HERE COMES THE BOGEYMAN (23 page short horror script) By Zack Akers

He said he’s coming tonight.

Kids say the darnedest thing, don’t they? It’s always unsettling when that darndest thing happens to be something super creepy. Yes, it’s a very familiar horror trope. But it’s a horror trope that never fails to weird me right-the-F-out every time I see it in a film. It just works… if done effectively. And in, Here Comes the Boogeyman, it most certainly works – to very, very creepy effect.

But that’s merely the set-up to writer, Zack Akers’ atmospheric bone-chiller, which centers around another familiar trope in horror films and campfire tales alike – the Bogeyman.

The story opens with single mom, Mary, tucking in her six and eight year-old sons, Tyler and Devin, respectively, to bed. But, for some reason, Tyler and his older brother choose to sleep in the same bed. When asked why, Devin falls to tears, afraid to tell his mother.

“The Bogeyman,” Tyler tells her, speaking up for his older brother.

Like most children have at some point of their adolescence, Devin has been having nightmares about the Bogeyman. Mary comforts the boys, telling them it was just a dream and the Bogeyman isn’t real. Because of course it’s not. But that’s when Devin says that “darndest thing” – “He said he’s coming tonight.”

The comment seems to bother Mary as she talks about it over the phone with her boyfriend, Luke. He tells her there’s nothing to worry about, to which Mary reluctantly agrees – “Yeah, you’re right. I’m probably just overreacting.”

But later in the night, as Mary makes her way to bed, her doorbell rings… followed by four slow knocks at the door. This, indeed, turns out to be the Bogeyman – at least he knocked, right?

In what plays out like a cat-and-mouse home-invasion film, the Bogeyman has one unsettling request – “Give me one… or I’ll take them both.” Refusing to accept the “Sophie’s Choice”-option given to her, she decides to try and fend off the Bogeyman. But she makes some very bad decisions in the process, those moments that make audience members yell, “What the F are you doing?!” at the screen. This ends up resulting in the gruesome demise of the whole family.

Although it sounds like I just spoiled the ending for everyone, I assure you, it’s only just the beginning. And to see exactly what I mean, you’ll have to check it out for yourself. But I will say that it’s at this point that the story takes all these familiar horror tropes and uses them to create something truly unique and original. I especially came away impressed with how our protagonist, Mary, learns from her earlier mistakes (that so many horror characters tend to make). And, yes, I know I said she met her demise. But, again, read it for yourself. It’s soooo worth checking out.

This is the type of film I can see raking in some serious views on Youtube, Vimeo and maybe even Shudder, who I know lists short films from time to time. Atmospheric and suspenseful with some truly terrifying visuals and a gut-punch of an ending, “Here Comes the Bogeyman” is what nightmares are made of.

BUDGET: Low. One location (a house) and a cast of five (two child actors). This will require some blood, makeup and practical effects (or special effects, depending on how the filmmaker sees it).

ABOUT THE WRITER: Zack Akers has been writing screenplays since 2005, accumulating over 25 horror shorts with a handful of them having been produced. A true fan of the horror genre, Zack’s goal is simple – to scare the audience. Right now, Zack is collaborating with several talented filmmakers on some very exciting projects. So be on the lookout for some of his work! He can be reached at: zack.akers.89 (a) gmail

Read: Here Comes The Bogeyman (23 page short horror script in pdf format

^*This screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.

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About the Reviewer: Michael J. Kospiah is the award-winning screenwriter of critically acclaimed indie-thriller, The Suicide Theory (79% Rotten Tomatoes – available on Amazon Prime, Itunes, Google Play, etc) and 2020’s upcoming Aussie thriller, “Rage”. His horror feature, “They Never Left” is currently in development.