Worth the Hype

Rating: 9/10 (12 May 2015)

The Babadook, like Sinister, is one of those horror movies that has far more of an impact if you happen to be a parent, I think. Personally, I found it to be a substantially more spooky movie than a lot of the things I've seen...relying less on jump scares than a sense of tension the narrative builds up in the viewer(s) combined with a genuinely creepy premise. This is one of those movies like Session 9, where you spend a good portion of the time unsure as to whether there is actually some supernatural agent imposing its malevolent will upon the character or if these apparent supernatural elements are manifestations of a psychological breaking point being reached. There is a very real transition that takes place within both of the protagonists through the course of the movie, especially where the son is concerned, going from a child that would legitimately drive any parent insane to the more stable and coherent voice in the household by the climax. There have been a number of good films to have come out of Australia over the years, but this one is going to be within my top five for some time to come, I suspect.