6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
High school student Sadie Harper and her younger sister Sawyer are reeling from the recent death of their mother and aren't getting much support from their father, Will, a therapist who is dealing with his own pain. When a desperate patient unexpectedly shows up at their home seeking help, he leaves behind a terrifying supernatural entity that preys on families and feeds on the suffering of its victims.
Starring: David Dastmalchian, Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina, Marin Ireland, Vivien Lyra BlairHorror | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Mystery | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
If I may be permitted a probably unexpected brief song parody, I would like to announce this film with a very slight rearrangement of a venerable Cole Porter lyric for a famous song from Kiss Me Kate:
Another openin' of closet doorsWhile I breathlessly await my residual check and/or cease and desist demand from the Porter Estate, let me clarify by stating it was just a couple of weeks ago when I mentioned in my Cobweb Blu-ray review how many films have opted to exploit the almost atavistic terror that a lot of kids in particular tend to experience when confronted by spooky things like slightly open closet doors (I reveal my own tangentially related childhood fear in that review, which had to do with a staircase without traditional risers). In this particular instance, the titular spook is not necessarily confined to closets, even if the film begins with just such a depiction, but the sense of "not being alone" in an old house that has already seen its fair share of tragedy suffuses this piece, which has the added imprimatur of having been based on a (very) short story by some guy named Stephen King or something like that.
Reveals a monster down on all fours.
The Boogeyman is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 20th Century Studios and Disney / Buena Vista with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. The making of featurette shows a few fleeting shots of what look like Arri cameras, and the IMDb offers a 4K DCP as its sole technical data point as of the writing of this review. This is a rather stylish affair whatever the limitations of the screenplay, and the film is especially notable for only offering the briefest of glimpses of its monster, and even then not for a good while into the story, allowing the angst to build courtesy of a lot of shadowy environments and really interesting framings that tend to understandably emphasize things like doorways (with the closet aspect, and all). As even a cursory glance at the screenshots I've uploaded to accompany this review may indicate, there are also any number of rather interesting grading and/or lighting choices throughout the film, so that some scenes can be bathed in everything from reds to blues to greens. Perhaps surprisingly, then, detail levels remain mostly consistent throughout the presentations, faltering only in some of the very darkest material, where it's hard to see any details, let alone fine detail levels.
The Boogeyman has an effective DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that may indulge in more than a few auditory clichés, including those aforementioned startle effects, but which provides a nicely immersive listening experience. The emphasis on unseen interlopers is nicely established with some "unexplained" sound effects that can emanate from the surround channels as Sadie approaches an almost absurd number of half open closet doors this story offers. The score often attains near cacophonous proportions in the most overwrought moments, but also establishes its presence throughout the side and rear channels. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English, French and Spanish subtitles are available.
There's absolutely no doubt that The Boogeyman is scary, but they're often scares you've probably experienced before in any number of other films. King completists may want to check this out, even if it has relatively little to do with King's original formulation. Technical merits are solid for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.
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