Modern Homage to Classic Horror

Rating: 6/10 (10 May 2016)

The Babadook
This is what nightmares are made of. Not to mention that the movie plays on the fears of being a single mother. I can't relate but I totally see where this is coming from. Everyone is completely believable. No one feels out of place and no one under performs. If anything the acting is too on point that I felt bad for this fictional person.
Amelia, played by Essie Davis, isn't dolled up, she's just your average single mom who hasn't gotten over her husbands death. Because she and her son haven't grieved properly their relationship is a mess.
Samuel, played by Noah Wiseman, was excellent as a kid. Almost as if the director said be as annoying and loud as possible. I loved to hate how annoyingly real he was. The kid has a great arc which just goes to show you how well written the characters were.
Jennifer Kent shines as her writing impresses, but her direction and choices were nothing special. The acting and writing is what stands out. You can't expect anyone's first major film to be as polished in direction. Some of the effects are goofy almost silly, and then some of them are horrifying.
The ending was familiar, expected, and odd. Lots of homages to other horror movies which was either awesome if intentional or cheap if otherwise. There was this odd horror noise that sounds an awful lot like a dinosaur from Turok. The ending was all over the place. Point of View of the Babadook was weird.
Verdict: Watch if you can handle scary movies, otherwise you (if you have kids) might have trouble sleeping. The movie has flaws but I enjoyed it.