The Babadook Review

Rating: 8/10 (27 March 2017)

The film "The Babadook" takes an unique twist at horror that may not seem appealing to your every day horror movie thrill seekers. Jennifer Kent tosses away the modern scare tactics like jump scares and horrifying faces and instead gives us a psychological thriller. The film relies on an eerie atmosphere which is created through the use of lighting and shadows, creating darkness, leaving the audience in a constant state of paranoia. What really contributed to this constant paranoia was the effective use of sounds throughout the film. Even when Amelia was reading from the book, we hear this ambient sound which seems like it was used to unnerve the audience, preparing us for fright. From the skittering of the monster along the walls to the absolutely terrifying shriek of BA BA DOOK DOOK, the sounds really leave a chilling impression on the audience. In my opinion, an interesting concept is that the monster seems to be a symbolic reflection on Amelia's depression which increasingly developed as her mental state worsened from taking care of her annoyingly pretentious child. Overall, Jennifer Kent chooses not to scare you with stereotypical creepy images or noises but instead haunts you through the psychological decay of a grieving single mother.