Do you remember Bagman? After watching the trailer for Lionsgate’s upcoming, original horror movie Bagman, you might have a hard time forgetting about the child-eating monster coming our way this fall. The studio has released the first footage from director Colm McCarthy’s upcoming film, which very much has a folk/horror vibe while attempting to create a new figure within the genre who could certainly continue terrorizing kids for years to come. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves! One movie at a time. Check it out for yourself.
The trailer opens by giving us a little bit of history on this fictional nightmare creature, one who has existed in many cultures yet always seems to have the same goal. He likes to seal innocent kids and eat them. Simple enough, creepy enough. It all unfolds with the being floating in the background, only to be shown in his feel, horrifying glory at the very end. There’s something particularly unsettling about the idea of a being whose whole mission is to steal nice kids and stuff them in a bag of death. That gels with the poster for Bagman, which Lionsgate released recently as well. The synopsis for the film reads as follows:
“In the dark horror film Bagman, a family finds themselves ensnared in a nightmare as they are hunted by a malevolent, mythical creature. For centuries and across cultures, parents have warned their children of the legendary Bagman, who snatches innocent children and stuffs them into his vile, rotting bag—never to be seen again. Patrick McKee (Sam Claflin) narrowly escaped such an encounter as a boy, which left him with lasting scars throughout his adulthood. Now, Patrick’s childhood tormentor has returned, threatening the safety of his wife Karina (Antonia Thomas) and son Jake (Caréll Rhoden).”
McCarthy, who previously directed 2016’s The Girl with All the Gifts, was working from a screenplay by John Hulme, marking the writer’s feature debut. The cast also includes Sharon D Clarke (Doctor Who), Steven Cree (A Discovery of Witches), William Hope (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Adelle Leonce (Fool Me Once), Peter McDonald (Dublin Murders), Henry Pettigrew (Guilt) and Will Davis as Bagman. Marty Bowen, John Fischer, Wyck Godfrey and Isaac Klausner are on board as producers.
Lionsgate has been doing its part for theatrical horror as of late. This year alone they’ve already released Imaginary and The Strangers: Chapter 1, with Alexandre Aja’s Never Let Go also on the way later this year. Not to mention last year’s Saw X and next year’s sequel, Saw XI. More importantly, outside of the franchise stuff, Lionsgate remains invested in original horror, which is always nice to see.
Bagman hits theaters on September 20. For more, check out our list of Scottish horror movies you might not have seen.