Spanish Boogeyman - The Boogeyman: The origin of the Myth (2023)

Hola Amigos,

About 10 years ago, I watched one of the scariest films I have ever seen: Boogeyman (2005) and its super exciting sequel, Boogeyman 2 (2007). The third part wasn't as interesting to me, so for the next decade, I didn't hear much about the legendary monster. Today, I will introduce you to a Spanish-made film about a monster from your wardrobe, which explores the origins of how the Boogeyman became a worldwide legend. Obviously, this film isn't about the classic Boogeyman, as the authors just use this monster to attract viewers, but it's still interesting to see how they tell their story.

Alala Boogeymanno or Sack Manno?

The opening scene immediately shows us that the Boogeyman is real and was born in Spain. The story starts on June 28, 1910. A young boy named Bernardo has a bad conversation with his parents and runs into the woods in the middle of the night. A pitiful voice calls for help, and Bernardo sees an old man who looks sick and exhausted. The night is dark, and Bernardo loses sight of the man. In a second, he is kidnapped and put into a big bag. Nobody sees Bernardo again.

The story then shifts to the present day. The authors once again mislead the viewers by showing characters who will not be the main focus. Sarah and Anna, two sisters, are telling stories about the Boogeyman. The younger one starts crying, and their mother takes her away, calling the elder one a bad girl and telling her to think about her behavior. The girl feels guilty and then hears strange noises from the wardrobe. With wide, scared eyes, she opens the door, and a nasty, creepy bag consumes her, pulling her inside the wardrobe.

The Boogeyman: Paula and her crew for saving children. 

At last, we get into the main story and meet the main characters: elder son Sergio, younger brother Lucas, and their sister Alicia. They are on their way to a new house with their mother, Claudia. They have no father because something mysterious and tragic happened to him. At the very beginning, the children already annoy me because they all want something from their mother while she wants them to do what they should so she can focus on her new job. In the new house, they quickly meet Paula and her younger brother Gabi. Together, they drive near a mysterious house, and local YouTube content creator Alex tells them the story about the Boogeyman and how this is his house. Many children have gone missing in this town, which makes Alicia and Lucas nervous.

On the first night, the Boogeyman already tastes Lucas' fear. He shows him images of his bloodied father, who accuses Lucas of his own death. After that, a huge bag replaces the father's body. The little boy screams like crazy, and I’m surprised no one hears it. The answer comes immediately - it was a dream.

In a short time, Paula's brother is grabbed by the Boogeyman, and the YouTuber, let's call him that, films this crime scene and catches the Sack Man on camera. The police cannot help and ask the parents to just wait. Paula and her new friends decide to invade the Boogeyman's house. Sergio realizes that this is a bad idea, so he sends Lucas back home and runs after the girls. Paula, Alicia, and the YouTuber sneak into the house. Inside, it's dusty and creepy. Paula comes up with the brilliant idea to split up. The YouTuber makes ironic comments about this, but they still explore the house separately. The boy films his journey around the house, and Sergio finds him. At the same moment, something happens to the girls, and the boys run to help. An old radio plays music, and the next moment, a strange man jumps out of the wardrobe. Let's call him Crazy Man because his name isn't important. Crazy Man tells us an exciting story that he is the only one who survived after being kidnapped by the Boogeyman. He was a child, and the Sack Man put him in his bag and delivered him to his lair. The boy had a pocket knife and managed to cut a hole and escape. He also took a piece of the bag with him. This piece of cloth is alive and has a big passion for reuniting with its master. He also reveals who the Boogeyman really is: Francisco Leona, a healer suffering from a severe illness. He refused to die and found a mystical ritual to prevent death, which required the blood of children. Eventually, he was caught and mercilessly murdered, but his last words were, "I will never die, and I will come back for your children." Our heroes have only one day to save everyone before the Boogeyman goes to sleep for a long period. What's most important is that we now know how he finds his victims: when a child feels guilty, it attracts the Boogeyman, and he comes for his food.

The Boogeyman: The sackman stricks.

The youngsters decide to find the portal and save everyone. At the same time, the Boogeyman continues to terrorize Lucas, making him tell his mother the truth about his father's death. Lucas's behavior was pretty bad and distracted his dad, causing his death in a car accident. This revelation shocks his mother, and she sends him to bed. The boy feels pitiful, and that's when the Boogeyman comes after him, taking him inside his bag. Paula and Alicia decide to cut down Paula's family tree to make her feel guilty and attract the Sack Man. Unfortunately for them, they only attract a police officer who takes Paula to the police station. It was strange that the policeman left Alicia alone in the middle of the night in the field.

The next day, Alicia comes up with a great plan using part of the stolen Boogeyman's bag as a navigator to find his hidden lair. During this mission, they cross paths with Crazy Man, who decides to help the kids and face his fears. Paula is released from the police station and comes up with a brilliant theory: children suffer from harassment from their parents, and the only way to beat the Boogeyman is forgiveness. She speaks out her idea, and Lucas's mother, who is suffering, trusts Paula. Together, they move towards the Boogeyman's lair.

The Boogeyman: Solo survivor tells the story of his miracle escape.

The part of the bag does its job and leads the kids to an abandoned house. They sneak inside and find all the missing children and the sleeping Boogeyman. His choice of sleeping furniture is strange - he sits on the torture chair he was killed on. The kids spend too much time discussing their plan, and the Boogeyman wakes up. Interestingly, the monster is slow and seems blind and deaf because he can't find anyone in the relatively small cave inside the house. Crazy Man discovers that confession can weaken the Boogeyman because when a person gets rid of guilt, it hurts the Sack Man. Everyone starts confessing, almost killing the monster, but he still manages to injure Crazy Man after consuming one of the stolen children's souls. However, the final confession from Crazy Man ends the monster. He shares that he could have saved everyone when he escaped many years ago but was too scared and left everyone to die.

The Boogeyman: Parents are coming for their missing children into Sackman's lair.

At the same moment, every parent arrives and forgives their children, begging them to wake up. The story has a happy ending: every kid survives, and no one dies. One beautiful scene shows all the surviving children standing together and holding hands. In my head, it was reminiscent of a scene from the film It. A good reference. The authors also leave an open ending with potential for a sequel when the monster shows his face in the last second of the movie.

A Big Success or Weak Parody?

Unfortunately, I cannot say that this film is as great as the classic Boogeyman films. It is not scary, and the main monster is strange, weak, and mostly symbolic. This whole film feels more like a social drama than a horror film. Let's be honest: there's nothing truly scary, but the film highlights the problems of single mothers, children's issues, and the importance of forgiveness.

Strong Points:

• General idea
• Dynamic storytelling
• Pretty decorations and environment
• Possible sequel
• Reference to It

Weak Sides:

• Sound - no memorable tracks
• Family-friendly horror
• Uninteresting monster
• No blood, violence, or killing in a horror film

Spanish Parody or Original Movie?

I definitely recommend the two classic Boogeyman films. This movie feels like clickbait or an attempt to attract people with a catchy name. It could be recommended to people who can't stand gory scenes, jump scares, or massive killings. This movie can offer some good insights into human relationships. Of course, you could say it's a fresh take on an old story, but I was in the mood for some creepy horror, and in the end, I got something akin to It 2 with a soft scenario about children confronting a legendary monster. You might give this movie a chance, but if you miss it, you won't lose much. It's a controversial film with a loud name. Stay safe, and see you soon! :)

Scary hand