Midnight Rambling!

Rating: 7/10 (9 May 2020)

The Babadook is a terrific debut feature for writer/director Jennifer Kent. On a limited budget, she has produced a work of genuine originality, whilst operating ostensibly in the horror genre. Crucial to the success of the film is lead actress Essie Davis, who gives a fantastic performance as, lonely, grieving widow Amelia, whose own depressed state, is only exacerbated by the obnoxious and anti-social behaviour of her extremely needy 6 year - old son, Samuel.
Much of the film is shot in Amelia's and Samuel's house, but the movie never feels in the least bit stagey. It was interesting reading Kent's comments that she originally envisaged deliberately fostering a 1950's set look, even considering filming in black and white to highlight the anachronistic feel. I'm personally glad she changed her mind over that concept and I think the skilful work of Polish cinematographer Radek Ladczuk, put the final seal on adopting any retro-look. The camera swings, tracks and zooms in and out of the Babadook's adopted residence, snake-like in it's character-revealing intent. The sound editing too is first-class. It always enhances the bleak, moody atmosphere and suspense quota, without inserting overpowering effects aiming for cheap jump shocks.
The Babadook is not flawless by any means. For whatever reason, Samuel is just established from the outset, as a complete brat. Thereafter, it becomes rather difficult for even the most compassionate of viewers to feel much sympathy for him. There's very much a repetition factor happening as well. We already are witness to the fact that he drives his mother towards exhaustion and exasperation by getting her up every night and eventually climbing into her bed. So there's not much happens that's different after the supposedly terror - inducing Mister Babadook book is discovered and read.
On a less significant level, Australian homes virtually never have the North American - like basement that is seen in the movie, crucial though it is to the plot. And I tend to agree with quite a few other reviewers that the conclusion appears to have escaped Kent somewhat. In the context of the rest of the film, there just seemed to be a sudden injection of unneeded special effects and Samuel's role in the way things panned out, seemed to me, to be rather ludicrous, considering his age and earlier behaviour.
But too reiterate, The Babadook is a very good initial outing for Jennifer Kent and I look forward to seeing her second production The Nightingale, about which, I've also heard really good things. Meanwhile appreciate The Babadook for what it really is. A clever, multi-layered story about how incredibly difficult being a parent to a troubled child can be. And it's all dressed up as a "horror movie". Who would have thought?