Miss Fisher, what has happened to you?!

Rating: 9/10 (14 May 2015)

Essie Davis is rather famous in her native Australia for starring in a wonderful television show "Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries". In the show, Davis is very glamorous--with he lovely black hair and perfect makeup and clothes. So imagine my surprise when I saw Davis starring in "The Babadook"--with her natural strawberry blonde hair and absolutely no makeup whatsoever. In fact, instead of being a timeless beauty like she is in "Miss Fisher", Davis looks haggard and old in this film--perfect for the character but also a bit daring and very brave considering her sexy image as Miss Fisher.
In "The Babadook", Davis plays a harried and overwhelmed mother. Her husband was killed on the way to the hospital when she was going into labor and for the last six years, she's refused to deal with this loss. Additionally, her child is a holy terror--one that would drain even Mary Poppins! These serious problems combined with clinical depression and a lack of sleep make for an interesting combination. Soon, a frightful character from a sick children's book, "The Babadook", begins terrifying and tormenting her. Soon the audience begins to wonder just how real any of this is and just how close to losing her sanity this poor woman is.
This film is a very, very different sort of horror film. It lacks the usual cheap thrills and frights...and I appreciate that. Instead it shows the darkest recesses of the human mind and is enthralling. Much of it is due to Davis' amazing performance (she makes the film) and bizarre plot. This is much more of a thinking person's horror film-- one you won't soon forget.