A ferocious performance at its centre, but still nothing special.

Rating: 6/10 (8 December 2014)

I've never been one for horror. I enjoyed last year's The Conjuring and the tongue-in- cheekness of 2012's The Cabin In The Woods, but they're still throwaway entertainment to me. The Babadook seems to have been building a lot of prestige for what it is. Perhaps that's because it's an independent film operating on a better level than what Hollywood calls horror these days. While I appreciate that the film is an allegory for grief, stress, and the demons of a widowed mother dealing with a difficult child, it definitely shows that more effort has gone into its conception, but it suffers from being very silly sometimes. The problem is that the film is inexplicably rushed. It may have a grungy atmosphere, but it lacks tension from such quick edits. It builds relentlessly without a satisfying payoff. That said, Essie Davis gives a terrific lead performance. I'm not quite sure about her angry outbursts, but the rest is striking and poignant work. The Babadook is a decent horror film thanks to its lead, but already overcelebrated.
6/10