Well done but really not scary.

Rating: 5/10 (11 December 2014)

It's been awhile since I've posted a review so I hope this helps. I did not come away from this film feeling haunted. A strong, mind that I did not say great, film leaves me with a feeling of dread even after the film. It really has to make me feel uneasy while watching and keeps my eyes glued to the screen. Lucky McGee's The Woman did that. The Babadook did not. It was well done in the sense that it sets the mood for bad things to happen but it did not push through all the way toward terror and dread. Jennifer Kent did a great job in her first film both in writing and direction. I would say Andres Muschietti's Mama had a stronger feel for horror. I'm not a fan of the stereotypical woman who is generally weak in the face of major horrific issues whether they be internal or external. And this may be My problem. One, a soft female protagonist and Two, the origin of the evil force. I went on the statement put out by William Friedkin that this was a great horror film. Friedkin's endorsement was the impetus since I rank The Exorcist as the greatest horror film of all time. Alien is next. Both have smart, strong female characters that face an evil that is external to their understanding of reality. So The Babadook scores low for me there. My criticism is probably more a result of my preference than what the film really delivers to a general audience. I cannot see why anyone would give it one or two stars. I think you have to have a bad looking film for that. But, I thought the mood that Kent sets was great it just didn't send me over into that dreaded feeling. And I surely didn't think about it once the film was over.