Rating: A
Released in 2014
Directed by: Jennifer Kent
Starring: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman
Around April, I caught wind of The Babadook. After battling with myself for hours over the proper pronunciation, I decided to order the film on Blu-Ray. Thanks to the sexy people over at Amazon, I got my copy in only two days. I ripped open the box, put my new Blu-Ray on my shelf, and ignored it for around three months. Every non-spoiler review called it "terrifying" or "the scariest movie you'll ever see." With that, I hid this movie away on my shelf, one hundred percent terrified of it. Yet, today, I finally mustered up the courage to watch this film. And it ruled.
The Babadook is absolutely terrifying. The reviews do not sugar coat this film and neither will I. You will be scared and you will look over your shoulder a lot while viewing it. Yet, it's not the traditional jump scare horror. It's deep rooted, psychological, thought provoking horror. This movie makes you think and it makes you feel how the characters do. The truly horrifying part of this movie is how it plays with your mind. It's just as much as a thriller as it is a horror film. It's a truly perfect combination.
Although scary, The Babadook is also a film about life and about grief. The main character Amelia, (portrayed by Essie Davis), is dealing with a horrendous amount of grief over the sudden loss of her husband. She's depressed and so unhappy. This film triggers and points out certain emotions that we all fear. It makes you think about situations that you just wouldn't want to be in. And any film that makes you think and wonder is a brilliant film.
Essie Davis should've been nominated for awards for her performance. I've never seen and believed a more emotional and devastating performance. She's a huge reason this movie is truly scary. Davis was absolutely fantastic in this. Her interactions with other characters are brilliant and the look of absolute sadness in her eyes is just so telling. She really invested herself into this role and it came out beautifully. I also have to note how great Noah Wiseman was. He played Amelia's son, Samuel. He was also fantastic. For a child's performance, it was so mature and so well done. You truly felt the fear that this kid was feeling. (Wiseman will also be in the upcoming release, The Gift. I'm very curious to see how he'll do in that.)
This was director Jennifer Kent's directorial debut. Seriously. Before this, she had never made another film. The way this film was shot was brilliant. Certain closeups of average household items were just chilling. The bleakness of the house was so perfect. The way the Babadook monster was portrayed was so unique. I have never seen anything like it. She did an absolutely incredible job.
This isn't a typical horror film. It's well written, well shot, and time was invested to make this film great. It proves that horror movies can still be done in unique and great ways. Today, the standard of horror has dropped so low. This summer, not one above average scary movie has hit theaters. I wish Hollywood would wake up and just start pumping out movies like The Babadook.
The Babadook deals with grief, horror, and in the end, closure. When you see this film, you'll realize the monster is much more than a monster. This film is very metaphorical and like I said, will make you think. To be totally honest, it's actually super depressing. The Babadook is truly brilliant and I highly recommend you check this out. It can be found on the Netflix service and can be purchased online or you can find the physical copy in stores!
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