The horror of "The Babadook" comes from a different place than it appears

Rating: 9/10 (19 June 2017)

Horror – especially demons and monsters – as metaphor for psychological trauma isn't a novel idea by any stretch, but Jennifer Kent's "The Babadook" is a particularly riveting execution of this concept. Combining modern horror archetypes (e.g. the supernatural, possession, creepy children's things) with emotional family drama, "The Babadook" powerfully taps into fears both imagined and painfully real.
"The Babadook" gets under the skin by anchoring its story in the relationship of a single mother, Amelia (Essie Davis), and her son, Samuel (Noah Wiseman), whose behavioral challenges are a source of great anxiety for both of them. Samuel is 6 years old and always talking of monsters, building weapons and requiring a lot of his mother's attention. His school wants to pull him out of his class to address his behavior. As a result, Amelia barely sleeps, and compounding matters is that she's still wrestling with the loss of her husband, who died rushing her to the hospital for Samuel to be born.
After 20 minutes of solidly establishing the relatable woes of parenthood and how easily misunderstood children are, Samuel pulls an unusual bedtime story off his bookshelf about a boogeyman-type figure named the Babadook who comes to scare children. This only aggravates their sleeping problems, of course, but eventually the book's warnings start to take an eerily real turn.
What makes "The Babadook" stand out from similar contemporary boogeyman/supernatural horror films is that the child isn't affected nearly as much as the mother. The focal point of the story gradually shifts to Amelia, to the point that we are just as terrified of what she might do as the stress and lack of sleep continues to compound as we are with the Babadook. This shift really takes hold when a new version of the book appears on Amelia's doorstep after she had torn up the pages, this time featuring disturbing new illustrations.
Kent does excellent work behind the camera with D.P. Radek Ladczuk using a myriad of techniques including the incorporation of shadow and quick cuts between effectively posed shots to keep the suspense flowing in virtually every scene. The synergy between Kent and Davis is extremely evident as well, and Davis really drives home the roller coaster of emotions (and sanity) her character endures. It's one of the best horror performances in a film of this contemporary style. (She's also strangely reminiscent of Kirsten Dunst, but that's merely an observation.)
The connection between the supernatural elements of the Babadook and the ways it represents a manifestation of Amerlia's personal trauma and feelings is kept just tenuous and mysterious enough to work. If the Babadook weren't connected to her psychology at all, the film would feel like any other horror movie; if it were merely in her mind, we would have no reason to be kept in suspense. The balance and relationship between the two – Babadook as a real children's monster and as one's personal demons – keeps the film compelling and ultimately renders it a success.
Needless to say, the juicier, more interesting side of that balance is the psychological side. The way the events of the film push mother and child toward a much-needed reckoning gives the movie its savvy and poetic sensibilities. Maybe "The Babadook" isn't as scary or thrilling or bloody (definitely no payoff in that regard) as its contemporaries (I'd argue it is, though I'm admittedly not a horror junkie), but the dread it induces from its non-supernatural elements is another kind of terror altogether.
~Steven C
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