Eerie horror film

Rating: Null/10 (13 August 2015)

I knew next to nothing about this movie when I sat down to watch it, only knowing that it had received some serious raves from critics and audiences alike. After watching it, I do agree (for the most part) that the movie deserves the praise it has received. The horror sequences, the meat of the movie, are pretty spooky. Interestingly, however, a lot of the horror isn't your typical kind. What's often distressing is seeing Essie Davis' character slowly losing a grip on what would be considered a comfortable life. She loses sleep, her employment is threatened, and the child welfare authorities are called in, among other distressing happenings to this character. These parts of the movie are pretty well done as well as the straight horror parts of the movie, and combined make the movie an effectively uncomfortable watch at times.
Some viewers may be disappointed that the Babadook's sudden entrance, various acts, and ultimate intent are not really explained. But that did not matter much to me - sometimes a horror that is unexplained can come across more frightening. If there is a real fault to be found in the movie, it would be that it feels a little long and drawn out at times. If it had been cut by ten to fifteen minutes, I think it would have run more smoothly. But if you are in a patient mood, the movie does have enough jolts and spooky situations to make it worth a look.