Beware the Boogeyman (2024) Poster

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2/10
Predictable and Amateurish
fatfil-414-45179710 March 2024
I don't really know why I was expecting anything from this movie. I watched it mostly just because I love supernatural/paranormal themed horror films.

It is clearly trying to cash in on the success of the recent Stephen King movie, Boogeyman, but fails badly.

The set up is that a doctor goes to a psychiatric establishment, hoping to secure a position on the staff. During her meeting with one of the resident doctors, she discovers the centre has some patients, all with the same delusion, they are afraid of the Boogeyman. She proceeds to read through their case histories, and so the movie unfolds into a series of backstories, showing how each patient came to be there.

The acting is pretty average at best, and all the stories are predictable and unoriginal. And as for the "twist" ending, I had two in mind, and this was one of them. As for the titular Boogeyman, I've seen better Halloween costumes made by an eight year old.
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1/10
poor man's Asylum
thomas-40823 March 2024
Warning: Spoilers
This horror anthology rips off the premise of the Amicus classic, Asylum (1972). A new psychiatric employee at an asylum is given the files of five patients, to see if she can find a common thread to their delusions. A sort of test to see if she's a good fit for the asylum.

The cast is mostly drab and talentless, especially dreadful lead actress, Elissa Dowling, though Nicolette Pullen comes close behind as second worst.

The writing is banal, and lacking in originality or creativity. In the first tale, a woman picks up a man, invites him to her bedroom, then locks the door. Whereupon the boogeyman emerges from the closet and kills the man.

Ho-hum.

The old 1980s TV show, Tales from the Darkside, had several similar stories, but with more originality and talent.

Like so many horror films these day, this film tosses in some Argento style colored lights. The makeup for the boogeyman is also decent. But the stories are dull, the cast unappealing.

There are also some sloppy errors. While still sane, Pullen's character has short blond hair with dark roots. Much later at the asylum, sitting in a straight jacket, she has the same hair.

The problem is that after having spent time at the asylum, her hair should have grown out and be all dark. It's doubtful that asylum beauticians would provide meticulous hair care for a straight jacketed loony.

It's a small thing, but it's the sort of thing that filmmakers striving for perfection should look out for. Obviously, no one strived for perfection in this dull film.
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1/10
Did They Work For Free?
arfdawg-114 March 2024
IMDB sez this was made for $35K. So did everyone work for a piece of the profits? Which there clearly were none.

The movie starts with an extremely homely goth woman who has a hotter than Hell body (butter-face anyone?) coming to some sort of mental institution. It reminded me of the start of Don't Look in the Basement.

The acting is horrible. And you have to put up with it for nearly TWO hours. What were they thinking? Horror movies need to be short because you get bored after a while at the repetition.

The boredom for this movie starts about 8 minutes in when it's totally clear that the script is completely moronic. Coupled with the horrible acting, you get the perfect storm. I found it very hard to watch it was so bad.
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8/10
A rather fun anthology that has a lot to like
kannibalcorpsegrinder8 April 2024
Arriving at a remote psychiatric hospital, a new resident doctor tries to learn more about her patients who share a specific delusion about the same supernatural entity.

The Good Stor(ies): Case File 1-After bringing a date home to her remote house, a woman preps a clueless partner for an encounter with the boogeyman haunting the home. This was a fairly solid way to get things going. The fact that it tends to revolve around her actions hinting that something far darker than a hookup is the main intent gives this a solid bit of suspense as his clueless actions hint that it is just as much as the off-kilter colored lighting signaling the creatures' presence in the house. The resolution is expected but no less fun based on the setup provided, especially with the various backstories for each character used to give everything a bit more context, meaning this was a solid way to start the anthology.

Case File 2-Trying to get over her personal issues, a woman on a new medication regimen begins to suspect that a supernatural being might be stalking her. This was a solid enough segment even if it does suffer from a few flaws. The solid setup and series of interactions that she has with the painting she's working on in the house make for a fine time as the ever-changing images conform nicely with her burgeoning unraveled mental state. The lone attack is well handled but being one of the shortest segments doesn't leave this with a lot of time to go in-depth on anything, especially her history with the figure or why it's after her as the only interaction is the lone attack. Beyond this, though, there's still some fun enough stuff here.

Case File 4-Headed out to a remote house, a woman joins a strange man trying to capture evidence of the Boogeyman haunting the house to prove it exists. This was a pretty fun enough segment that has a lot to like. The early setup with the mismatched couple trying to drive out to the countryside to find the specific house, get their equipment sorted out, and get everything going is a fine touch here, especially the atmosphere within the house which looks suitably haunted which is a factor that comes into play the more they stay there filming. Most of these scenes are quite chilling despite the comedy of her interactions and quips about being there, and with the same theatrics present for the creature adds quite a lot to this one overall even if this does become quite predictable.

Case File 5-Trying to stay clean in life, a troubled young man with a drug problem finds his mother's warnings about the Boogeyman coming to get him might be true. Overall, this wasn't a bad way to end this one on. The series of interactions here give an idea of his history and trouble with his drug problem and the various interactions with his mother to get over that create a fantastic way to get things going that turn into some genuinely chilling encounters once the creature arrives to fulfill its promise as the action around the house is quite fun. That helps to cover the goofiness of the creature's look as this is the most obviously silly and low budget in the anthology and ends this on a positive note.

Beware the Boogeyman-Arriving at a remote psychiatric hospital, a new resident doctor tries to learn more about her patients who share a specific delusion about the same supernatural entity. On the whole, this is a rather fun setup that provides what it needs to in this type of story. As a means of working in a plausible method for the various stories, this comes off great as looking into the history of each individual who encountered it is a fine touch and the banter between looking at the next individual creates a fine way of moving things along as more pieces fall into place. Despite this being a wholly familiar setup that a classic anthology of the past utilized as well, which does make for a slightly familiar role, this still has a lot to like.

The Bad Stor(ies): Case File 3-Helping a family member with a special task, a young man waiting around a remote house in the countryside with him finds a supernatural being stalking him. This was a generally problematic entry without much going for it. The excess length isn't used to much good as it's more about the kids' unraveling psychosis being out in the wilderness with the shady antics trying to hint that the being is following them but to no avail. It's all pretty dull and not that exciting or scary until the lone scene of the creature attacking since that's the only part that's worthwhile, and in general, this one just meanders on way too long without doing anything to overcome that making for a segment that could've been trimmed down to come off much better.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language, Violence, Brief Nudity, and mild drug use.
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10/10
Very good indie horror movie!
NikkiFEM15 March 2024
In "Beware of the Boogeyman," Alisa Dowling's performance shines brightly, illuminating the screen with her remarkable talent and magnetic presence. With each nuanced expression and emotive gesture, Dowling captivates audiences, effortlessly drawing them into the story. Her portrayal adds depth and authenticity to the film, making her a standout in a cast of stellar performances. Beware of the Boogeyman" delivers a thrilling ride into the depths of childhood fears. Seamlessly blending suspense with heart, the film crafts a captivating narrative that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats until the very end. A must-watch for horror enthusiasts craving a fresh take on the classic boogeyman tale.
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