‘Beware The Boogeyman’ (2024) Gives You New Reasons To Be Afraid Of The Dark
We have all had an experience with a certain scary creature. They lurk near us or in the corner of our eyes, and no one can deny they haven’t experienced something like this legend or a sleepless night because of the stories that have been passed on for years. The particular provider of scares I am talking about is The Boogeyman! A shadowy and elusively terrifying figure rooted in folklore, has long been a subject of some horror movies, captivating their audiences with a primal fear of the unknown. This creepy and malevolent entity, often depicted as an embodiment of childhood nightmares, exploits the deep-seated and horror-driven anxieties within us. Its influence in horror films lies in its ability to tap into subconscious fears we have all experienced, manifesting as a shape-shifting, amorphous threat that lurks in the dark shadows under our beds or closets. Whether a tangible creature or a psychological menace, the Boogeyman serves as a symbol of terror, heightening the suspense and impact in the realm of horror cinema.
‘Beware The Boogeyman’ from Breaking Glass Pictures is the newest provider of sleepless nights here at Macabre Daily. This movie stars Elissa Dowling, Chynna Rae Shurts, Nicolette Pullen, Jax Kellington, Khail Duggan, Airisa Durand, Steve Larkin, James Luster, and Calvin Morie McCarthy. The movie is directed by Calvin Morie McCarthy and Tim Coyle. It is also written by Tim Coyle, Josh Dietrich, Kai Pacifico Eng, Calvin Morie McCarthy, and Chynna Rae Shurts. The synopsis of the movie is as follows:
“As Dr. MacKenzie delves deeper into the unsettling files, she unravels a web of intrigue and horror that challenges her understanding of reality. With each revelation, the line between sanity and madness blurs, leading to a heart-stopping climax that will leave audiences on the edge of their seats.”
The first thing that can be said about this movie is that the stories are really the best and biggest foundation of this movie. It plays as an anthology series as we learn about why each patient is in the asylum, due to their connected fear and psychosis of The Boogeyman. The setup for this is really great as Dr. Tristan Makenzie (portrayed by Elissa Dowling) is being interviewed by Dr. Gabby Moon (portrayed by Airisa Durand) for a mental health facility’s new psychiatrist. This story is truly staged very well as each of the character’s stories is introduced as an overview of their files of why they are there for psychiatric care.
The first story revolves around a patient named Cathy McGowin (portrayed by Chynna Rae Shurts) and how she would lure her victims to her home. This is really a great start to these stories about the horror that the Boogeyman can bring. It seems like a black widow situation but there is a great way this story unfolds in a very unexpected way. It comes off as something you would think is one way, but the execution of how she deals with the Boogeyman as opposed to dealing with the fear he has been bringing her since she was a child is greatly played by Chynna Rae Shurts, as she has an exquisite way of playing her characters greatly in any horror movie she is in.
The second story focuses on a patient named Olivia (portrayed by Nicolette Pullen). Her character is living alone and continuously convincing herself that the things she is experiencing and seeing in her paintings are all in her head, as she silently chants to herself she isn’t crazy. This one is one of the spookiest stories of the movie, as it not only focuses on the Boogeyman coming for her but also focuses on the terror that some women feel when living alone. Nicolette Pullen plays this character beautifully as her stages of slightly scared, terrified, and pure terror are flawlessly escalated in a way that doesn’t take away from the focus of the terror she will experience. It is a part of the story that plays on a lot of fears some of us even feel when we are home alone or every night if we live alone. It will definitely add some chills down your spine as you watch this story.
The third story focuses on a patient named Tommy (portrayed by Khail Duggan) who has killed someone and is being helped by his brother Ethan (portrayed by James Luster) to get rid of the body. There is a lot of great bonding between both brothers in this movie but Tommy has his paranoia grow as he starts to be stalked by the Boogeyman and forced to choose towards evening in things out with the life he took with the murder he committed. There are a lot of smoothly transitioned scenes of madness that Khail Duggan shows with worrying about getting caught, hearing voices through a busted TV and ultimately getting a visit from the vengeful Boogeyman. The build-up between start to finish with this story really keeps you on the edge of your seat as you watch it unfold and a lot of that has to do not only with the story, but the back-and-forth acting between both Khail and James. You really feel the brotherly love and protection of Ethan as he wants what is best for his brother.
The fourth story focuses on a patient named John Conroy (portrayed by Steve Larkin) as he gets caught up in trying to prove the Boogeyman exists with his paranormal videos and vengeance for the death of his wife from the Boogeyman. He puts out a Craigslist ad for an assistant and gets the quick-witted skeptic Rose (portrayed by Jax Kellington) in hopes he can get the proof he needs. Both John and Jax play off each other very well as John comes off as the straight-laced man with a plan, while Jax focuses on her comedic delivery of how this clearly is a waste of time. It not only is very enjoyable to watch these two together in this story on screen, but it is even more enjoyable when the laughs turn to screams as the Boogeyman makes his appearance. It keeps you wanting more and is so good the portion of this story goes by so fast, proving it is a very enjoyable experience.
The fifth and final story focuses on a patient named Shawn Kendall (portrayed by Calvin Morie McCarthy), a former drug addict who can’t stay on track with his sobriety while living with his mother Rosalie (portrayed by Marcella Laasch). Calvin plays the skittish and angry character so well that you would think that this was more of a documentary than a part of a movie. This is of course credited to the many talents that Calvin has not only on screen in this, as well as other movies, but his talents behind the scenes as well. This story escalates quite quickly as Shawn’s fear quickly turns into an angry rage of gunfire trying to get rid of the Boogeyman. It is a fantastic way to wrap up the stories that are being told in this movie in a way that perfectly puts all of what we have witnessed into perspective of the effect the Boogeyman has had on all of these characters.
This movie has a great twist at the end that just adds even more reason why this movie is an impactful and stellar new horror movie that many will enjoy. It gives off the feel of ‘Nightmare on Elm St 3: The Dream Warriors’ as we see all these characters be affected by the same evil, but gives a great insight as to what it would be like to see what brought the “Dream Warriors” together in the mental health facility they all start the movie in. The anthology aspect of this movie holds up with some of the greats like ‘Creepshow’, ‘V/H/S’, and more, while using its unique storytelling, filming style, and the eerie presence of the Boogeyman. Each one of these stories is so well written and leaves you glued to the screen, not wanting to miss a moment of these patient’s stories.
‘Beware the Boogeyman’ from Breaking Glass Pictures is now available for digital release. Be sure to check out this amazing new horror movie for yourself and experience the fear of the Boogeyman for yourself. For more horror movie reviews and horror news, stay tuned to Macabre Daily for our up-to-date coverage of all things spooky.
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