“The Babadook” is a 2014 Australian psychological horror film by the widely unknown Jennifer Kent. While it had a limited release worldwide, making under $5 million, it has already garnered major critical acclaim in award shows in Britain, America, and Australia. Beyond that, it is 98 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and has critics, and me, raving, praising it as the modern redefinition of psychological terror and as a movie that will go down in history with classics like “The Exorcist,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” and “The Shining.”
The movie starts out with single mother Amelia (Essie Davis) living with her increasingly disobedient and disruptive 6-year-old son, Samuel (Noah Wiseman). She is becoming increasingly stressed out as she works full time and has to pull Samuel out of school because of his behavior. His obsession with the idea of imaginary monsters is driving away everyone in their life, as well as both of their sleep.
This is only made worse by Samuel’s discovery of a mysterious book in their house called “The Babadook.” It’s a black and white pop-up book that contains the description of an intrusive monster called the babadook, characterized by the line “if it’s in a word, or it’s in a look, you can’t get rid of the Babadook.” Their lives slowly spiral out of control as Samuel’s obsession intensifies and Amelia begins to struggle distinguishing reality from fantasy herself, as does the audience.
Overall, I would say the best single word to describe this movie is “unsettling.” The pair’s struggle is so relatable, especially Samuel’s, that I couldn’t help but feel that childlike, irrational yet justified terror creep into my mind as it crept into Sam’s. This, along with methodically suspenseful cinematography and the all-too-realistic turn of events that Amelia is trapped in, make her fears eerily relatable. It’s that pure, unavoidable psychological horror that makes this movie such an incredible representation of the genre.
Beyond plot and visual success, the unique touches by first-time director Jennifer Kent and stellar performances by the cast bring this movie up even more. First off, the successful creation of a new horror antagonist is no small feat, despite its ever-so-slight cliches reminiscent of demonic possession movies. But that is not to take away any credit, as I honestly can’t compare this movie to any modern horror film. Its subtle, perfectly spaced out plot cues only enhance the experience, as does one of the best child performances I’ve ever seen on the silver screen, let alone in the horror genre. If you are a true horror fan, or are just looking for a good scare, make sure “The Babadook” is on your list.
