Babadook review

Rating: 7/10 (27 March 2017)

SPOILER ALERT
In this film, as in many other horror films, somewhere along the line you realize that the thing to be feared the most is, in fact, your very own fear. Not to say that monsters are not real, however, more to say that they can only exist to the degree that we let them. Knowing this will help you identify the true identity of the Babadook and the extensive metaphorical network that director Jennifer Kent creates throughout the film. From the very first scene of the movie, that is brought to us in the form of a dream and a flashback in one, it becomes obvious what the trauma is that haunts both the mother and son throughout the film, in a literal sense. The trauma that is from the loss of their husband/father. It is the mise en scene that first shows their joint depressions. The absence of color represents the absence of the husband/father and the collective loss of happiness that results. The next part of the metaphor is the sons fear of all of these monsters. The more adamant he becomes about the existence of these monsters (especially the babadook) the more frustrated and irritated the mother becomes. As her depression strengthens throughout the film, so does the Babadook, explaining the true allegory. The reason the mom denied the monsters existence for so long, is actually her denying her depression's existence. Only at the end when the two of them are jointly fighting against her depression (the Babadook) do they succeed in creating a happy life together. This is representative of most people who are dealing with depression needing help from their loved ones in order to establish healthy coping methods. Even after viewing the full film and having time to digest the content, it seems to leave many viewers wondering which parts were real or dreams. This is actually a key part of the metaphor. Depression's effects can be deceptive and exhausting. Certain things can be made very literal or real to depressed people, and the question becomes not, "what is real?" but rather, "what is real to them?" The Babadook is very real to the two main characters, even at the end of the film. When viewed critically, this metaphor can be extended to every issue and character's objective relating to the plot which is why it is known as a "smart film."