When Depression Becomes Your Inner Demon

Rating: 8/10 (27 March 2017)

The Babadook takes a unique approach to horror which is why most people do not find the movie good or scary. This film is smart because instead of taking the approach of jump scares or a scary monster, Kent decides to go after pure, terrifying emotions such as grief and depression which make the viewers have a sense of discomfort. The mother in this film is going through an incredibly hard time with not only being reminded of her dead husband around every corner, but also her son struggling in school and being disobedient. Not only was she struggling but her son is also struggling and we see both characters dealing with these emotions which are conveyed through lighting and mise-en- scene. Kent uses a relatively gray color scheme and places multiple objects in the frame to correlate the Babadook to her husband. This connection is important to realize because it is what makes the movie so beautiful and gives it a much deeper meaning. The Babadook is an allegory for the level of her depression and grief, which is expressed non-stop throughout the film throughout the monster's actions. Kent does an incredible job at capturing these emotions and conveying an uncomfortable feeling to the audience. Overall, I think that The Babadook is a revisionist film that is able to make the audience relate to the emotions the mother and son are going through while still encompassing some of the horror elements found in films such as It Follows to an extent.