Boogeyman

Ever since he was eight years old, Tim Jensen (Watson) has been afraid of the dark.

In particular, he's petrified of closets - his psychiatrist must have a field day - having watched his father (Charles Mesure) fall victim to the bloodthirsty Boogeyman, who lurks in the darkness of every enclosed space.

In an attempt to cure his fears, Tim nervously returns to his hometown and the house of his childhood nightmares, where his shrink suggests that he spend a night all on his lonesome in an attempt to banish the ghosts of the past once and for all.

Clearly, it's a foolish idea but Tim agrees and, as he wanders the creaking corridors of the property, he is forced to confront a malevolent force from his past.

Covering similar urban legend territory as the 2002 schlock-horror They, Boogeyman starts promisingly and sustains a modicum of dramatic tension by keeping the monster off screen for large swathes of the film.

Unfortunately, once director Stephen T Kay relinquishes control to the special effects guys for the nonsensical finale, you'll be fleeing the darkness of the cinema in confusion and boredom rather than terror.

The cameramen seem to spend a great deal of time in various cupboards, from the point of view of the Boogeyman, peeking at the actors as they traipse to their doom.

A few more cheap shocks probably wouldn't have gone amiss.

Watson affects a permanent look of clammy fear while his co-stars don't have enough screen time to register as anything other than two-dimensional stereotypes.