The Boogeyman: The Origin of the Myth

The Boogeyman: The Origin of the Myth (El hombre del saco) is a 2023 Spanish-Uruguayan teen fantasy horror film directed by Ángel Gómez Hernández from a screenplay by Juma Fodde which stars Javier Botet as the title character alongside Macarena Gómez and Manolo Solo. It is inspired by the Crime of Gádor.

Plot
Set in Gádor, the plot begins with the arrival to the town of a widow and her three children, exploring the story of the disappearance of several children and the myth of the Sack Man (hombre del saco).

Production
The film is a Spanish-Uruguayan co-production by Esto también pasará, Mother Superior Films, and Bowfinger International Pictures in association with BTF Media and Glow, with the participation of Atresmedia, Prime Video, Canal Sur, Crea SGR and backing from INCAU and ANDE. While set in Gádor (province of Almería), the film was shot in the province of Cádiz, Madrid, and Gran Canaria.

Release
The film was released theatrically in Spain on 11 August 2023 by Filmax.

Reception
Raquel Hernández Luján of HobbyConsolas rated the film with 45 points ('bad'), decrying how Solo's and Gómez's talents are wasted, and how the film nears involuntary comedy territory more that once.

Santiago Alverú of Cinemanía rated the film 2½ out of 5 stars, pointing out that the film is not scary, recalling that, as Oogie Boogie sang in The Nightmare Before Christmas, "if you aren't shaking, there's something [very] wrong", while positively mentioning that "Guillermo Novillo is a great actor" in his verdict.