A superior chiller from Down Under

Rating: 9/10 (13 October 2016)

This Australian chiller follows single mother Amelia and her troubled six year old son Samuel. She hasn't got over the loss of her husband, who was killed in a car crash as he drove her to hospital on the day of Samuel's birth, and he believes that there are monsters in the house and has even gone as far as making weapons to fight them off. His behaviour affects his relationships with other children and ultimately his mother removes him from his school. Each might she reads him a story, one day he hands her a book she hasn't seen before; "Mister Babadook'. The story is distinctly creepy and Samuel is screaming before the end. Soon he is convinced that The Babadook is real and becomes more troubled; a doctor suggests he sees a psychiatrist and proscribes some pills to help him sleep. Amelia however can't sleep; she gets more and more exhausted and starts to see things things that may or may not be there. She tears up the book and throws it away only for it to be returned; glued back together and disturbingly there is more to the story and ending that gradually starts to come true for her.
This is a superior chiller; eschewing the jump-scares, gore and other excesses of most horror films it works by having an oppressive atmosphere and a protagonist whose exhaustion is almost contagious. Essie Davis does a great job as Amelia as the character gradually changes from a concerned mother at the end of her tether to an exhausted woman to a potential threat to her child. Noah Wiseman is also impressive as young Samuel; a distinctly creepy child. What special effects there are are distinctly old-school; shaking beds and objects moving about. While it is quite different I couldn't help being reminded of 'The Exorcist' times although here it is the mother who seems to be effected and the possible possession is far less obvious. Writer/director Jennifer Kent does a fine job gradually increasing the tension till things are distinctly creepy. There aren't many scenes that are scary in themselves but the creepiness was enough to give me goose bumps. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to anybody looking for a good chiller.