I'm Baba-hooked!

Rating: 8/10 (26 March 2018)

The Babadook is a unique and ambitious debut film from Australian director Jennifer Kent. This film offers a chilling look into the life of a widowed mother, Amelia (Essie Davis), as she battles with the loss of her husband years prior, and copes with the difficulty that comes with singularly caring for her son, Samuel (Noah Wiseman). The Babadook has continued to gain traction over the past five years as more and more people discover the horrific bedtime story it presents, revealing one of the absolute best horror films of the 21st century that can be found right on Netflix.
As the viewer, we don't know whether Samuel is lying about seeing the monster he claims is real, and we aren't even sure if what Amelia is seeing is authentic, either. The concept of sleep deprivation plays a major part in the movie and messes with the minds of its characters as well as its audience, since sleep deprivation causes scary side effects like hallucinations and cognitive impairment. While in the end it is left unknown as to what the monster truly is, the finale is executed in a disturbing, uncomfortable way.
What truly makes The Babadook so effective is that its plot appears to be rooted in reality, being based on actual psychological problems rather than just the supernatural. While many horror films rely on genre tropes and excessive amounts of gore and nudity, Kent offers her audience a psychological, noteworthy story that goes against cliches for a genuinely possessed woman monster, complex characters and an ultimately profound message.