The Boogeyman - Origins

I use a horror template that always promises success, mix it with the hip coming-of-age elements and go full throttle on jump scares. How can I still make a mess of the whole thing? Ok, I don't want to exaggerate. How do I make a merely average film out of the good source material? I'm borrowing too much from the Stranger Things concept without making my own. The choice of children doesn't make much of a difference, there's a lack of charisma for the most part. The synthy sound is mediocre and doesn't match the ambitions that the film sells in its marketing. I realise somewhere in the middle of my journey that I don't actually want to make a real horror film after all. What do I want then, I don't know, because generally there's a lack of big ideas? And scary, let alone horror. But hey, the pacing is right and the film only takes 90 minutes to watch.

Unfortunately, the movie falls short in a few areas. It tries hard to mimic famous American horror films and even borrows elements from 'Stranger Things,' but it doesn't quite hit the mark. The characters and situations in the movie often feel less genuine and more like attempts to imitate rather than innovate.

One noticeable issue is the excessive use of jump scares accompanied by loud sounds. While jump scares can be effective, their overuse here feels a bit cheap and can leave viewers more startled than genuinely scared.

Additionally, the lack of clear explanations for certain events and phenomena in the film can leave viewers feeling somewhat perplexed. A good horror movie usually strikes a balance between revealing some answers while leaving a few mysteries unsolved. In this case, the absence of explanations can make it challenging for the audience to fully engage with the story.

On a positive note, the film does boast commendable production values and cinematic effects. The visual and technical aspects are well-executed, showcasing the talent of the production team.

In summary, while the movie has its merits in terms of production quality, it struggles to deliver a truly unique and captivating horror experience. The heavy reliance on familiar tropes and the lack of genuine scares might disappoint those looking for a more original and immersive cinematic journey.

Spanish mystery film with full of thrills, suspense, chiller , eerie intrigue, plot twists , dark atmosphere , and otherworldly happenings. After the death of their father, three brothers move with their mother to a small town. They soon discover that in recent months there have been mysterious disappearances of several children, and they will embark on an adventure against time to discover the truth hidden behind the terrifying legend of what is known as "The Boogeyman". El hombre del saco (2023) explores the Spanish origins of the character's story, where he is a tuberculosis patient from Almeria who will do anything to get well, even consuming the blood of the kids he kidnaps in a sack.

This gloomy terror film contains thrills, intrigue, adventures, chills, and it connects with a dark episode in our history and the style of addressing young audiences. This is an entertaining and fun family film proposal, although it seems prudent to reserve it for somewhat older children, since its effect may be excessive grim on the little ones. Resulting to be a misunderstood adaptation of Stephen King stories with shortcomings and fallures. There is a somewhat uneven mix of genres, so I have been able to detect that it takes parts from other films and styles, swallowing North American references with the children riding their bicycles and while investigating the origins of the monster, of which I would include the following: "Stranger Things", ¨Goonies¨, ¨Stand by me¨, ¨Super 8¨ and even adding the Spanish ¨Verano Azul¨. This is an amusing mess, the goal was to pay homage to horror and adventure movies of the '70s and 80s. Thus the film will not please the general public at all, that's why it is too terrifying for children and has too much protagonism of childish people which will not please the most adults. The result is not entirely satisfactory: it is much less scary than expected. There's a few familiar faces in the cast , such as: Macarena Gómez, Manolo Solo , Ruth Gabriel y the prodigy girl Luna Fulgencio . And special apperance from Javier Botet. The latter often plays supernatural villains as ghosts, monsters, witches, demons, etc. At a special effects workshop , the tutor suggested him that his height and long arms and fingers would be perfect for monster make-up . Javier Botet has a genetic disorder known as Marfan Syndrome, plays an important role in helping the body grow and develop properly, he is very tall and thin and he is reportedly 6 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 123 pounds , that's why he uses to play weird and fantastic secondary roles , such as : Slender Man, Insidious , Alien: Covenant , The conjuring 2 , Rec 1, Rec 2 , Rec 3 Génesis, Rec 4 Apocalypse, The Crucifixion , The mummy, The Invisible Guardian, among others.

Adding a dark and sinister cinematography by Javier Salmones, he's a cameraman expert on dark atmosphere, such as: ¨La posesión de Emma Evans¨, ¨Christmas Tale¨, ¨Blind Alley¨, ¨Rottweiler¨, or ¨Romasanta¨. The motion picture was unevenly directed by Ángel Gómez Hernández, although with not much originality because we have already seen many terrifying situations in other films . His fim debut was 'Voces', he previously made Shorts: ¨Y la muerte lo seguia¨, ¨El perdón¨, ¨Behind¨, ¨Cariño¨, ¨Silent Weeeping¨ , ¨Sed de luz¨ , ¨Lagrimas de papel¨, and he also directed another much better horror film: ¨Voces¨ (2020). ¨El hombre del saco¨ (2023) rating : 5,5/10. Acceptable horror movie. It is a passable but wasted revision of the legend of the child abductor. And the result is too complicated for children, and a little disturbing and strange too.

The term "Boogeyman" has been widely appropriated to intimidate children into behaving well, fearing the threat of an unknown who will take them away if they don't oblige. Origins features the myth deriving from the Almería (Spain) region, and it's nice to see a local interpretation of the figure.

With children being abducted in regular time patterns, some of the plot points seem quite familiar. In fact, the movie tends to lean heavily on popular influences such as Stranger Things, IT, and Jeepers Creepers. This is a shame because El hombre del saco should have been bathed in Spanish folklore rather than American influences, so it's a bit of missed opportunity.

Origins is however a cut above many straight to VOD horror features, as there are some genuinely creepy scenes and visuals. The production values and effects are also done well enough to provide a creepy atmosphere.

Overall, Origins is a decent entry into the "Boogeyman universe". Plus if you're a Stranger Things fan, you'll probably enjoy this as well.

No pun intended - the movie is supposed to give us a new legacy ... a new ... well for lack of a better word (and the English title suggests as much anyway) ... boogeyman! Yes that is what it is called in Germany (and I reckon the same is true for the English/international release of the movie too).

The beginning is quite strong - even if we didn't know we are watching a horror movie, even if the movie did not already told us that it is a horror movie ... the setting, the way an "old man" is talking to a kid ... we know what we are going to get. And as the horror movie cliche goes ... we get that early shocker ... usually that is done and then you get some slower storytelling and all that ... here you get a second shocker thrown in for good measure ... whatever you make of it.

It is decent enough I reckon, the story flows fine too ... if you like horror ... well you could watch worse. Effects are ok too.