“Not all children’s books have a happy ending!”

During the month of November of 2014, there were lots of great movie releases, many of which received Oscar nominations.  As I was scrolling through the list of releases, I came across a funny title of a film I’d known nothing about.  Now I’ll admit, I don’t always agree with critics, but it’s hard to ignore a certified fresh score of 90+.  The film in question is the critically acclaimed Australian thriller The Babadook (taken from the Serbian word for Boogeyman – Babaroga).  Written and directed by Jennifer Kent in her full length feature film debut, and based on her short film Monster, it has received outstanding positive reviews from horror critics and fans alike.

THE PLOT

Amelia (Essie Davis) is a single mother struggling to keep it together raising her troubled young son Samuel (Noah Wiseman).  The driving force behind her difficulties is the lingering pain she endures daily since the loss of her husband, who died tragically in a car accident.  To make the matter worse, the couple was on their way to the hospital due to Amelia going into labor with Samuel.  Now, what should be a happy yearly celebration is just a painful reminder of the terrible day.

The trouble that Samuel is dealing with is typical of a young child, which is the common fear of a “monster in the closet.”  To try and ease his mind, Amelia lets him choose any book he wants her to read as a bedtime story.  He chooses an obscure book from his shelf entitled “Mister Babadook.”  Not sure of the origin of the book, she decides to read it anyway, which only fuels his fear even more.  Now Samuel is convinced that the alleged “monster” he’s afraid of is the “Babadook.”

As the days go on, Samuel’s behavior intensifies and becomes almost unbearable for Amelia to handle.  Not only that, but it seems that this “Babadook” might actually be real (and not just in Samuel’s head) when Amelia starts to experience strange occurrences herself.  As she studies the book more closely, there seems to be an underlying message when she “reads between the lines,” and now she must face the “Babadook” in order to save herself and her son from a VERY unhappy ending!

SHOULD YOU SEE IT?

I would advise anyone to watch this remarkable film with an open mind.  If you’re looking for a gory jump-scare filled horror movie, then this might not be for you.  This film could be labeled as more of a suspenseful thriller drama than a full on horror movie.  That being said, I really enjoyed it myself!  It is best viewed in the dark with no distractions in order to get the full effect.  If you can let yourself become immersed in it, the film can really get under your skin and creep you out both emotionally and mentally.  Jennifer Kent did a great job with this one, and definitely solidified herself as one of those “directors to watch.”

“I’ve never seen a more terrifying film than The Babadook. It will scare the hell out of you as it did me.” – William Friedkin (The Exorcist).  If the director of one of the scariest movies of all time gives a film this kind of praise, it’s definitely worth a watch!