The Babadook

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.

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.

Amelia is a single mom struggling with hyper-active 6 year old son Samuel with a constant need for weapons to defend himself from unseen monsters. Her husband died in a car accident driving her to the hospital to have Samuel. The school is scared to keep him with the other kids. Even her sister Claire is afraid of Samuel especially to play with her own daughter Ruby. She finds a disturbing children's book about the Babadook. This sets off a scary series of events.

Normally, I hate annoying kids but this kid is brilliantly annoying. It's such a fascinating character and the mother's suffering can really be felt. I did expect this to turn into a monster movie but it becomes more of a psychological thriller which is perfectly great. The turn in Amelia is terrific. On a minor note, a scarier Babadook could have been even better.

Never written a review before. Haven't felt the need. But after seeing the 1 star reviews of this film,i just felt compelled.

Firstly,what this is.

I would say a cross between The Shining and We Need to talk about Kevin. This film is desperately sad. A woman who is haunted,first by her husbands death,then by the Babadook all while looking after her young son. This is a creepy, no jump scare, fantastic psychological horror. A rare gem that plays on all those fairytale fears that you may have had as a kid.

Second.What this isn't.

Well,not "The worst horror in years".I get that people have different opinions.I do.But this isn't a film that can justify that sort of nonsensical comment. It isn't a dull jump scare-filled blockbuster. The characters are not hot teenagers. They are believable, disturbed and this makes the film the slow,creeping horror that it is.

If you are a fan of horror,it really is a must see film.

There's a demon likes to get inside your mind, if he enters he can be a bit unkind, takes you down a winding path, a quite determined sociopath, doesn't care what trauma that he leaves behind. It's the kind of shade that's often caught alone, the recipient may feel they don't belong, an imposter in their world, wearing a mask fully unfurled, all life's treasures we take for granted, simply gone.

A stellar performance from Essie Davis in a film that will get you thinking about the effects life's challenges present and how you deal with them, albeit through the eyes of one possessed by demonic urges they can't control while becoming a silhouette of themselves.