Drama-Horror hybrid at its finest, for what it's worth. Or: How acting and mood make a good film great.

Rating: 7/10 (18 January 2015)

The first word that came to mind when I tried to think how I would eventually review and rate this film was "different". The Babadook is absolutely different. I wouldn't say unique, or one of a kind, but it definitely has its own uniqueness which makes it unlike other films, and a lot better than most. Now, let me try and verbally describe the sensations brought upon by watching this.
First of all, the the plot is successful in being intriguing and fascinating regardless to having a pretty ordinary story. A mother and her small neurotic child face a supernatural being. We've seen it in the Hollywood adaptation of The Ring, ans in many other films whose names I am simply unable to recall at the moment. And, the inter-character dynamics and the slow downward spiral into insanity and despair make the suspense strong enough to overcome the overall mood and ambiance.
Second, as I've just mentioned, the mood and ambiance. The characters, the acting, the cinematography and the story create an almost unbearable sensation of discomfort, awkwardness and uneasiness. One could almost taste the stress, strain and frustration gone through by the mother, as well the fear and despair of the child. In a way, watching The Babadook is like going through a mental breakdown. More Drama than Horror, yet excellently executed and serves the overall sensation very well.
The acting is in all ways superb. The lead roles by Essie Davis (Amelia) and Noah Wiseman (her son Samuel) are absolutely marvelous, and the supporting cast isn't any less amazing. One could understand the main plot and the relationships and dynamics between the characters simply by watching the actors and actresses do their job. As a viewer who is always impressed by young characters, Wiseman's acting was in my opinion the best, but altogether the acting is way more realistic, authentic and disbelief suspending than the usual Hollywood acting in Horror films.
As for the supernatural part, we don't really see the Babadook, but we definitely feel its presence and its relentless grip on the main characters. The effects are just right, not too flamboyant yet not lacking, And of course, the book... Dear Lord, that book is probably responsible to 50% of the Horror motive of this film, if not more. The film also uses some jump scares emphasized by the eerie aggressive soundtrack, but these only serve to support the overall sensation of haunting and fear, not to solely create them.
There were some parts of the film I didn't like, of course. As a six year old boy, Wiseman's character is way too capable if you ask me, not to mention way to courageous... That is not how I would expect a 6 year old to deal with a supernatural evil terrorizing him and his mother, and how he'd been able to create his "toy" weapons is beyond me... Also, the ending wasn't only anticlimactic but a flat disappointment. I'm not only referring to the lack of plot twists, but to the complete lack of logic and accordance with the plot. That film deserved a better ending.
All in all, I can't say this film was "fun" to watch. The uneasy awkward feeling it gives throughout most of it is not enjoyable. Then again, it isn't meant to be. While most Horror films dealing with supernatural evils and the haunting of characters aim mainly for fear, the Babadook uses the plot tools usually utilized by different sub-genres like the ones dealing with torture, hunts, murderers and such others. It is still, in my opinion, a great film achieving precisely the goals set out by it. I don't think I'll be watching it again, but I would definitely recommend it to Horror fans looking for something new, innovative and refreshing in a genre that usually fails in breaking the boundaries of old.