Kids often feel afraid of monsters under the bed or in the closet, and for many children, the Boogeyman is a scary creature who just might be lurking in the darkness. There are Boogeyman myths from several places, from a black spirit in Italy to a demon hiding in chimneys in Scotland. While Eric Kripke is known for creating the huge hit TV show Supernatural, he also wrote a 2005 horror movie called Boogeyman starring Barry Watson as a man named Tim Jensen who saw the creature murder his dad.
While this film isn't discussed very often, it does many things right, from delving deeper into this legendary creature to telling the story of a main character who is dealing with his past in order to move onto the future. There are many reasons why Boogeyman deserves a second look, even if it's not often counted among people's favorite horror movies.
Supernatural was on the air for a long time and there are many people who absolutely loved watching all 15 seasons of the TV drama. Besides working on the series, Eric Kripke wrote two 1997 movies called The Battle of the Sexes and Truly Committed and 2018's The House with a Clock in Its Walls, and he also penned the 2005 movie Boogeyman. The movie isn't talked about much and definitely wasn't loved by critics, but there are some parts that can be appreciated.
While everyone remembers at least hearing about The Boogeyman when they were little, whether or not they were personally terrified of them, this film does a great job expanding on this myth and imagining what could really happen if it was real. Tim has a lot of quirks that prove that he has always been scared that the monster will stalk him and hurt him this time: he uses a dresser, got rid of his house's closets, and uses a mattress instead of an actual bed. These details might seem small but they ultimately show how much of an effect this monster has had on his life. While some horror movies have dull monsters, Boogeyman does make audiences think that this creature is totally real and could come for Tim at any moment.
The movie's main setting of Tim's childhood home creates some tension and scares, even if those familiar with the horror genre might not jump off the couch or be all that terrified. Since the house that Tim grew up in is a Victorian, it immediately has the pretty yet creepy vibe that is necessary for this kind of story. There are several haunted house horror films that focus on spirits hiding in the walls, and it's cool to see a movie that focuses on a monster that everyone remembers from their childhood. The other characters besides Tim aren't fleshed out much. There's Jessica (Tory Mussett), who is Tim's girlfriend, and Kate (Zooey Deschanel), who Tim was friends with when they were growing up. But since it's fun to see how the movie takes on the famous Boogeyman figure, that doesn't matter as much and the movie is still enjoyable. It's also fun to see a haunted house type of movie that doesn't have anything to do with ghosts, which is the typical threat for the genre.
People carry around a lot of memories and fears from when they were little into adulthood, and Boogeyman does a smart job of showing how Tim has awful visions of what happened to his dad. While his mom said that this couldn't have possibly happened, Tim knew that he was right, and as soon as Tim comes back to his house, the Boogeyman is there and comes after him. In most cases, what people are afraid of and what they worry about turns out to be nothing and they slowly learn how to find more peace. In Tim's world, that's not possible as there really is a monster ready to kill him. The movie exaggerates this idea of having a fear from childhood and makes it a real threat.
Boogeyman's ending is dark as Tim believes that he has won against the monster and that everything will be fine now. He realizes that the monster takes toys and then can be visible to kids and adults, which is unique and interesting. But audiences see the Boogeyman hurting a little girl and now know that nothing can ever stop it. Even though this proves that Tim failed in his mission, it's still a great ending since it's much scarier to realize that the Boogeyman is so powerful that they can't lose. Since the scary story of this monster who looms large in childhood will never go away, the ending feels totally fitting. Even if Boogeyman isn't the most well-done horror movie, there's still some cool moments and a main character taking on a meaningful mission.