leia Organa in Obi-Wan Kenobi.) All in all, The Boogeyman should please most horror hounds.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Boogeyman's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of horror movies? Why do people sometimes like to be scared?
How is drug use depicted? Is it glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?
How does the movie depict grief? How are the three characters' grieving processes different? How are they similar?
Have you ever been afraid of the dark, like Sawyer? Why is the dark scary for many people?
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 2, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : August 29, 2023
- Cast : Sophie Thatcher , Chris Messina , Vivien Lyra Blair
- Director : Rob Savage
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : 20th Century Studios
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Fantasy
- Run time : 98 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : terror, violent content, teen drug use and some strong language
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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