Do Not Look In This Book...

Rating: 10/10 (24 May 2020)

THE BABADOOK opens w/ a terrible accident. Seven years later, Amelia (Essie Davis) is raising her son, Samuel (Noah Wiseman) alone, while working at an elder care facility. Both remain devastated by the loss of their husband / father in the aforementioned tragedy. While Amelia has fallen into a deep depression, Samuel has become obsessed w/ protecting her, fearing that she could die at any moment. Samuel also exhibits some peculiar behaviors, resulting in his being pulled from school. Amelia is beside herself, unsure of what to do or where to turn. In the middle of all this, a strange book seems to simply appear in Samuel's bedroom. It looks like a child's pop-up book, so Amelia reads it to Samuel one night, and odd things start happening. What begins as a few weird but explainable occurrences, becomes increasingly menacing and dangerous. Are Amelia and her son being stalked by a supernatural entity, or is she just losing her grip on reality? Channeling elements and atmosphere from several, past genre classics, this film manages to incorporate them without being derivative. Ms. Davis is astonishing, shifting from terrified victim to terrifying threat w/ ease. The story can be viewed as a supernatural horror tale, a psychological thriller, or both. Part of what sets it apart is its emotional depth. It seems to have the greatest impact on viewers who have themselves suffered tragic loss. It is, at its core, about catastrophic loss, crippling sorrow, and eventual acceptance. A triumphant horror movie...