The Monsters in our Head

Rating: 8/10 (27 March 2017)

The Babadook is an interesting film that preys on our childhood fears and brings them to life in this dramatic turn of events between a widowed mother, Amelia, and her young son, Samuel. Although it took me two times to watch this film in its entirety, I was able to finally appreciate the psychological and emotional aspect the film was truly about. The pages of a terrifying children's book come alive throughout a series of unsettling events beginning with Amelia's subtle possession by the creepy figure of the narrative, The Babadook, as the intertextuality of the film pays homage to the classic horror film, The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973; USA). The utter annoyance of the young boy, Samuel, and the toll his antics has on both Amelia and her obvious depression, keeps you connected to Amelia's exhaustion and annoyance throughout the film. However, once you notice that Samuel's constant concern over The Babadook is a very real fear and that the creature does intend to hurt him and his mother, you are left with a sense of shock that this irritating child was right all along and only wanted to protect Amelia. The cool colors of the film and dark lighting used transports you to a state of watching that makes you feel as dull as how Amelia currently views her life. The Babadook brilliantly uses a typical "scary monster in the closet" figure to ultimately symbolically and literally depict how Amelia's depression is consuming her and makes the connection between an actual monster to the monsters in our head. The film simultaneously hints at the fact that if we try to repress these monsters within, it could lead to them growing into larger, powerful, all-consuming entities.