More than just a great horror film - One of this year's best

Rating: 10/10 (16 December 2014)

Once in a while, there's a film you see that manages to subvert all your expectations and turns out to be something completely different, something better and deeper. THE BABADOOK is one of those films. I'd actually been aware of it for several months before finally getting the chance to see it, occasionally visiting its IMDb page and seeing glowing reviews come in from everyone who I follow. Now having watched it twice, I think I understand what's going on, and without a doubt it is one of the best horror films I've ever seen. More than just having a creepy atmosphere and some jump scares, it explores deep emotional themes in a highly metaphorical and truly unsettling way.
Without giving too much away, the basic story is about a single mother, Amelia (Essie Davis), and her child (Noah Wiseman), Samuel. Samuel is a rather difficult child, and Amelia is doing her best to raise him. One night, after waking up from a nightmare, Samuel picks a book for his mother to read to him: The Babadook. After this, strange things start to happen and they begin to sense a sinister presence with them in the house.
Now, earlier I said that it explores emotional themes. One in particular is that of grief and the loss of a loved one. Again, doing my best not to get into spoiler territory, this is key to understanding what happens in the film. I thought Essie Davis did a remarkable job as a mother who is plagued by grief and her emotional range in this film was amazing. Noah Wiseman also does a great job, especially for a child actor, as her son. At first, he's very bratty and unlikeable, but he gradually changes over the course of the film and you begin to understand him more as a character and a person. The supporting characters aren't as developed, but they merely provide a basis for how to view the events that transpire and as a conduit for the audience.
As far as horror films go, you could come away wondering what the big deal was, but then you'd have missed the point entirely. There are some typical horror movie scares and tropes, but all of that is window-dressing for the psychological horror that lies at the core. There is a creature, but it's only used and shown as much as needed. Also, in contrast to most horror movies these days, every effect was achieved practically or in-camera, quite the necessity for a low-budget film like this. I can't really think of anything bad to say. The only thing I'll caution is to go into this with an open mind, and to expect something a little more subtle than you might be used to. Other than that, I can't recommend this highly enough. Not just one of the best horror movies this year, but one of the best, period.