Don't Let It In!!

Rating: 10/10 (27 November 2014)

In my opinion, horror films have taken a serious dive in quality in the last couple of decades. And the ones that are good don't do much to forward the genre, they simply imitate films of the 70s very well (i.e., "The Conjuring"--which, don't get me wrong, I love, but I'm just saying the style isn't original at all). "The Babadook" is different. Essie Davis plays Amelia, a woman struggling with the absence of her husband, who was killed in a car accident. Now she's left alone to raise her troubled son, Samuel. When Samuel finds an ominous children's book titled "Mr. Babadook," they begin to be stalked by a supernatural force. Not exactly a hugely original concept, but the terror it delivers feels totally fresh and Essie Davis' performance is Oscar worthy--her character is whipped back and forth from grief, anger, insanity, hopelessness and it's terrifying to watch. Noah Wiseman also does a very good job of playing her son, which is an equally challenging role, especially for a boy so young.
For me, most of the best horror films take something that is found commonly scary--like isolation, death, or loss of sanity--and it portrays it in an uncommon way. And that is what the Babadook does. He's this terrifying, supernatural force that represents so much to both Amelia and Samuel and he's made visible to them, taking the fears they hold in the back of their minds and putting them in front of both of them in an aggressive, physical form. There's plenty of symbolism throughout the movie, but it's pretty hard to think about while watching it since you'll be too busy being scared out of your wits. If you're a horror fan, this one is for you.