I don’t know what breaking a mirror has to do with exorcising a ghost, and I probably never will. That’s alright with me, though, because at least I don’t have to put up with a snot-nosed kid who attempts to scare people by yelling “Boogeyman!” and sits around watching TV like the couch potato he is. That wouldn’t be fun. In fact, I would sooner go out of my way to prove that a boogeyman exists. While there’s no doubt in my mind that doing so would be a fool’s errand, I will say that Ulli Lommel has a way of putting childhood fears in the limelight. He certainly has that going for him, so The Boogey Man isn’t without its appeal. Plus, the kills aren’t lacking in creativity.

As I look back on the film, I can’t ignore its faults, the first of which is the haunted mirror. It’s an interesting idea, and I like that it plays into the kills; it’s a nice touch. On the other hand, I would be hard-pressed to consider it fully realized. More often than not, it’s gimmicky, which isn’t a complete detriment, but I can’t help but think that Lommel didn’t know what to do with what he had. I also think that as creative as the kills are, the fact that the Boogeyman kills whoever he pleases is hard to overlook, especially since his victims are in no way connected to the initial murder. It’s underwritten, to say the least.

There’s enough atmosphere to go around; there’s no denying that. I would even say that it adds some flavor, which is particularly evident during the finale. It’s a vibrantly colored but bloody scene, a confrontation between good and evil that I recall finding disappointing due to its lack of oomph. It’s far from the worst ending I’ve seen, however, and the eerily electronic melody fits the scene well, so I can’t knock that.

My final thoughts on the film are that, while I found it a mixed bag overall, it didn’t leave me underwhelmed. That’s not to say that I plan on revisiting it anytime soon, but at least I can sleep at night knowing that I won’t have to confront a vengeful ghost that is capable of causing a priest’s head to hemorrhage. That’s a win in my book.