An incredibly well made film that is a lot more than what it first seems

Rating: 9/10 (11 March 2015)

'The Babadook' really isn't that scary, which is usually the number one requisite for a horror movie, but this is a rare case of that not really mattering because there is so much other brilliance to the film. It starts out like any other horror movie and I thought to myself here we go again, but by the halfway point I was beginning to realise this was something quite unique and fascinating. The acting was fantastic and there was clearly more going on that what immediately met the eye.
A couple of months back I was reading which actresses were expected to be given Oscar nominations and someone mentioned that Essie Davis in 'The Babadook' was the best performance of the year and that they were disappointed she had no chance of being nominated. I thought to myself how bizarre it was to hear of an actress in a horror movie being given such critical acclaim. The genre just typically doesn't allow for such a thing. Now I understand however. Her performance is incredible. Every aspect of her acting was impeccable right throughout the film. No matter the mood of the scene, she nailed it. Another very fine Australian performance from 2014 to go with Sarah Snook in 'Predestination'.
It's a great film. Seeing it is only half the fun though, because reading all the theories and small details that may have been missed is a real pleasure. I can't remember a horror movie that seems to have created this much debate and discussion in..... well, possibly ever. The annoying son was an absolutely marvelous creation of a character because it really did put us in the position and understanding point of view of the mother throughout.
Had director Jennifer Kent been able to accomplish more frights (the scenes were there to do it) I think this had the potential to go down as an all-time classic. Unfortunately though some people subscribe to the theory that if they pay for a horror movie, they want to be scared. Those particular people also generally don't care too much about underlying messages or metaphors either. A shame because if everyone took the time to appreciate this for what it really is I think they would find some real joy.