The Babadook, the first film from writer director Jennifer Kent, does not think of its audience as stupid and as a matter of fact, the film can be interpreted one of two ways: literal and figurative. As if the styles of John Carpenter, David Lynch, and Tim Burton could have an offspring, the film is extremely visually interesting. Frankly, no one in their right minds would ever live in a house the way that actors Essie Davies and Noah Wiseman do. A perfect combination of all aspects of filmmaking and perhaps the most visually creepy monster in years create the perfect storm of terror, confusion, and emotion. The Babadook is one of the few genuinely frightening films I've ever seen and one of the best horror films ever made.
Amelia is a single mother living with her son Samuel. Her husband passed away 6 years earlier in a car accident that occurred on the way to the hospital when Amelia was to give birth to her only son. In the present day, her son's birthday serves only to bring her reminders of that terrible day. Samuel one day finds a book on his shelf he asks her to read. The book is titled "Mister Babadook." After reading the story to the boy, he begins to prepare for an imminent encounter with Mr. B. Amelia tries to talk some sense into her son, but soon begins to notice strange appearances and sounds that would suggest otherwise. A psychological and physical battle ensues between the mother and son and an enemy attacking them at their most vulnerable moment in their lives.
There is an old saying amongst filmmakers that you should never work with animals or children. Noah Wiseman as Samuel delivers an extremely powerful performance. At times, he is sensitive, vulnerable, and fearful, then turns in the opposite direction. Essie Davis is also spectacular as Amelia, showing a woman who is weathered and haunted by the constant memory of the death of her husband and birth of her child.
But perhaps the greatest strength of Dook is the quality that will divide viewers. The film greatly eschews the sense of reality being seen by the audience. Are we dealing with literal occurrences happening on screen or is there something deeper happening. The films ending will certainly have people talking for a while afterwards as to what they've just watched. But this is a good thing. Going back to my thoughts on studio horror pictures, all events in those types of films must be spelled out, dumbed down and conclude on a positive note. Babadook in many ways does not resolve, at least not in the way that we want it to.
As a horror fan, I will be the first to say that modern, big studio horror films suck. They flat out suck. It pains me to think that studios like Fox, Universal, and MGM were producing the best horror films ever made have been reduced to remakes. The Babadook proves that there is still hope in the world of cinematic terror and holy crap is it frightening. The film doesn’t rely on a single jump scare to frighten its audience and instead chooses to toy with them psychologically, just as it does with its protagonists. Beyond that terror, the film is about living with a memory that can haunt us every single day of our lives. Jennifer Kent’s film is dark, expressionist, and at times downright weird. It blurs the line between reality and fantasy to create not only one of the best films of the year, but one of the best horror films ever made.
The Babadook is now available on VOD, Blu-Ray & DVD (courtesy of the great folks at Scream Factory), and streaming on Netflix
There is an old saying amongst filmmakers that you should never work with animals or children. Noah Wiseman as Samuel delivers an extremely powerful performance. At times, he is sensitive, vulnerable, and fearful, then turns in the opposite direction. Essie Davis is also spectacular as Amelia, showing a woman who is weathered and haunted by the constant memory of the death of her husband and birth of her child.
But perhaps the greatest strength of Dook is the quality that will divide viewers. The film greatly eschews the sense of reality being seen by the audience. Are we dealing with literal occurrences happening on screen or is there something deeper happening. The films ending will certainly have people talking for a while afterwards as to what they've just watched. But this is a good thing. Going back to my thoughts on studio horror pictures, all events in those types of films must be spelled out, dumbed down and conclude on a positive note. Babadook in many ways does not resolve, at least not in the way that we want it to.
As a horror fan, I will be the first to say that modern, big studio horror films suck. They flat out suck. It pains me to think that studios like Fox, Universal, and MGM were producing the best horror films ever made have been reduced to remakes. The Babadook proves that there is still hope in the world of cinematic terror and holy crap is it frightening. The film doesn’t rely on a single jump scare to frighten its audience and instead chooses to toy with them psychologically, just as it does with its protagonists. Beyond that terror, the film is about living with a memory that can haunt us every single day of our lives. Jennifer Kent’s film is dark, expressionist, and at times downright weird. It blurs the line between reality and fantasy to create not only one of the best films of the year, but one of the best horror films ever made.
The Babadook is now available on VOD, Blu-Ray & DVD (courtesy of the great folks at Scream Factory), and streaming on Netflix
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