El hombre del saco

The Boogeyman is a character known globally with different names and different interpretations depending on the geographic location. El Hombre Del Saco is a movie that focuses on the Spanish version of the Boogeyman with a different folklore. This movie uses the story that gave rise to the version of the Boogeyman that they have in Spain and it is about a real crime that was used as a source for the legend. The case of Francisco Ortega came to be known as El crimen de Gádor and is considered the official source of the legend of El Hombre Del Saco. This movie uses that and takes some of the basics of the Boogeyman. In part it does not do a bad job and it helps that the story takes place in Gádor where the myth supposedly originated. The movie has a good setting, the suspense is decent and there is a good score. This is a movie that on the surface looks good and could be a good movie. What limits it is that it emulates It and Stranger Things a lot. There are moments of comedy that shouldn't have been used or at least should have been done correctly. The teenage characters have what it takes to be good characters at the level of the protagonists of It and Stranger Things. They have some family problems that could have served to give them much more depth, but only half of them were developed. There are good dramatic moments, but they are not enough. The film should have just had Paula and Alicia better written. The lore of El Hombre Del Saco in this film consists mainly of guilt as a source of power. In most versions of the Boogeyman it is the fear of children that gives him power and that also imposes punishment on disobedient children. In this film they modify that by using the psychology of children who feel guilty about the way their parents judge them and that makes them feel like they are bad children. Something that El Hombre Del Saco takes advantage of to hunt his victims. This lore leaves a lot to be desired and felt like an excuse to replicate the final confrontation with Pennywise in It: Chapter 2. That makes there is little coherence in the last moments of the film. The narrative and style bear some resemblance to Guillermo Del Toro's style and that makes me think that this film would have been better directed by that director. Del Toro knows how to tell a dramatic story with monsters or fantasy elements and he should have directed this film. El Hombre Del Saco is only recommended as a curiosity for those who want to know a little about the Spanish version of the Boogeyman, but it doesn't have much to offer. It will probably be an enjoyable film for a younger audience because it seems to be made for them. My final rating for this film is 7/10.