Hhhaaaa-Hhaaaa-Holy Crap! Scary!

Rating: 9/10 (28 June 2015)

THE BABADOOK (2014) A REVIEW BY JP MAY 29, 2015
"Whether it's in a word or in a look, you can't get rid of the Babadook." -I can think of no better way to sell a dark fairy tale bit of horror than a rhyming tagline.
MAAA-MAAAA-MOVIE CONDITIONING: A PREFACE The only thing that intrigued me more than the chilling trailer to Writer/Director Jennifer Kent's career-jump-starting psychological horror, or "PSYCHORROR"-(TM by JP)-titled "The Babadook", it was the odd split of love & hate in the comment thread (where I'd exuberantly-posted the trailer), word-of-mouth, and even online.
Examples: "I thought it was the best horror film I've seen in years!"-stated a fellow horror aficionado. "I hated it," simply added by a distant comedic/horror-loving equal & also by a co-worker. Rotten Tomatoes gave it 96% while IMDb squeaked it just above mediocre with a 6.1.
It is rare to find such a defined variance in cinema. Whether we like it or not, humans are more alike than most care to admit. When it comes to entertainment, there is commonly a majority on the "yay" or "nay" that spells make-or-break for a film's acclaim & possible cult status. With this film, I can only venture to guess why there were those who did not care for-or even hated-what I consider the most intense, thought-provoking, manipulative, spooky, freaky, nightmare-conjuring instant classic in the horror canon arguably in more than 4 decades.
Perhaps some did not agree with certain parenting behavior, but not being a Dad myself (although I'm bordering on "Daddy" status), for Samuel's (Noah Wiseman) Mother Amelia (Essie Davis): a scarring combination of PTSD, a rambunctious child (Ritalin anyone?), and an often-thankless job—I hope were taken into consideration for all the Judge Judys out there. For those who downright hated it, I wonder if that is due to the constant anxiety throughout; comparable to saying what all Potter fans will unite upon: HATE Umbridge! But how many would agree Imelda Staunton's giggle-cringing/rage-inducing performance played a strong hand in bringing Rowling's despicable fear- capitalizing witch-bitch to fiery fruition? Okay maybe not in those many words, but you get the gist. Whatever the case may be, we are all entitled to our opinion (especially film), and I LOVED THIS INSANE GASP-FEST OF HORRORS!
HAAA-HAAA-HOLY SH*T!!! I THINK I JUST PIDDLED A BIT The extended AAAs in my usual section titles are one of the best examples of simple-but-effective fright tactics. I'll admit the trailer's turtle-heading hook left this viewer with: the scratchy, demonic rattle of guttural din implied to be the voice of the Babadook (Tim Purcell is credited as the title character & there is no person credited as "Voice of Babadook")—never truly left my head since it first slithered upstairs. Unlike most films nowadays whose previews exhaust every frame worthy of seeing, this unique unsettling-indie's surface had merely been scratched rather than a full-on possession (which may/may not apply to this film for those who have yet to experience it). Uneven flow as seemingly-erratic as the lead's uncertain psychological status added nicely to the dread. Stressful pitch blackness was accentuated by the painstakingly- tackled lighting cinematographer Radek Ladczuk carved into the creepy house's shadows (which were unwelcome characters in themselves) inhabiting the MANY smudge (cleansing)-needed corners. Sign of a great score parallels great editing: they flow without being noticed and do not distract from the story; both strong qualities here. The claustrophobic setting and unknown cause of the many attributable disturbances spin macabre theories up to (and even following) the climax, adding mystery to the mental mayhem already present. The Babadook creature's clever, shoestring-budget-turned- epic-scary "pop-up" design and all its movements, sounds, and goosebump-forcing shrieks stood proudly as an effective bit of squirm-infecting.
BAA-BAAA-BAD CHOICE FOR 1 JP DO-NOT-GO-THERE ELEMENT There are 2 types of fully-executed violence I am against in film. Though there IS an ATTEMPTED-rape in my book "Downhome", it DID further the satisfaction of the attacker's downfall. Otherwise, I would rather not tread that unpleasant path if at all possible. The other is harm to animals. The only exception would be "Cujo", but that's only to put the poor dog out of his misery. Sadly, Kent's script did apparently deem one of these "JP-DON'Ts" necessary to intensify threat levels to a "SH*T JUST GOT REAL!"-status. Foreshadowing early-on does prepare viewers, but this one hoped it would not come to pass. I was sadly mistaken and although tastefully-implied just out-of-frame, the action caused a major strike against it. However, aside from little Noah Wiseman's migraine- worthy screams and occasional poor takes, there was really nothing else to mention dropping "Babadook" below a "Better Than Average" rating. However, prior to the 1-2 seconds of unfortunate cruelty, I had given it an "Exceptional".
Above all aforementioned "Babadook" benefits, even those who "hated" this film would most likely be lying simply to be contradictory NOT TO AGREE that Essie Davis's brilliantly-vicious performance proved just as-to equal to-all the way to surpassing the title monster's most-frightening-aspect-pedestal. She really embraced Amelia's disparaging spiral downwards to moments of discomfort few actors could convey with such effortlessness. If Davis's career does not pick up from here, the film industry is more doomed than I realized. The same can also be said for the lady in charge: Jennifer Kent. I only wish I had come up with this great addition to the horror elite where few reside e.g. the horror "Criterion".
JP'S VERDICT: 4 OUT OF 5 PAWS—BETTER THAN YOUR AVERAGE BEAR