Parents' Guide to The Bye Bye Man

Many horror movies are bad, but it's rare to find one that, like The Bye Bye Man, is so bad it's funny. Whether the problem was in the puzzling screenplay or in the production itself, something went dismally, hysterically wrong. The Bye Bye Man starts out deceptively fine, but it quickly evolves into a series of scenes in which characters who sound nothing like actual humans speak and interact with one another. Their conversations are weird, awkward, and often forced, pushing plot information on viewers. (Veteran actors like Faye Dunaway and Carrie-Anne Moss look positively lost in their supporting roles.)

The scary stuff -- borrowed heavily from Candyman, The Ring, Final Destination, and others -- is just as pathetic, despite Doug Jones portraying the title monster. The movie's combination of poor visual effects, shopworn horror techniques, and uninspired makeup make this feel like a castoff from a dusty video shelf. Bad movie fans may enjoy a laugh at the way the characters drive without looking at the road or at some really obvious, bad stereotyping. But most viewers won't even want to say "hello" to The Bye Bye Man.