The “Bagman” in the film Bagman is a twisted evil version of Santa Claus… if, that is, Santa spooked the daylights out of you, and abducted nice boys and girls instead of the bad ones.

A scene half-way through the film explains that the “Bagman” has always been a regular staple of folklore across the ages and continents: he lures children by playing with their inquisitive nature, and stuffs them in his rotting bag.

The bagman of this film, though, has updated his accessories; he wears a hoodie, and his new bag is made of modern leather and has zippers. The screenplay by John Hulme could have benefitted from a bit of modern updates to storytelling as well.

No one is asking for much here; just a bare minimum would do. Bagman, however, is happy in its less than mediocre state. Its plot, about a man (Sam Clafin) who returns to his hometown with his wife and toddler only to be played by the entity that haunted his childhood, has been done to death.

Bagman’s biggest horror is the mediocrity of its writing and direction

The story’s big climactic twist can be guessed from the first 10 minutes, and the pace and the writing — which looks far removed from the very idea of incorporating intrigue and atmosphere — chooses to bore the audience with its unwaveringly linear approach.

Constrained within a house, where Clafin’s character mostly moves from room to room, and perhaps five other locations — including the entity’s lair (which, astonishingly, the police do not enter, despite visible proof of kidnappings) — one can see that Bagman is not an expensive production. But then again, skimming on locations does not mean one can skim on good writing and good direction.

The director here is Colm McCarthy, who directed episodes of Black Mirror, Sherlock, Peaky Blinders, Dr Who, Krypton, and the dystopian zombie film The Girl with All the Gifts. The direction is as rudimentary as one expects.

In fact, one can almost predict exactly how actors are going to react — and that too, in medium, close and long shots (the cinematography is by Nick Remy Matthews, and the editing is by Jeff Betancourt, whose filmography has many popular horror films, including another movie that marries the idea of demons with bags titled Baghead).

The actors, who are mostly acting on cue, never manage to sell us the scenes. But then again, how can one sell a product if one knows they are working with less than stellar stuff.

Bagman, a Lionsgate release, is rated PG. Parents strongly cautioned

Published in Dawn, ICON, October 20th, 2024