The Boogeyman is another winner for horror in 2023. In what we think is hands down the scariest PG-13 movie we have ever seen, we follow Sadie Harper, played by Sophie Thatcher, and her sister Sawyer, played by Vivien Lyra Blair, as they take on a demonic boogeyman figure. Recently, One Take News had the chance to sit down with the film’s star Sophie Thatcher and talk about her experiences working on The Boogeyman, her childhood fears, comparing her work on this film to Yellowjackets and more. Read the full conversation below:

OTN: First of all, I have to ask, from our initial conversation, you seem like such a happy and kind person so why do you keep doing horror projects?

S.T: *laughs* That’s so kind of you to say. I just like darker stories. People can relate to them and find solace within them. I also find it evokes the most feeling out of people. But yeah, thanks for saying I’m a nice person.

OTN: The Boogeyman is a short story so I wanted to ask you, what was your introduction to the story?

S.T: I actually didn’t know it was a short story by Stephen King. I told my mom about the gig and she’s like “that’s my favourite story he’s ever done, period.” and it’s only like 8 pages so that really shows how powerful it is.

OTN: Every child has fears that-

S.T: Oh gosh, dude I had so many.

OTN: Oh same here. The big one for me was Michael Jackson in Thriller.

S.T: Why is that, oh my god! I’ve heard other people who have the same fear!

OTN: That gave me, and still gives me nightmares. The makeup was so good. But I wanted to ask you, did you have a fear made you check under the bed and check in your closets at night?

S.T: I was of the era of Slender Man, if you remember that.

OTN: How could I forget Slender Man?

S.T: Yeah, same here. Slender Man freaked me out. Chucky freaked me out, um, I was scared of witches. Specifically the movie The Witches.

OTN: You mean based on the Roald Dhal book?

S.T: Yes, the original one. That STUCK with me.

OTN: Same, here man. Now, you’ve done two forms of psychological horror with Yellowjackets and The Boogeyman. I’m curious, after doing so much horror in such a short amount of time, do you find it starts to seep into your personal life?

S.T: Oh 100%. Myself and the Yellowjackets cast started having nightmares towards the end of Season 1 and not even specifically cannibalism. Very dark, I know. But it’s just, like, weird morbid stuff. It’s inevitably going to creep into your psyche and be there. Even if you think you’re not gonna bring your character home or anything, you’re still on set every day working with grim circumstances and looking at disgusting things so it stays but now it’s gone. During the last couple weeks of Yellowjackets all of us were bonding together cause we were like Last night. Again. Scary dream. Scary nightmare!” so it’s really messed up.

OTN: Did that happen at the end of every season?

S.T: It was last season. The first season was its own type of heaviness, because it was during COVID-19, a different time of it too where everything was more isolated. So we just had each other and that, in its own way, felt jarring. but, It forced us together and we all got really close.

OTN: I love Vivien Lyra Blair. She’s great in this film and so is your sisterly relationship with her. What’s it like working with a younger actress on horror movies? Did you find you had to protect her at times from being too scared?

S.T: Vivien’s mom was really good with that part. She’s an amazing mom. But Viven’s also just a mini-adult. I think she’s smarter than I am. She’s a genius and is so good at her job.

OTN: The Boogeyman is in the shadows for the majority of the movie. I’m curious, was he in the shadows for you as well? Did the crew intentionally shield you from seeing the finalized design?

S.T: They showed me later on. But I kinda liked the idea of not fully knowing cause I could create my own boogeyman and I feel like that’s what so scary about it. It’s so personalized and it can embody any kind of vulnerability you have and in this case it’s grief. I was really happy with the way it looked though. It’s SCARY and original too. I was like “good job guys!”

OTN: It almost reminds me of the Mind Flayer from Stranger Things, the way it crawls around.

S.T: I don’t know that. I haven’t seen it but I know Shawn Levy is a producer on both so maybe that’s intentional!

OTN: Alright, last question. With your work on Yellowjackets and The Boogeyman, I’ve seen and heard people give you the title of “scream queen”. What’s your opinion on that title?

S.T: It’s great and I’m flattered. I do want to explore different genres but it’s so early on in my career to be called that. That’s an honour. It’s really cool honestly. SO MANY actors and actresses started off in horror and just kept going because I think it shows such a wide range of emotions. You really get to do peak circumstances and go to the craziest place.

OTN: That’s wonderful to hear. I’m all out of time so I wanted to say again, thank you for your time, congrats on the movie, I won’t be sleeping at all tonight. Enjoy the rest of your stay in Toronto.

S.T: Thank you!

Read the synopsis for The Boogeyman:

High school student Sadie Harper and her younger sister Sawyer are reeling from the recent death of their mother and aren’t getting much support from their father, Will, a therapist who is dealing with his own pain. When a desperate patient unexpectedly shows up at their home seeking help, he leaves behind a terrifying supernatural entity that preys on families and feeds on the suffering of its victims.

The Boogeyman is out in theatres now.