If It's In A Word Or It's In A Book, You Can't Get Rid Of The Babadook

Rating: Null/10 (27 November 2014)

An Australian chiller that gets most things right than wrong in a time when almost every other example of its genre is filled with clichés & cheap thrills, The Babadook arrives as a handsomely crafted horror film that presents a welcome absence of jump scares & relies on a chilling sense of dread brought upon by its moody atmosphere to deliver the frights.
The Babadook tells the story of a single mother who is still grieving the loss of her husband despite many years having been passed since the tragic incident & is on the verge of falling apart due to her child's behavioural problems & continuous fear of a monster lurking in the house. But very soon, she comes to realize that the monster part may not be all made-up.
Written & directed by Jennifer Kent, it was the film's glowing reviews that made me check it out in the first place but it didn't turn out to be scary at all. But unlike most horror films of today, this one touches on some deeper human emotions with a plot that's soaked in symbolism & themes. Cinematography makes really good use of lighting, contrasts & shadows, editing is a mixed bag while music has a mostly muted but effective presence.
Coming to the performances, Essie Davis stars in the role of the single mother & her work here is really good as one can make out that her character is going through a lot right from the opening moments. Noah Wiseman plays the annoying kid who ultimately manages to get on everyone's nerves as the story progresses which pretty much explains her mother's dilemma since anyone will go absolutely crazy with a child like that.
On an overall scale, despite getting to see such amazing word-of-mouth reception for this film from most people here as well as critics, The Babadook turns out to be an underwhelming cinematic experience for me even though I do admire its effort to try something different with the genre & its take on grief plus creepy ambiance is excellently carried out. Maybe I expected too much but Jennifer Kent's feature film debut is nonetheless a well-crafted chiller worthy of a shot.