Where Was The Boogeyman Filmed? 2023 Horror Movie's Filming Locations Explained (2024)

The Stephen King adaptation The Boogeyman has the look of a movie that could take place just about anywhere, making it all the more scary, however as it turns out, the horror film was actually shot in one particular place. The Boogeyman is a 2023 horror movie following teenager Sadie and her younger sister Sawyer as the grief the sudden death of their mother, and at the same time, begin to contend with a shadowy monster inside their home. The film is adapted from a 1973 short story of the same name by horror legend Stephen King.

Part of what makes The Boogeyman so creepy is the sense that the events of the film could happen to anyone, anywhere. Though the audience watches the Harper family be terrorized by The Boogeyman monster, the smallness of the film's world makes it seem like the viewers could just as easily be the victims. This ambiance is created by building a narrow and generic world through which the film takes place. Audiences follow Sadie at home, at school, and around town, but the movie goes no further than that. Therefore, Sadie's world could just as easily be ours. However, The Boogeyman was filmed somewhere, so where is it?

McDonogh 35 Senior High School, Louisiana

According to The Cinemaholic, one generic location that The Boogeyman used during filming was McDonogh 35 Senior High School, located in Louisiana. The school is located on 4000 Cadillac Street in the city of New Orleans. Although The Boogeyman is a horror movie, this school is not abandoned or creepy in any sense. In fact, McDonogh 35 Senior High School is still in use, with actual students in attendance currently. It is unclear how production of The Boogeyman affected the school.

The use of McDonogh 35 Senior High School comes into play in The Boogeyman during the scenes when Sadie is at school. This mostly occurs near the start of the film, particularly when Sadie returns to school for the first time after her mother's death. In one scene, Sadie is approached by a group of cruel popular girls, and she gets into an altercation with them. Clearly, The Boogeyman's use of this real-life Louisiana school helped in creating a generic atmosphere. Sadie's school looks entirely real, and like any other high school where this could happen to anybody.

New Orleans, Louisiana

The rest of The Boogeyman was filmed in other areas of New Orleans, Louisiana. This is an interesting location because of its history of creepy activity, and also, its recognizable locales. In an interview with NOLA, director Rob Savage said "We wanted this to feel like Anytown, USA — like every Stephen King movie. You want it to feel like it could be anywhere, like it could be your hometown. But when I first got to New Orleans, the aesthetic qualities were so powerful, I was really pushing to get more and more of that in the movie." So, despite the fact that Savage desired a broad look for The Boogeyman, New Orleans' unique tones won out.

Apart from McDonogh 35 Senior High School, the rest of The Boogeyman was filmed in and around New Orleans. Presumably, the filmmakers shot vast amounts of the film in the New Orleans suburbs, including the scenes in the Harpers' home like the fiery final sequence at the end of The Boogeyman. Though Savage was taken by the city's spooky atmosphere, the film still feels encompassing enough to be anywhere. In this way, The Boogeyman strikes a balance between being relatable and atmospheric.

Sources: The Cinemaholic, NOLA