The legendary master of horror Stephen King has had yet another one of his classic tales retold with The Boogeyman. Directed by Host filmmaker Rob Savage and based on King’s short story of the same name, this terrifying story follows a young girl named Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair) as she is tormented by a malicious monster known only as “The Boogeyman.” What first sounds like a simple case of a child being afraid of the dark to Sawyer’s sister Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) and father Will (Chris Messina) turns out to be anything but, as this children’s tale turns out to be very real and very dangerous.
Stephen King adaptations are infamous for their variations in quality. For every masterpiece like The Shining, Misery, and The Shawshank Redemption, there’s an adaption less than stellar like Sleepwalkers, Maximum Overdrive, and Cell. In the case of The Boogeyman, it thankfully looks like one of the better cases of a Stephen King adaptation. Following its premiere at CinemaCon 2023, reactions to The Boogeyman were generally quite positive, with Collider’s own Chase Hutchinson describing the film as a “frequently petrifying” adaptation. The movie has also made a fairly good amount of money at the box office and has been hailed by many as one of the best horror movies of the year. All that’s left now is for you to watch it…
With a strong start through decent reviews, The Boogeyman is bound to attract dedicated members of the horror film community. To learn more about how you can see Stephen King’s nightmare come to life, here is exactly where and how you can watch The Boogeyman.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated on September 3.
The Boogeyman (2023)
- Release Date
- 2023-06-02
- Director
- Rob Savage
- Cast
- Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina, David Dastmalchian, Vivien Lyra Blair
- Rating
- PG-13
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Genres
- Horror
Is The Boogeyman Available On-Demand?
Yes, as of August 29, The Boogeyman is now available to purchase On-Demand. You can check out the links below to find the film on the platform of your choice.
What Streaming Service Will The Boogeyman Be On?
Given that the horror film is a 20th Century Studios production and monsters eating children isn’t exactly “Happiest Place on Earth” material, The Boogeyman will likely be making its streaming home on Hulu rather than Disney+ (at least, for now).
Before we get into the various pricing plans for Hulu, we should also mention that The Walt Disney Company is confirmed to be planning a merge between Disney+ and Hulu, effectively putting all the massive media conglomerate’s content under one roof by the end of the year 2023. No specific date for this merger has been given yet, but the company has already begun purging their least profitable content to prepare for the transition. With that information in mind, the following subscription options for Hulu may not be valid for long, so be sure to be cognizant of that before signing up. As of now, Hulu has two subscription plans: an ad-supported and ad-free plan. The ad-supported option offers most of Hulu’s streaming library with limited ads for $7.99 USD per month or $79.99 USD per year. The ad-free option removes most ads for a higher price of $14.99 USD per month. There are also the Disney Bundle options, including Disney+ and/or ESPN+ in addition to Hulu, but these will likely be reworked or removed entirely in the coming months with the upcoming merger.
When Was the Release Date of The Boogeyman?
The Boogeyman officially began terrifying audiences everywhere starting on Friday, June 2, 2023. Some theaters also released the film as early as May 31, 2023. Any parents eager to take their kids to go see Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse that same weekend would definitely have had to make sure they were walking into the proper theater, so they don’t accidentally scar their children for life with the titular monster.
Is The Boogeyman in Theaters?
While the film did have a theater-exclusive release when it premiered, it doesn’t seem to be playing in movie theaters anymore. However, there are other options for you to watch The Boogeyman and you should check with your local theater, just in case they still have some screenings.
Is The Boogeyman Coming Out on Digital and DVD?
The Boogeyman will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on October 10. Here’s a link you can use to pre-order the movie’s digital release on Amazon:
Watch the Trailers for The Boogeyman
The debut teaser trailer for The Boogeyman primarily focuses on an early encounter between young Sawyer and the titular Boogeyman. Like any child, Sawyer fears the dark, even when her loving father, Will, tells her that monsters aren’t real. When Sawyer’s closet door bursts open, and a lanky inhuman creature crawls under her bed, that hypothesis is quickly proven false. Will, who has a career as a psychologist, finally starts to realize that this creature may not be imaginary when a patient of his, Lester Billings (David Dastmalchian), shares some encounters with the Boogeyman of his own.
The second main trailer opens up with yet another standout sequence, Sawyer’s therapist, Dr. Weller (LisaGay Hamilton) tries some exposure therapy with the young girl to some rather predictable results. Overall this trailer focuses a lot more on Sawyer’s older sister, Sadie, who, like Will, is initially skeptical of this literal Boogeyman. She learns quickly that her little sister is far than delusional and will likely be instrumental in finding a way to stop the deadly creature.
More Stephen King Adaptations Like The Boogeyman Streaming Right Now
It and It: Chapter 2 – Though the 1990 miniseries starring Tim Curry is a classic in its own right, Andy Muscietti‘s two-part remake is undoubtedly the definitive adaptation of one of Stephen King’s most legendary novels. In what can effectively be called an R-rated Stranger Things (which of course was heavily inspired by King’s work and even starring the Netflix show’s lead actor of Finn Wolfhard), 2017’s It follows a group of outcast children in the 1980s called the Loser’s Club, as each of them is tormented by a shape-shifting killer clown called Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård). Chapter 2 picks up years later when the kids are adults, and Pennywise returns to the town of Derry to wreak havoc once again.
The Shining – Stephen King himself may not be a fan of Stanley Kubrick‘s interpretation of his iconic novel, but most movie fans would agree that 1980’s The Shining is one of the best horror movies ever made. A struggling writer named Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall), and their son Danny (Danny Lloyd) are charged to look over the Overlook Hotel during its winter off-season. When Danny discovers he has a gift called “The Shine”, his father begins to go mad from the isolation, and his wife and child become in danger as a result.
Rent or Purchase on Prime Video
Doctor Sleep – Many would call the idea of making a modern sequel to The Shining a fool’s errand, yet director Mike Flanagan did just that to great success in Doctor Sleep. Following Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor) nearly thirty years after the events of The Shining, he not only discovers that more people have “The Shine,” but there’s also a sinister group of them preying on children with the gift led by Rose the Hat (Rebecca Ferguson). When the murderers set their sights on young Abra Stone (Kyliegh Curran), Danny vows to protect the innocent child and returns to the infamous Overlook Hotel.
