--- title: "The Boogeyman: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-boogeyman/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-boogeyman" critics_score: 57 critics_reviews: 17 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Boogeyman (2023): what the critics said Critics' score 57 from 17 reviews: 7 positive, 6 mixed, 4 negative. The reviews split widely on The Boogeyman, from warm to hostile, and settle in the middle. Most critics agree on where the craft is: Rob Savage’s use of light and shadow, with every lamp and glowing screen made a source of fear, and Sophie Thatcher’s lead performance, which several single out as the thing that sells the monster. The jump scares are generally judged effective, at least early on. The reservations cluster around the script. Many find the grief-and-trauma framing rote and the story thin, borrowed from a current horror fashion rather than earned, and a recurring complaint is that the film loses its nerve once the creature is shown too clearly in the final act. The negative reviews go further: RogerEbert.com calls it emotionally numbing, The New York Times finds the plotting coy and illogical, and Slant judges that mood has been put ahead of substance. The kinder notices, Empire and /Film among them, see a sturdy, traditional ghost story. ## Empire — Kim Newman Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 25 May 2023. The critic praises Savage for delivering an involving, ungimmicky ghost story with perfectly constructed menace and mayhem that wrings scares from a basic premise. It shows the director can handle traditional horror effectively while focusing on how kids react to tragedy. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-boogeyman/) ## The AV Club — Leigh Monson Rating B. 26 May 2023. The critic praises the effective use of light, shadow, and perspective to create genuine scares and tension in the monster-in-the-closet thriller, while noting the film could be tighter and loses impact when the creature is overexposed. The taunting playfulness of the monster and strong horror execution are highlighted positively. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-boogeyman-film-review-2023-stephen-king-1850468225) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 June 2023. The critic finds the film well-constructed and well-acted with decent scares and twists that elevate it above most generic horror. It is ultimately conventional but comfortably so, delivering a few frights in a mainstream Stephen King adaptation. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/culture/the-boogeyman-review-movie-b2348902.html) ## Variety — Todd Gilchrist Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 26 May 2023. This effectively scary but not especially memorable Stephen King adaptation succeeds through style and Sophie Thatcher's bold lead performance amid tropes of trauma and a creature feature. The critic singles out Thatcher's clear-eyed portrayal as selling the reality of the monster while noting the effect doesn't linger. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/boogeyman-review-sophie-thatcher-stephen-king-1235624599/) ## Little White Lies — Anton Bitel Rating 3/3/4. 30 May 2023. Savage abandons his earlier screen-life experimentation for conventional mainstream studio horror but taps effectively into the household’s uncanny interiors. The film is deftly done, with child-focused stakes that are never less than alarming and an ambiguous, closeted ending that rings true. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-boogeyman) ## Radio Times — Jeremy Aspinall Rating 3/5. This is watchable, well-edited horror with effective jump-scares from director Rob Savage, who keeps the creature in the dark until the incendiary climax. The biggest puzzle is why no one has a torch to deter a being that thrives in the shadows. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-t8hbq1/the-boogeyman/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 30 May 2023. The critic views the film as a deftly made but derivative Stephen King adaptation that fits too neatly into current horror trends of grief and trauma. Savage's visual verve and atmospheric skill are praised, while the rote script and lack of originality are singled out for complaint. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/may/30/the-boogeyman-movie-review-stephen-king) ## Total Film — Kevin Harley Rating 3/5. 25 May 2023. The critic notes solid casting and efficient jump scares but criticizes thin plotting, clichéd elements, and a murky, ill-plotted script that softens the source material. It works fitfully until the monster is shown too much, devolving into something blunter. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-boogeyman-review/) ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 2 June 2023. The critic finds the film's extreme quiet and darkness an effective but ultimately undermined metaphor for grief, praising the stylistic rigor while complaining that generic, underdeveloped characters and a hollow script leave the bleakness feeling empty rather than resonant. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-the-boogeyman-based-on-a-stephen-king-story.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Robert Abele Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 1 June 2023. The film is a neatly packaged, PG-13 horror-by-numbers entry relying on shock mechanics, CGI, and simplistic psychology rather than genuine dread or terror. The critic singles out the expansion of the source material as shutting down what could have been truly scary. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-06-01/review-boogeyman-horror-stephen-king-sophie-thatcher-chris-messina) ## RogerEbert.com — Nick Allen Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 2 June 2023. The film is an emotionally numbing and formulaic PG-13 horror entry that fails to deliver scares or emotional depth despite its focus on grief. The critic singles out Sophie Thatcher's performance as the one strong element holding attention amid dated jump scares and a dour tone. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-boogeyman-movie-review-2023) ## The New York Times — Jeannette Catsoulis Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 1 June 2023. This frustratingly coy horror movie about a bereaved family plagued by a supernatural killer is murky in plot and payoff, demanding total suspension of rationality. The critic complains about the stingy details on the monster and illogical elements that undermine the few scary moments. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/01/movies/the-boogeyman-review.html) ## Slant Magazine — Derek Smith Rating 1/4. 25 May 2023. The critic acknowledges visual ingenuity in the use of light sources for scares but faults the threadbare story, generic trauma narrative, and prioritization of mood over substance or depth. A few evocative sequences provide chills amid the familiarity. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-boogeyman-review-rob-savage/) ## IndieWire — Kate Erbland 25 May 2023. The review criticizes the adaptation for turning King's story into a blunt jump-scare creature feature that lacks subtlety. The screenwriters' approach and the monster's presentation are highlighted as major flaws. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-boogeyman-film-review-stephen-king-1234866120/) ## Screen Daily 31 May 2023. Savage brings an innate humanness and playful spirit that lifts this otherwise-rote monster movie, with inventive visuals, excellent performances including from Sophie Thatcher, and crowd-pleasing scares. It is most compelling in its deeply human moments exploring family grief and guilt. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-boogeyman-review/5182706.article) ## Sight and Sound 2 June 2023. Savage applies resourceful old-school craft and trend-surfing savvy to familiar Stephen King material, preventing it from falling flat. Every light source becomes a locus of fear in set pieces that are small marvels of sustained tension, with Sophie Thatcher delivering a focused, melancholy performance. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/boogeyman-horror-begins-home-this-surprisingly-effective-stephen-king-adaptation) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Frank Scheck 25 May 2023. The critic calls it a minor but effectively nerve-jangling Stephen King adaptation that builds tension through slow-burn atmospherics and well-timed jump scares before becoming a rote creature feature in the final act. Strong performances and visual style are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-boogeyman-review-stephen-king-1235495637/) ## /Film — Ben Pearson Rating 8/10. 25 May 2023. The critic calls it a solid, sturdy Stephen King adaptation that expands the short story while keeping a personal feel, with effective suspense and strong performances, especially from Sophie Thatcher. They praise the director's use of light and shadows to build tension but note it is not the scariest film of the year. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1270038/the-boogeyman-review/) ## Polygon — Matt Patches Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 30 May 2023. The adaptation effectively blends personal grief with supernatural scares and cosmic horror elements, delivering classically tailored tension centered on the Harper family. Sophie Thatcher's performance stands out as a highlight in an otherwise straightforward but engaging Stephen King story. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/23739161/boogeyman-review-stephen-king-dark-tower/) ## Collider — Chase Hutchinson Rating B-. 25 May 2023. The film starts with strong creeping dread and effective use of darkness and sound but grows more conventional and less unsettling as it expands into a mainstream creature feature. It praises the early atmosphere and some performances while criticizing the shift toward spectacle and exposition. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-boogeyman-review/) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 1 June 2023. The film is a competent but by-the-numbers haunted house adaptation that delivers jump scares for younger viewers while playing it safe and feeling predictable for adults. It singles out the strong performances, particularly from the young leads, for praise amid otherwise familiar genre tropes. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-boogeyman-review/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond 31 May 2023. The critic finds the expansion of King's short story into a grief-focused psychological horror effective overall, with strong performances and atmosphere. They single out the dark lighting and late special effects as the weakest elements, preferring more ambiguity. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2023/05/the-boogeyman-review-stephen-kings-classic-short-story-full-length-movie-1235383794/) ## The Wrap 25 May 2023. The critic views the film as a stale translation that only briefly captures the source material's terror before becoming a generic monster-in-the-dark thriller. They single out the mismatch between the grief metaphor and the jump-scare execution as the core problem. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/the-boogeyman-review-stephen-king/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-boogeyman.md