Journey into Madness

Rating: 6/10 (19 October 2017)

I have been catching up on many of the horror films I've missed in the past few years, so I've seen a great many in a relatively short period of time. Judging The Babadook within this context, I was pleasantly surprised at the scare quality of this film.
The Babadook is the story of a woman's slow, inexorable descent into madness, driven by grief and loneliness (she's a widow), and the stress and anxiety of raising a child with mental and behavioral problems. The pacing is superb as we gradually witness her unhinging, subtle at first, and then outright powerful toward the end. So overwhelming is her challenge that help from various outside parties - a kindly neighbor, school guidance counselors, a co-worker - is not enough to counter her fall.
I also thought that creating a mythical horror character in a child's book was a refreshing idea as a plot device. (I couldn't help but view the special feature in the bonus section that highlighted the creation and creator of the book). This creates the Babadook as a metaphor for the doubts and fears of mother and child, and links the special bond the mother and son have, as well as the shared experience of having to go through these terrible travails together. Yet, eventually, the mother and son gain their strength and confidence together, enough so as to defeat those same fears in the end.
I also liked the execution of the film, though it will probably be viewed as average by many. Most scenes involving the actual Babadook take place in darkness and shadows, which is expected, I suppose. And is it just me, or did they amp up the sound when Babadook screamed/groaned/shrieked? Ordinarily, I'd find this irksome, but it really goosed up the tension for me, putting me more on edge in certain scenes.
All in all, there's enough uniqueness here to recommend The Babadook as a one time view, but you probably wouldn't count this as a classic that is a must-own.