Bagman (2024 film)

Bagman is a 2024 American supernatural horror film directed by Colm McCarthy and written by John Hulme. It stars Sam Claflin, Steven Cree, Frankie Corio, William Hope, Antonia Thomas and Neil Linpow.^[2]

Bagman
Promotional poster
Directed by	Colm McCarthy
Written by	John Hulme
Produced by	Marty Bowen John Fischer Wyck Godfrey Isaac Klausner
Starring	Sam Claflin Antonia Thomas Frankie Corio William Hope Steven Cree
Cinematography	Nick Remy Matthews
Edited by	Jeff Betancourt
Music by	Tim Williams
Production companies	Temple Hill Entertainment Media Capital Technologies
Distributed by	Lionsgate Films
Release date	September 27, 2024 (2024-09-27)
Running time	92 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$12–15 million[1]

The film was released on September 27, 2024, by Lionsgate Films.^[3][4]

Plot

A family is ensnared in a nightmare as a malevolent, mythical creature hunts them. 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 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 and son Jake.

Cast

• Sam Claflin^[5] as Patrick McKee
• Antonia Thomas^[6] as Karina
• William Hope^[7] as Chief Isaacs
• Steven Cree^[6] as Liam McKee
  • Jordan Gubian as Young Liam
• Frankie Corio as Emily
• Adelle Leonce^[6] as Anna
• Henry Pettigrew as Don
• Sharon D. Clarke^[6] as Barbara
• Neil Linpow as Officer Rawls
• Caréll Vincent Rhoden as Jake McKee
• Will Davis^[6] as Bagman

Production

On October 11, 2019, Paramount Players announced Bagman, with Colm McCarthy set to direct the film.^[8] On May 13, 2022, Sam Claflin was announced to star in the film, with the project moving to Lionsgate.^[9]

Release

Bagman was released in a limited theatrical release on September 27, 2024.^[10]

Reception

Peter Sobczynski of RogerEbert.com gave the film one star of four, stating "The only chance of experiencing any actual chills is if you doze off and generate a more interesting nightmare of your own".^[11] Jayanty Nada Shofa of Jakarta Globe found the film to be an uneven horror film with a weak buildup, but notes that it gains interest in the latter half, ultimately deeming it not memorable despite having some engaging moments.^[12]

Enid Román Almansa of Cinemanía gave the film three stars out of five considered the film entertaining and acknowledges Sam Claflin's strong performance as a father protecting his adorable son, but notes that it suffers from predictable moments and common horror clichés.^[13] Whang Yee Ling of The Straits Times gave the film two stars out of five described the film as "forgettable" with a thin and often nonsensical plot, despite its touches of fatherly love and the intriguing premise of confronting childhood trauma.^[14]