The Babawhat?

Rating: 6/10 (2 May 2015)

This decent if somewhat over praised modern psychological horror film stars Essie Davis as Amelia. Amelia is a single mother raising six year old Samuel (Noah Wiseman) by herself because the husband / father died while trying to transport Amelia to the hospital in the first place. Now Samuel is acting very strangely, insisting that he's interacting with the terrifying spectral beast of the title. His troubling (to say the least) behaviour leads her to start really losing her mind, which has already been in a fragile state ever since hubby's death.
This viewer found it a little too hard to care that much about these main characters, and the basic story is rather average. Yes, writer / director Jennifer Kent does deserve some credit, for choosing to go a mostly traditional route in terms of horror. She creates a mood, and an atmosphere, and some genre fans will be pleased to note that, for the most part, she eschews the use of excessive gore. She's also smart to keep her villain shadowy and vague and barely seen; while this approach might not appeal to some horror devotees, this viewer thinks that, often, the less he knows about the antagonist, the better. Lastly, Kent never allows special effects to overtake any drama, keeping them to a minimum.
The performance from leading lady Davis certainly reveals a deep sense of commitment. Granted, her histrionics come off as a little much, but she absolutely does not phone this performance in. She gives it her all. Little Wiseman is pretty impressive, and appealing through it all.
Overall, a good watch, not a great one.
Six out of 10.