The Boogey Man(1980)
1980 · Ulli Lommel · 82 min
A young girl witnesses the brutal murder of her stepfather at the hands of her brother, by mirror reflection. Years later, when the mirror is accidentally shattered, a dark and vengeful curse is unleashed on the family, and anyone unlucky enough to come into contact with its shards falls victim to heinous murder.
Horror
4.9125 votes
TMDB score
3/5
Intensity
3/5
Gore
2/5
Stays with you
How The Boogey Man scares
It opens slow, spending time on a troubled family before shifting into a string of separate, gruesome killings once the cursed object comes into play. The pace is uneven, with stretches of low-budget drama followed by sudden bursts of violence rather than a steady climb of dread. Its scares lean on gory kills and eerie curse logic more than deep psychological unease, giving it a rough, dated video-nasty feel. It's best for fans of old-school low-budget horror who don't mind clunky pacing in exchange for some nasty practical effects.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, The Boogey Man rates psychological 2/5, visceral 3/5, gore 3/5, lingering effect 2/5, and overall intensity 3/5.
- Psychological: 2 of 5
- Visceral: 3 of 5
- Gore: 3 of 5
- Lingering: 2 of 5
- Intensity: 3 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 30 of 100 — leans Slow burn
Supernatural vs Real-world: 15 of 100 — leans Supernatural
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 55 of 100 — balanced
Intensity over runtime
Shape only — no eventsReveal pacing shapeHide pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.
A slow, uneven build with scattered jolts that gradually escalates into a chaotic, bloody final stretch.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 4, 5, 4.
How scary is The Boogey Man?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, The Boogey Man rates 3/5 — solidly scary, building its fear through slow-burn dread rather than shocks. It works on both fronts, unsettling the mind while going for the body. Expect it to be moderately gory and scary but not punishing. Some of it will follow you to bed, but it lets go within a day or so.
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