A very deep film with lots of symbolism

Rating: 8/10 (13 April 2016)

This piece is more of analysis than a review. Therefore, it is filled with spoilers. So reader beware! The Babadook is too deep of a film for me to just offer up a simple "I like this film because of its depth, mystery and special effects. (and yes I do like the film for these things – and so much more!)" It is begging for thoughtful analysis. Or maybe it's just my analytical mind that desires such an examination. It is a film rich with symbolism, so much so that I cannot help but dive underneath the layers to see what is lurking from within.
On the surface, the film is a "monster hiding in closet" story - a child's nightmare, etc. The monster in this film is a shadowy figure called "The Babadook". But the film is much more than this.
he Babadook represents all the repressed feelings that dwell within the mother and son twosome since the death of Oskar Vanek. Up and until Amelia encounters The Babadook, Sam's impressions of him are left to the viewer's imagination. Perhaps this is because his fears, though no less real, are more vague. He never knew his father, but still he suffers from his absence. He lacks discipline and courage. Having a mother who is unbalanced and overstressed does not help his situation. Sensing Amelia's hesitations about being a mother, he feels insecure.
Amelia has never properly grieved. She has buried many emotions and they are bubbling to the surface. Sorrow and sadness are definitely part of the mix, but she possesses feelings that are much more toxic. She is bitter. Her husband died so the Sam might be brought into this world. She blames Sam for this. She even hates him at times. Through her eyes, we see the shadowy creature. We see it possess her, and this is when her bitterness is in full form. She even admits that she would have been happier had he died instead of her husband.
Although Amelia is behaving cruelly, Sam still loves her and comes to her aid. Together they defeat Mister Babadook. But they don't kill him. Rather, he flees to the basement of the house. There he stays. Mother and son are happy at the film's end. They love each other. Both have said some hurtful things to the other, but this is what can happen when a hodge-podge of negative feelings goes unchecked. The feelings fester and amalgamate and create a character that is foreign to the host that harbors such sentiments. People become monsters; unrecognizable abominations of their former selves.
The Babadook is a great film. Thankfully, it lacks "high-octane" scares and gore. In its place there is good old' fashioned story-telling and mood development. Oh, and great artwork! Mister Babadook appears genuinely creepy