Would have worked better without the subtext on the surface

Rating: 4/10 (1 July 2018)

Pretty average film. Not the worst, but not worthy of hype generated by its stars. It's different enough that I can see why it had an impact if you saw it without any prior knowledge of it, but if you're hyped about this film, you will be disappointed.
My biggest complaint about the film is that it a giant metaphor about the fears of a parent raising their kids in a dangerous world, but then it goes so far as to explain that, and make it the point of the film. Good horror has that bubbling underneath the surface so we are aware of it, but it is not overtly shoved in our faces. The Babadook did the same thing a couple of years back, literally explaining the premise that was working behind the horror. At that point the idea no longer becomes unnerving, it becomes obvious and no longer scary. Modern horror writers need to learn that less is more.
In the film's defense though, I just want to address the most common criticism of the film that being that the creatures can be killed by a shotgun so why doesn't everyone do it -
It's established early and often that the creatures have incredibly fast reaction times and that they are heavily armored (in newspaper headlines and a huge note written on his whiteboard that is featured often in the background). Emily Blunt was only able to shoot it with a shotgun because of her close proximity its weak spot which was exposed by her daughter discovering the feedback loop using her hearing aid. Once attracted to a noise the monsters do not leave an area until the source of the new sound has been 'found'. This is why the monsters only leave after the raccoons are killed. (This is also why the father sacrifices himself so they will leave the kids alone). So let's say you call one to shoot it with your shotgun. Assuming you don't get killed immediately, it hunts you until you try to shoot it. At which point you hit the armor and it kills you. We have no time frame and maybe other people around the world have discovered this. All we know is what is happening in this small part of the world. So please direct your complaints at any other part of the film and not this 'plot hole' that is really not that important and already explained in the context of this horror/fantasy film.