A wonderful, wholly original horror film

Rating: 9/10 (19 December 2014)

When we talk about the "greatest" horror films ever made, chances are titles like The Shining, Rosemary's Baby, Halloween, Carrie and The Exorcist are the first ones to be name checked – and for good reason. These films were all made by acclaimed directors interested in far more than just scaring audiences. Instead of barraging us with "jump scares," a horror trend that just won't die, these movies took the fears and anxieties that we as humans are forced to face at one point or another and personified them. Fear of being a parent, fear of the responsibilities of growing up, fear of being punished by a higher power, etc. The ability to put a face on our worst nightmares is what hits a nerve with horror fans and gives these films their power. In that respect, Jenifer Kent's feature directorial debut The Babadook deserves to at least be considered among the aforementioned sacred cows of horror.
Amelia (played by Essie Davis) is a single mother to her six year old son Samuel (Noah Wiseman). Her husband was killed in a car wreck while driving her to the hospital to give birth to Samuel. Six years later she still hasn't dealt with the trauma of losing her husband, repressing her grief and by extension many of her other emotions. This has resulted in her not being the mother she wishes she could be or even living a life with any kind of joy or happiness present. Her son has taken to bouts of tantrums, lashing out violently at anyone who threatens the life he and his mother have come to know as "normal," getting himself suspended from school and ultimately being an albatross to Amelia. What's more, he is prone to sleepless nights, fearful of monsters under the bed or in the closet. This leads us to one fateful evening when Samuel asks Amelia to read him a story before bed. The story, of course, comes courtesy of a mysterious book bearing the name of the film, The Babadook (with wonderfully creepy illustrations by Alexander Juhasz). Mr. Babadook threatens to show the reader "what's inside" and scare them to death. From this point on, the horror ramps up both inside the confines of their home and out in the real world but I'll leave that for you to experience.
Kent goes to great lengths to create the isolated world that our two main characters exist in. Even when they step outside, a feeling of claustrophobia is present. This is a world only inhabited by mother and son despite how many people may come and go in and out of their lives. This suffocating relationship can only lead to bad things happening and – SURPRISE! – they do, but what makes the horror of The Babadook stick is that these characters are fully realized and not just types.
Essie Davis is simply amazing in this role. She gives a demanding, emotional performance that asks her to shed many layers over the course of the film's 90 minutes and never hits a sour note. As a sleepless, desperate mother at her wit's end she excels, lashing out at her son and then immediately realizing and regretting her outburst and trying to absolve herself with ice cream. I defy you to find me a parent who hasn't had an identical altercation with their own child. You get the sense that she wants the best for Samuel but knows that she can't deliver, at least in her current station in life.
The other side of this coin is Noah Wiseman's turn as Samuel. He has been clearly coached to be our resident "creepy kid" but in this case his creepiness is part of his charm rather than a trait meant to illicit fear. Samuel is not the monster under the bed, he's the one who has to protect his family from that monster. Wiseman's wide eyes and shrill screams terrify us, sure, but we're scared for him. This isn't Omen 9: The Shithead – this is relatable horror, whether you're looking at it from Amelia's point of view or Samuel's. They're both helpless but they're both fighting, nonetheless, against forces aiming to destroy them both.
My only gripe with The Babadook is the look of the creature itself. Mr. Babadook appears to have been ripped right out of some generic J-horror ghost movie, specifically bringing to mind The Grudge – a comparison it pains me to make as I really loved this film and really hated The Grudge. Mr. Babadook moves with a quickness that brings to mind a cockroach scurrying away from light. This would be more effective had we not seen this kind of creature design over and over again for the past decade or so, but I digress. To dwell on the look of the monster is to miss the point of the film all together and deprive yourself of a truly terrifying and satisfying experience.
The Babadook is exciting because it not only understands great horror, it delivers on its knowledge of the genre without being meta (Scream, Cabin in the Woods). This is an original, confident horror film that will only get better with multiple viewings. On top of that, we now have to keep our eye on director Jennifer Kent, as she is surely going to be churning out some excellent work in the wake of the praise this film has been getting all year. The Babadook may very well be a launch pad for Kent and is absolutely a film that will be talked about when discussing great horror, at least when I'm participating in the conversation.