The Boogeyman has screened at CinemaCon – and first reactions are praising a scare-filled horror flick with a great performance from Sophie Thatcher.
Based on a short story written by Stephen King, the movie follows high schooler Sadie (Thatcher) and her younger sister Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair) who begin to notice something is lurking in the shadows of their home. When a desperate patient turns up seeking help from their emotionally avoidant father (Chris Messina), he leaves behind a supernatural creature that preys on the pain of its victims.
"A totally sturdy, highly effective movie," says SlashFilm's Ben Pearson. "Could be this year's Smile. Doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it doesn't need to. Sophie Thatcher has big Mary Elizabeth Winstead energy in this one, and it's always nice to see Chris Messina."
The Ankler's Jeff Sneider also has praise for Thatcher: "An effective horror movie that marks a return to form for director Rob Savage after DASHCAM. He stages some very clever shots here & really milks the suspense. Above-average performance from Sophie Thatcher, too. Best part? An emotionally satisfying ending. See it!"
"Sophie Thatcher is incredible in #TheBoogeyman," agrees journalist Daniel Howat. "She grounds the movie with her grief and fear. The movie is a slow-burn sort of horror movie, but with plenty of big scares. It'll definitely make you afraid of the dark. Enjoyed this a lot."
"Got to see The Boogeyman at #CinemaCon2023, and I am a very happy Stephen King fan right now. Like the short story, it's a simple horror tale, but an effective and freaky one that delivers some great monster-centric scares. Definitely a "see it with a crowd" experience," says CinemaBlend's Eric Eisenberg.
Screen Rant's Rob Keyes says: "I can talk about The Boogeyman now! Easy recommendation for horror fans. Dark intro. It has big jump scares that kill with big sound and big crowd. It's very well shot and creepy as hell but I don't love some of the plot-forced conveniences. The cast is AMAZING."
"Saw #TheBoogeyman at #CinemaCon today and it freaking rules," says Gizmodo's Germain Lussier. "Beautifully shot, super creepy, & excellent lead performances by Sophie Thatcher & Lil Leia herself, Vivien Lyra Blair. Most surprisingly though is the action! There's some amazing horror action in it. Out June 2."
The Boogeyman is directed by Host's Rob Savage and written by A Quiet Place duo Scott Beck & Bryan Woods alongside Black Swan's Mark Heyman. Stranger Things executive producer Shawn Levy also produced the upcoming movie.
The film was initially supposed to stream exclusively on Hulu, but Stephen King loved the adaptation so much that he urged Savage and co. to push for a theatrical release.
The Boogeyman is released in theaters on June 2. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2023 and beyond, or, skip straight to the good stuff with our list of movie release dates.
