Cinematic adaptations ofStephen King’swork have varied in quality a great deal over the past decade. From prestige films likeThe Shiningto low-budget cheesefests likeMaximum Overdrive,it seems that King’s talents lend themselves well to a wide variety of audiences. Lately, it seems that that trend hasn’t died down.Though the caliber of King adaptations varies greatly, one thing is consistent: They’re almost always audience-pleasers, whether that enjoyment comes from humor or fear. And,according to reports fromRob Savage, director of the latest King big-screen offering, that reaction is alive and well. In fact, after test screenings ofThe Boogeyman, Savage’s take on the classic 1973 King story, the film had to be edited to accommodate the audience’s lengthy reactions. The camera clearly still loves America’s master of horror — and the innovation that often comes with adaptations of his work doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
What Is ‘The Boogeyman’ About?
In the past three years, Rob Savage has gone from indie horror champion to big-budget master. He madeone of 2020’s buzziest horror films,Host,which played incredibly well on the public fear of the COVID-19 virus. Running at a tight one hour and five minutes (andcosting only $100,000 to make), the desktop-based found-footage movie follows a group of young adults who meet via Zoom to perform a guided séance. So, it was a green light to horror fans when it was announced, in 2021, that Savage would head up a big-screen version ofTheBoogeyman.
Where to Stream ‘The Boogeyman’ (2023)
It’s not real? Keep telling yourself that.
Though the film’s source material follows a psychiatry patient named Lester Billings, the movie insteaduses Billings to jumpstart the story of the Harper sistersand their father. Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) and Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair) are living in the shadow of their mother’s sudden death. Their father, a therapist (Chris Messina) has recently seen a patient, Lester Billings (David Dastmalchian), who claims his children have all been killed not by a person, but by an entity. After he takes his own life, the mysterious force begins to feed off of Sadie and Sawyer’s family instead — and they must find a way to save themselves from something no one wants to believe is real. It’s a fresh take on the source material with compelling characters at its core; but does it have the monster to match?
‘The Boogeyman’s Monster Terrified Test Audiences
The Boogeyman itself, of course, had to be great. This movie is, at its heart, acreature feature. Though Savage’s original desire to use mainlypractical effects for the monster was vetoedby Blair, the film’s youngest star, the finished product still looks terrifying. A labor of intensive animation and lighting, the creature’s designborrows elements from the animal kingdom— a cat’s reflective eyes, a spider’s movements — and wraps them up in an insect-like casing. Arms extend from its mouth to pull its victims in, making for a truly gross image. (What’s worse is its proclivity to stay hidden in the shadows.) Even when you know it’s coming, its appearance in the film is still startling.
The Boogeyman is a creature stuckbetween the mortal world and a more shadowy realmand has an uncanny face to match. A still image evokes a feeling of creeping dread, so it’s no wonder that test audiences had an even stronger reaction to seeing it on the big screen. In test screenings, when the monster entered the movie, the whispers, shouts, and screams became so over-the-top that an extra 45 seconds had to be added around the reveal so that no one would miss dialogue from the actors! “That’s the most gratifying part, when you see that play with an audience and you may feel them taking the bait, and then you feel the jump land," Savage told Empire. And land it certainly did. In fact, though the movie was originally slated for a streaming-based release through Hulu, the positive screenings encouraged 20th Century Studios to give it a theatrical run. And, just maybe, that wasn’t the only thing weighing in Savage’s favor.
Stephen King Loved Rob Savage’s ‘The Boogeyman’
In an ultimate directorial win, King himself was apparently a fan of the movie. Not only did Savage receive updates from the screening room but King reportedly sent him a “lovely essay” following his viewing, as well as a personal note via email. What it said was a horror director’s dream: “Rob, I’m still thinking about your movie,” King wrote. And we may see another collaboration between the two creators in the future — Savage toldThe Hollywood Reporterthat King said he’d love to work with him on another project.
In the meantime, though,The Boogeymanisnow available to stream on Hulu. If it’s scary enough for King, it’s worth a watch, even if just for that reveal.
