Yellowjackets star's new horror movie gets rave first reactions
Stephen King's The Boogeyman is returning to cinemas with a new movie adaptation in just over a month, but people who attended CinemaCon 2023 were treated to an early screening.
And we do mean treated, as the social media reactions from those who got to see the film ahead of its general release have praised it as a simple yet effective horror with plenty of jump scares and a solid lead performance from Yellowjackets actress Sophie Thatcher.
Thatcher plays one of two sisters who are grieving following the death of their mother, but their therapist father fails to provide them with any affection or support. A patient desperate for help turns up at the family home, and the sisters unwittingly invite in a terrifying force that preys on their sorrow and makes their lives a nightmare.
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King adaptations have run the gamut from stone-cold classics to absolute stinkers, so let's delve a little deeper into these early reactions.
I can talk about The Boogeyman now! Easy recommendation for horror fans. Dark intro. It has big jump scares that kill with big sound and big crowd. It's very well shot and creepy as hell but I don't love some of the plot-forced conveniences. The cast is AMAZING. #CinemaCon pic.twitter.com/MW5wQFkrsZ
— Rob Keyes (@rob_keyes) April 26, 2023
Saw #TheBoogeyman at #CinemaCon today and it freaking rules. Beautifully shot, super creepy, & excellent lead performances by Sophie Thatcher & Lil Leia herself, Vivien Lyra Blair.
Most surprisingly though is the action! There's some amazing horror action in it. Out June 2. pic.twitter.com/v2Ec8NYlTW— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) April 26, 2023
Sophie Thatcher is incredible in #TheBoogeyman. She grounds the movie with her grief and fear.
The movie is a slow-burn sort of horror movie, but with plenty of big scares. It’ll definitely make you afraid of the dark.
Enjoyed this a lot. #CinemaCon pic.twitter.com/0SrX5ZvIQR— Daniel Howat (@howatdk) April 26, 2023
#TheBoogeyman is a weird one. The scares are good, creatively using light to keep you second guessing what’s in the shadows.
I just wasn’t sold on the journey. The individual performance are good but there are moments that side track the would-be emotional satisfaction. pic.twitter.com/NpjXXg2eWJ— joe aranda (@JoeySpielberg) April 27, 2023
The upcoming film adaptation of Stephen King’s The Boogeyman was absolutely terrifying! I got to watch it today at CinemaCon and it’s an all-around great and scary horror film! pic.twitter.com/8HHiRfTLRw
— ＪO ΞＹＰΛＵＲ (@JoeyPaur) April 26, 2023
I watched “The Boogeyman” at #CinemaCon & really enjoyed it! There’s a reason this film was bumped from streaming to theatrical & it deserves to be seen on the big screen. It’s beautifully shot, lit & well written. Sooo many great scares throughout all of it. Highly recommend!!! pic.twitter.com/DQpxvBCgND
— Matt Ramos (@therealsupes) April 26, 2023
#TheBoogeyman is an efficient effective horror movie. You may have a sense of deja vu of other horror movies but it manages to work due to good direction, sound & atmosphere. Last 20 minutes are sweaty palms edge of your seat thriller @CinemaCon #Disney100 pic.twitter.com/7pGNK65UUG
— Demetri Panos (@demetripanos) April 26, 2023
Just saw #TheBoogeyman at #CinemaCon which is based on the Stephen King short story. Like Smile, it was originally meant to be a streaming film, but it turned out so well Disney opted to put it in theaters. Could be a big hit. Sophie Thatcher from #Yellowjackets is great in it.
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) April 26, 2023
Since the social media embargo lifted on The Boogeyman film at CinemaCon, I can say that it's a slow-burn type of horror. There were a few jump scares and it reminds me of David F. Sandberg's Lights Out. My colleague, @inancytapia, fled the building after the first scare. So.....
— Gig Patta (@GigPatta) April 26, 2023
Got to see The Boogeyman at #CinemaCon2023, and I am a very happy Stephen King fan right now. Like the short story, it's a simple horror tale, but an effective and freaky one that delivers some great monster-centric scares. Definitely a "see it with a crowd" experience. pic.twitter.com/swUiGIr40I
— Eric Eisenberg (@eeisenberg) April 26, 2023
#TheBoogeyman: A totally sturdy, highly effective movie. Could be this year’s Smile. Doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it doesn’t need to. Sophie Thatcher has big Mary Elizabeth Winstead energy in this one, and it’s always nice to see Chris Messina.
— Ben Pearson (@benpears) April 26, 2023
Director Rob Savage recently revealed that the film was too scary when it was screened for test audiences, and had to be edited to give audiences a bit of room to recover and absorb the crucial plot info.
"The first time you see the creature, the audience screamed so loud, and then immediately started talking with their neighbours and chattering, that they completely missed the next lines," he explained.
"So we had to re-cut it and build in 45 seconds of padding, just so they didn’t miss any vital information."
Related: Stranger Things writers respond to Stephen King's season four complaint
One person who had a positive reaction was King himself, with Savage explaining that: "I was terrified that he was going to do a Shining on it and absolutely hate it. But apparently, he jumped on numerous occasions, and then sent this lovely, lovely message to everyone who worked on the movie."
The Boogeyman is set for release on June 2.
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