A low-budget Irish short from writer/director Gerard Lough, The Boogeyman is based on a short story by Stephen King in which a man goes to see a psychologist in order to explain how an evil creature is responsible for the deaths of his three children.

Andrew Billings (Simon Fogarty) is given a menacing portrayal, a rather disturbing chap whose intentions are never quite clear, bordering on antisocial with subtle (and not so subtle) hints of mental illness that will leave you constantly wondering just exactly what's going on. To his credit, Lough isn't quick to tip his hand and patiently paces the material alongside Fogarty's steady, decidedly calm dialogue.

The Boogeyman, while obviously a low-budget short, proves to be a solid companion to the writings of Stephen King in that Lough avoids the all too common tendency to over-stylize King's works. King's specialty has always been the more psychological side of horror, and Lough's The Boogeyman maintains this consistency. The film is short on violence or visual chills, deferring to the inherent suspense within the story and the horror that is going on within Andrew and his psychologist (Michael Parle).

The camera work of Greg Rouladh (who also edits the film) is exceptional, giving the film both a sense of normalcy with an underlying tension, while Cian Furlong's original music heightens the film's pacing without unnecessary histrionics.

The Boogeyman has already played in several international film festivals including Dollar Baby festivals in the U.S. and The Netherlands, Ireland's Underground Cinema Film Festival and Dublin's Horrorthon. For more information on The Boogeyman, visit the film's website linked above and be sure to watch for it at a festival near you.