Watch The Bye Bye Man

The Bye Bye Man is a 2017 horror-thriller film directed by Stacy Title and produced by Trevor Macy, Jeffrey Soros, and Simon Horsman. It is based on the 2005 short story "The Bridge to Body Island" by Robert Damon Schneck. The cast includes Douglas Smith, Lucien Laviscount, Cressida Bonas, Doug Jones, and Carrie-Anne Moss. The movie starts with three college students, Elliot (Douglas Smith), John (Lucien Laviscount), and Sasha (Cressida Bonas), moving into an old house off-campus. During their housewarming party, Elliot finds an old nightstand with "Don't think it, don't say it" carved inside. Underneath the drawer, he discovers a mysterious name, "The Bye Bye Man." Elliot reads the name out loud, and unwittingly unleashes a supernatural force that threatens to consume all those who get in its way.

Elliot starts having nightmares and hallucinations of the Bye Bye Man, a menacing creature in a hooded cloak with a bony finger on one hand and a long tongue on the other, who whispers his name in his ear. Anyone who hears the name or speaks it aloud becomes cursed, plagued by hallucinations, paranoia, and hallucinations that drive them to commit unspeakable acts.

The Bye Bye Man, it turns out, has been around for centuries, feeding on fear, and using its victims' own thoughts and foibles against them. Elliot enlists the help of his girlfriend, Sasha, and his best friend, John, to try to understand the history of the Bye Bye Man, and how they can defeat it. But things quickly spiral out of control, and as the trio's mental state deteriorates, they find themselves fighting for their survival against an enemy they cannot see or comprehend fully.

The Bye Bye Man is a well-executed horror-thriller that keeps the viewer on edge from start to finish. The movie effectively builds tension, with the creepy figure of the Bye Bye Man lurking just out of sight, his presence felt, but not fully realized until the movie's final act. The performances of the actors, particularly Douglas Smith, are strong, and the supporting cast all does a good job of conveying the escalating desperation and fear of the situation.

One of the movie's strengths is its pacing. The Bye Bye Man moves at a fast clip, with few lulls in the action or character development. The characters are all likable and relatable, and the movie does a good job of establishing their personalities and relationships early on. The scares come thick and fast, with several memorable set-pieces that are genuinely chilling without feeling exploitative.

The movie's setting is also well-realized, with the old house and the dense forest around it providing a suitably eerie and oppressive atmosphere. The sound design is impressive, with the movie's score and sound effects effectively ratcheting up the tension and dread.

One minor criticism of the movie is that the plot relies on some horror movie clichés (such as the characters splitting up when it is dangerous to do so), but this is a minor quibble in what is overall a well-executed horror film. Another criticism is that the movie's ending feels a little rushed and not entirely satisfying, but this is also a minor point, and the movie's strengths far outweigh its weaknesses.

In conclusion, The Bye Bye Man is a tense, effective horror-thriller that will satisfy fans of the genre. With a strong cast, well-realized setting, and well-executed scares, the movie is a must-see for horror fans. While it may not reinvent the wheel, it does a good job of executing tried and tested horror movie tropes, and is a solid entry in the genre.

The Bye Bye Man is a 2017 horror movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 36 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 4.3 and a MetaScore of 37.