Future classic.

Rating: 10/10 (23 November 2014)

If ever there's a film that's destined to be thoroughly misunderstood, it's The Babadook. All the trailers have it pegged to be an outright horror movie, filled with jumpscares and gore. Thankfully nothing could be further from the truth. Though it is a horror, this debut feature from Jennifer Kent relies on undercurrents of sadness and looming violence, an eerie atmosphere, and in my opinion, the scariest movie villain since little Regan chilled our blood in The Exorcist.
Back to it being misunderstood, though. It's already being criticized for all the things that make it great, simply because the trailers have misled people. This is also a thoughtful film that borders on being a flat-out drama examining a borderline-abusive mother-son relationship in the wake of extreme grief; albeit with a seemingly haunted kids book in tow. Brilliant as it is, the typical weekend horror movie audience aren't going to appreciate that, and so it has already received tons of backlash. So I warn you now; if you want jumpscares, gore, people being dragged across rooms etc. go see Annabelle or rent out Hostel, because this film will probably not be to your taste.
To those of you who aren't after those kinds of films (those of you with attention spans), this is an amazing, haunting film. As one reviewer pointed it, it plays out a bit like an extremely dark Tim Burton film, with it's slightly Gothic style and grim colour palate. As a horror, it's actually very effective. As I mentioned above, the titular character is extremely sinister and creepy, and is sure to join the ranks of legendary horror villains. He's used sparingly though, and the film manages to create many scary moments without him too; the kids book causing all the trouble is chilling to the bone, and Essie Davis is bone-rattling as a dangerously unhinged character (for that matter... I smell Oscar buzz for her role here).
As a drama, it's emotional and raw without ever running into camp (which could have happened very, very easily with this material). I won't ruin any of it (and I urge you to avoid reviews that do), but it makes for fascinating viewing that calls to mind both Pan's Labyrinth and The Exorcist, with a dash of the less fantastical We Need to Talk About Kevin, which this film actually beats, in my book.
This is definitely one of the best films of 2014, and a film that's destined for classic status, misunderstood or not.