It’s pretty obvious that I love made-for-TV movies. I dedicate every March to talking about one every week. So when I read about Mr Boogedy on a list of strangest movies on Disney+*, I knew I had to watch it.

Disney’s TV movies are pretty iconic. In my household, we always looked forward to the newest one every month. They’re all pretty cheesy and family-friendly, and there are hundreds of them! But some are even as well-loved as their regular releases, Hocus Pocus possibly being the best example.

While I’ve seen a lot of Disney TV movies, I’ve never seen one quite like Mr Boogedy. It’s zany, to be sure – filled with characters you’d never meet in real life.

In the late 80s, it began to be “a thing” to use joke shops and the like as settings. Here we don’t get a shop as a backdrop, but a gag shop owner as our dad. The Davis family love to prank each other.

The odd one out is teenager Jennifer (played by Kristy Swanson). When the family arrive at their new house, she’s immediately wary of it. It’s old and run-down and quite clearly the type of place to be haunted.

When the family enter the home, they find Neil Witherspoon (John Astin) inside waiting for them. He tries to warn them away with stories of Mr Boogedy, but they brush off his warning.

That night, Jennifer hears sneezing coming from a room at the end of the hall. She tries to investigate but faints. When she awakes, she claims that she saw Mr Boogedy. Of course, the family think she’s bonkers, despite the fact that she’s the most level-headed out of all of them. But it’s not too long until the entire family begins to have supernatural experiences.

The Davis children soon realise they need to do something. They go to the local historical society and bump into the eccentric Mr Mitherspoon again. He tells them the story of Mr Boogedy, who once was a pilgrim by the name of William Hanover.

Hanover had apparently fallen in love with a widow. Thing is, though, this old bat hated children, and the window happened to have one. Soon Hanover goes to silly lengths to make the widow his. This does include asking the Devil for a favour to get a magic cloak.

And if that sounds strange, don’t worry. It only gets more bizarre from there.

Mr Boogedy is the type of film that could only exist in the late 80s or early 90s. The family is so whacky and unbelievable. The villain is borderline comical. But…something here just works. It’s the type of light horror that reminds me of the sillier episodes of Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Honestly, this movie is a bit dated. But I think it still has thrills that young viewers would find entertaining. It could perhaps be a great option for Halloween when everyone is cooped up and not trick-or-treating.

*If you’re curious, I don’t think Disney+ is worth it. I don’t like Disney movies, Star Wars OR Marvel. So why do I have an annual subscription? Only the Lockdown Gods know. Though because of this error in judgment, expect more write-ups on stuff like Mr Boogedy!