Bagman: Espíritu Del Mal

So after seeing this one earlier today, I thought I would give it a quick review.

Now I agree with some of the reviews such as these days people are rating gore covered horror movies with high ratings, so they realise that gore filled horror movies are not scary, why? Because they swap the scary for the gore.

This is another side of the same coin, here me out for a second.

This film was enjoyable but not scary one bit, this movie while nothing wrong with it, it became a straight by the book, seen this before non scary horror.

See what I mean when I said, two sides of the same coin. Gore filled horror movies are not scary because of the gore and by the book horror movies are not scary either but both are and can be enjoyable.

Watch this film, enjoy it for what it is and don't hope for anything special.

This is just like all the other films with the same boogeyman premise. This "Pied Piper" uses a bag. That is pretty much all.

And because of the narrative skipping around the way it does, this is not only boring - it gets really confusing. So they couldn't even copy the formula in a productive way.

The effects are kinda meh. I guess there was music too. But it was probably some cliched horror music library of tiresomeness.

Oh and that dreadfully atrocious, terribly deplorable, shamefully abysmal, horrendously annoying, abominably appalling, stratospherically ear-piercing wooden deal that the kid treasures. Yeah, no.

This movie just wasn't my bag, man.

"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.

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 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]