The Babadook

A single mother (Essie Davis), plagued by the violent death of her husband, battles with her son (Noah Wiseman)'s fear of a monster lurking in the house, but soon discovers a sinister presence all around her.

Some people find this film terrifying, some just find it eerie. If nothing else, it stands out as original. Writer-director Jennifer Kent hits a home run, taking what she learned from her very unusual film school (watching Lars von Trier) and incorporating it here. But it is so much more than good direction and excellent framing.

This is a film that could fail if the elements were off. If the creature effects were cheesy, it would not be as scary. If the mother was not as convincing, it would not be so emotional. And Noah Wiseman? Wow. Few child actors are able to perform on this level. The last one with this much talent that comes to mind is Chloe Moretz. Give this kid more roles, and give them to him now.

This movie's biggest strength, is also it's biggest weakness. It's a cleverly constructed horror story with multiple layers. The problem is that it never explains itself, nor does it even drop the faintest hint by the end. Thus, people who went into this thinking this is just a generic monster flick, will come out of it feeling pretty much the same. But that is not what this is.

The movie is far more intelligent than a lot of people give it credit for. It's also a credit to the excellent direction, that this movie never delivers some sort of forced explanation of what it is really about. Without spoiling the movie, this film tricks you into thinking you are going to see a typical horror movie, but it ventures into far darker psychological territory. But like I said, most viewers will not get it. This is why this movie has received some terrible ratings from some viewers, but this is not an accurate representation of the actual quality of the movie.

For the other half of the audience though, this is one heck of a ride. I suspect some viewers will get it halfway through, and some two-thirds into the movie. And everyone else won't get it at all. The acting is stunning, the cinematography and lighting are amazing, and I also really like the sound editing (except when they use a sound effect that's clearly from a very old and overused sound library). I found it especially compelling how the movie shifts focus several times during the story, regarding who the villain is.

See it, and judge it for yourself. Do not let impulsive ratings fool you.

I really enjoyed this film, its dark and unnerving without resorting to loud bangs or "found footage" style filming to get its scares.

Low budget and well shot, the film leans on the power of suggestion and tone to create a film which has a sense of unease throughout, tonally like the Exorcist, where there is this underlying feeling of dread and helplessness

The scares are not spoon fed, so this won't be for everyone, if your brand of horror is purely just modern films like Insidious or the recent Annabelle - then this might not be for you.

One of my favourite films of the year.

Why are so many of the reviews here giving this a 9 or 10 taking the time to insult everyone who feels otherwise? I get it with movies based on superheroes or popular book series -- they have rabid fans who lash out. But why this? It's just a horror movie. And, honestly, an overrated one. I'm not saying its bad. It's actually a good watch. But the praise is pretty over the top. It's a well-crafted movie of its type but not an instant classic or any of that hyperbole. One thing I was very happy about was that it actually did follow through with the advertised premise. As I was watching it, about midway through I became concerned this was not going to be a movie about a supernatural creature but rather a message movie about mental illness and child abuse. Thankfully the movie dispels that in the last twenty or so minutes.

It's a pretty good (but not great) movie with a couple of nice scares and shocks. However, I didn't find it to be as groundbreaking or unique as many other reviewers. Sometimes I think horror fans are dying of thirst so every little drop of water is oversold as being on par with "fill in the blank with a classic horror film." It's not all that. It's just not. And the mom and kid got on my nerves big time before the first hour was up. This is a movie with a lot of scenes of people being assholes. A lot of yelling, etc. If you're like me that stuff drains you after awhile. I had a headache by the end. Speaking of the end, I'm unsure how I feel about it. Kudos for not tying it all up too neatly but I didn't quite get what the hell Babadook was and, more importantly, why is it eating worms? I kinda like the weirdness of that. Hope they don't ruin it by doing a sequel. Who are we kidding, of course they will.

You've heard of feel-good films, well this is not one. It's creepy and disturbing pretty well all the way, a good old horror fantasy with a nod to the psychological canniness of Nightmare on Elm Street but much more economical in terms of special effects, casting and I would imagine budget. It nevertheless maintains tension and atmosphere along with some high-flying dramatic sequences from the actors which bear comparison with The Exorcist. The plot also connects nicely with the psychological and existential conflicts facing a single mother whose son's birth coincided with the tragic death of her husband, and the whole nasty Babadook phenomenon, and its unresolved outcome, can certainly be read as an allegory of this traumatic event. Maybe it's over-reading to say the film also contains a Nietszchian lesson about the importance of embracing every aspect of one's life and history, no matter how horrific - but it works for me. The acting is amazingly good from the two leads, although the supporting characters are a bit stereotyped, a directing decision presumably. Sets and locations are charged with a bleak gloom, and the colour accordingly verges on monochrome. Love the specially made children's book, and Mr Babadook's physical character, as well as the wonderfully curated vintage movie footage appearing throughout on the TV screen. And a special word for the very fine intricately crafted sound design.