Bagman: Espíritu Del Mal

Bagman is essentially the definition of a generic horror movie. Nearly everything it attempts has been done before, and audiences are tired of these tropes. An evil entity tries to lure a young child away from its parents, who are too clueless to take effective action against it. There are cheap thrills, weak jump scares, foolish characters, and a child who sounds eerily similar to Gage Creed from Pet Sematary (1989).

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect is the parents' irrational behavior. When your child seems to be in danger and there are multiple break-ins at your home, you would make sure to stay close to your child. However, these parents do a remarkable job of ignoring their kid or keeping a significant distance, allowing the entity to enter the house undisturbed. There's also the typical exposition dump and one of the most generic modern horror plots imaginable.

Honestly, though, I kind of liked the entity, and I think there was some potential to create a decent horror movie with it as the antagonist. Unfortunately, the film fails to stand out amidst all the subpar horror being released today, making it hard to imagine that many people will enjoy it. While there were a few moments I appreciated, overall, it's far from good. [5.2/10]

There is a supernatural being stealing kids and stuffing them in his bag. After a financial setback, Patrick McKee (Sam Claflin) has to go back to work at the family lumberyard. His wife Karina (Antonia Thomas) is supportive but concerned. He senses that someone is in the woods stalking their son Jake.

There are some interesting ideas here. The villain is pretty scary especially from a kid's point of view. There are also a lot of nits to pick. I mean they are in the lumber business. They could have put up a fence around the house. If they know that someone was on the roof outside their kid's room, they should probably nail shut that window. In fact, they should lock down all the windows and doors. I do like this horror villain but I don't think that he's going to gain much traction.

"Bagman" (2024) is a horror film that explores the terror of a family haunted by a malevolent entity. While it delivers some effective scares and a chilling atmosphere, the film ultimately falters due to predictable plot points and a lack of originality.

The movie effectively uses sound design, lighting, and a secluded setting to create a sense of dread and unease. The jump scares, though frequent, are well-timed and genuinely startling. The performances, particularly from leads Sam Claflin and Antonia Thomas, are commendable, conveying the characters' fear and vulnerability convincingly.

However, "Bagman" suffers from a reliance on familiar horror tropes. The plot follows a predictable pattern, with the family members making questionable decisions that escalate the danger. The antagonist, while visually unsettling, lacks a compelling backstory or motivation, reducing it to a generic force of evil.

Furthermore, the pacing feels uneven. Some scenes drag, while others feel rushed, disrupting the flow of the narrative. The film also fails to delve deeper into the psychological impact of the terror on the family, focusing primarily on the physical threats.

Despite its shortcomings, "Bagman" offers a decent dose of jump scares and a chilling atmosphere for horror enthusiasts. However, those seeking originality or a more nuanced exploration of fear may find it underwhelming.

I can understand the criticism, it's not the most original storyline ever, but I did find it to be actually somewhat refreshing. It's not one of those horrors where nobody believes the person, this happens to everyone and they do actually try to avoid it - police take it seriously, family gets on board to help, etc.

I think people are just so busy looking for the next "new" thing, the next unpredictable twist, but don't give any credit to an old fashioned story of lore. I enjoyed it, I didn't get bored and try something else, so I would say it's worth a shot. Plus, Sam Claflin is awesome and his acting is just as good as it always is.

Bagman has low ratings, but I usually don't let that stop me from watching something that seems interesting. Sometimes the movies are incredible, and sometimes they are worse than the ratings. Horror movies are not ever scary to me, but I enjoy the atmosphere and psychological parts of them. Bagman was not anything very original, but it was still a decent watch. I didn't find the movie hard to follow and I didn't see the parents as terrible like so many other reviewers have said.

I gave this a 6 rating and would have a 7 if not for the "ending" of the end of the movie. After how the movie turns out, and that was definitely different and I wasn't really expecting that, but it's after what happens that I felt was a little flat. I guess it ended how it should as not to be carried out to be a 3 hour movie, but I kind of wanted to see more. The climax was good though and I felt made it worth seeing the movie through. That's a good thing. Just when you think you know what's going to happen, because again, it wasn't anything with an original plot. That was a really good way to turn the movie into something different.

I say give it a go. It was a decent movie with a really good ending.