Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson , based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 14+
Monster movie has decent scares, sympathetic characters.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
-
Violence & Scariness
a lot
Monster attacks. Fighting monster, stabbing. Children in peril. Young girl knocked over, grabbed, and thrown against TV (she winds up in the hospital). Person is said to have died by suicide (hanging). Dead body. Character with rifle, shooting at monster. Adult grabs teen, slams her head against wall, zip-ties her hands to a beam. Person thrown against wall, leg injured. Some blood spatters. In a nightmare, a teen is knocked down by a door, and some kind of tendril tries to enter her mouth. Monster pins down teen, attempts to "suck her life essence." Teen has a coughing fit, pulls a long stringy thing from her mouth. Kids are grieving the loss of their mother. Pool of blood, which turns out to be spilled paint. Jump-scares. Scary noises. Bullying: A teen is shoved up against locker, her lunch smashed against her clothing. Vandalism. House on fire. Dialogue about the deaths of three children. Yanking out child's loose tooth with string/doorknob.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Get started
-
Language
some
One use of "f--k." Also "s--t," "goddamn," "bitch," "Jesus," "screw," "jerk," "popping your cherry," "fart."
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.
Get started
-
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
a little
Teens smoke pot. (Not glamorized.) Dialogue from dad: "I could smell weed on you."
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.
See AlsoThe Boogeyman: release date, plot, cast, trailer and all we knowThe Boogeyman movie review & film summary (2023) | Roger EbertThe Boogeyman Review: Sophie Thatcher Grounds An Unsettling Horror AdaptationThe Boogeyman (2023)Get started
-
Products & Purchases
very little
Sony video camera shown.
-
Positive Messages
some
The movie is about finding strength and courage to combat a difficult situation, but it's also about grief and the various ways people go through it.
-
Positive Role Models
a little
Sadie is presented in a pretty positive manner. While grieving the loss of her mother, she continues to be present for her younger sister (unlike her father, who responds by checking out) and takes it upon herself to research the monster's origins. On the other hand, she deals rather poorly with being bullied, and she succumbs to peer pressure.
-
Diverse Representations
a little
Teen girls Sadie and Sawyer (White actors Sophie Thatcher and Vivien Lyra Blair) are the main characters, and they drive the story. They see a Black female therapist (LisaGay Hamilton). Sadie has a diverse group of friends, although only Bethany (Madison Hu, of Chinese descent) is sympathetic. The other three friends present as White, Black, and Latina.
Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.
-
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Boogeyman is a horror movie based on Stephen King's classic short story about a darkness-lurking creature that preys on a family grieving the loss of a parent/partner. Violence includes children in peril, monster attacks (a child is thrown across a room), shotgun blasts, a teen's head getting slammed against a wall, a small blood spatter, a pool of blood (that turns out to be paint), a dead body (very brief), a death by suicide, jump-scares, scary noises, bullying, vandalism, a house on fire, and more. Teens smoke pot in one sequence, though it isn't glamorized. "F--k" is used once, "s--t" and "bitch" are used sporadically, and there are uses of "goddamn," "bitch," "Jesus," "screw," "jerk," "popping your cherry," and "fart." The movie's beats are a bit familiar, but director Rob Savage still manages a potent emotional core and some good scares. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
-
1:07
-
-
-
-
The Boogeyman
- Parents say (5)
- Kids say (12)
age 12+
Based on 5 parent reviews
John M. Parent of 12-year-old
June 8, 2024
age 10+
Not that Scary!
This movie is not scary... Well it has some factors to give you chills, but really the only thing that would be scary to the younger audience is the jump scares. Though if you have watched other scary movies they are predicted. Interesting plot but SUPER LONG. Every part of the movie feels like hours. But it is suspenseful and will keep you on the edge of your seat. The violence factor isn't a big part in it and I think the main plot is about this family. In the end it comes out with half a cliff hanger but it could really be interpreted either way. For parents the gore is 3-10, there is blood shown splattering and sounds of bones cracking and things but no literal graphic. Language wise there is constant S-words and one F Bomb at the appropriate time, but other than that its ok.In the end this is a very positive and emotional movie about a family who is mourning the loss of a family member while fighting this monster.
Katherine R. Parent of 10, 14, 18+, 18+, 18+ and 5-year-old
May 26, 2024
age 15+
Rate movie
See all 5 parent reviews
What's the Story?
In THE BOOGEYMAN, Will Harper (Chris Messina) finds himself caring for his two daughters -- teen Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) and younger Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair) -- after their mom dies in a car accident. Will, a therapist, continues his work but somehow can't deal with his own grief. Sadie encounters cruelty at school, and Sawyer develops an intense fear of the dark. Then Will has an unexpected visit from a strange man, Lester Billings (David Dastmalchian), who tells a harrowing story: His three children all died, and while Lester appears to be guilty, the real killer was a terrifying monster, captured in a drawing by one of the children. While Will is off discreetly calling the police, Lester hangs himself. Soon after, a monstrous presence -- which only lurks in the dark -- begins making itself known to the Harpers.
Is It Any Good?
Our review:
Parents say (5):
Kids say (12):
Unlike director Rob Savage's innovative earlier movies, this chiller hits a few too many familiar beats, but its attention to character and emotion -- and a few good scares -- make it worth watching. Based on a 1973 Stephen King short story that was published in his classic Night Shift collection (which also yielded many other movies, including Children of the Corn), The Boogeyman was adapted by A-list screenwriters Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place), working with Mark Heyman (Black Swan). They've fleshed out a scant story that had just two characters in one location, but they've also leaned on the typical three-act structure of many other ghost/monster movies. (By comparison, a similar monster tale was executed with far more ingenuity in Lights Out.)
But director Savage -- whose excellent Pandemic-era Host made clever use of the panels in a Zoom chat -- still finds ways to make it work. He dives in on the characters' grief, which smoothes over certain logic holes and explains certain behaviors. And he goes all out with some nifty, spooky touches, such as Sawyer kicking her light-up ball down dark hallways to check for monsters. (Blair, in particular, is excellent, bringing some of the same pluck she demonstrated as young Leia Organa in Obi-Wan Kenobi.) All in all, The Boogeyman should please most horror hounds.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Boogeyman's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of horror movies? Why do people sometimes like to be scared?
How is drug use depicted? Is it glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?
How does the movie depict grief? How are the three characters' grieving processes different? How are they similar?
Have you ever been afraid of the dark, like Sawyer? Why is the dark scary for many people?
Movie Details
- In theaters: June 2, 2023
- On DVD or streaming: August 29, 2023
- Cast: Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina, Vivien Lyra Blair
- Director: Rob Savage
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: 20th Century Studios
- Genre: Horror
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Run time: 98 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: terror, violent content, teen drug use and some strong language
- Last updated: August 5, 2024
Inclusion information powered by 
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
The Boogeyman
Suggest an Update
Your privacy is important to us. We won't share this comment without your permission. If you chose to provide an email address, it will only be used to contact you about your comment. See our privacy policy.
