Ba-BA-Ba Dook Dook DOOK, The Story of the Bababook

Rating: 10/10 (27 March 2017)

There are movies that are loud and upfront with their horror, such as John Carpenter's Halloween. But then there are movies such as Jennifer Kent's The Babadook, that are very subtle about their terror playing off of ideas and concepts that leave a lasting impact hours after the film has ended. This is not meant to bash the wonderful slasher that is Halloween, but instead praises The Babadook for its supreme use of tension and atmosphere to terrify the audience.
In this film, Essie Davis plays Amelia, a single mom caring for her young son named Samuel (Noah Wiseman) who is terrified of monsters, while at the same time dealing with her husband's death. One night Samuel picks the book Mister Babadook for Amelia to read, it talks about how the "Babadook" comes and scares kids. Both Amelia and Samuel appear to be terrified from the book, this initiates the beginning of their horrifying journey.
Jennifer Kent has orchestrated a haunting film that leaves a lasting impressing. From the use of high and low-key lighting to amplify the tension to the brilliant quietness which haunts the film, each and every detail in the film help builds an overwhelming sense of suspense. As a critique, most horror films nowadays tend to overplay their shock factor or "jump scares" in their film. While this might be horrifying, it does not leave a lasting impression. The Babadook achieves a perfect balance between horror and terror, leading to an utterly terrifying masterpiece. I give Jennifer Kent's The Babadook a 10/10