Psychological Horror at its finest.

Rating: 9/10 (8 April 2019)

*SPOILER ALERT*
Jennifer Kent's "The Babadook" (2014) is a brilliant psychological thriller reinvents the stereotypical paranormal monster film that keeps forming questions within the viewer while keeping them on the edge of their seat. Widowed mother, Amelia and her son Samuel stumble across a red children's book that introduces a monster called the Babadook. Lights begin to flicker, cockroaches crawl out from behind the fridge, and knocking on the dresser echoes through the house and the audience feels the presence of the Babadook. The ominous gargling voice of the monster ruffles into the phone as Amelia picks it up in the middle of the night and suddenly, she knows that Samuel is not one to cry wolf. The creativity of this film really stands out when we finally see the Babadook in his most powerful form. The psychological flare of different moods and levels of irritability and aggressiveness that both of the characters experience when the Babadook is attacking, are so personal as they thrive off what people fear. Similar to the "The Exorcist"(1973) by William Friedkin, homage is paid through the scenes where the bed shakes and Samuel begins to find himself in trouble at school. The film does an excellent job of being unpredictable and not fully showing the monster throughout the film to keep you on edge. It is worth noting that it is not easy to get rid of this thing either. Amelia is introduced to an unprecedented level of fear when she discovers the mended children's book back on her front step as it relays a terrifying illustration of her killing Samuel and the dog. This is one of the many horrifying elements that keeps the viewer up all night just as it does for both Samuel and Amelia; as the Babadook is always lingering within the shadows.