Rating of
4/4
Beware the Baba-Dook-Dook-Dook
Unknown - wrote on 01/02/15
'The Babadook' is unlike any horror film you'll see this year. It contains many familiar elements, but the superb execution of those elements combined with a strong story and characters are what make it feel new. Omitting the supernatural parts of the story leaves us with an already great drama about coping with grievance. The mother and son dynamic creates dramatic tension through remorse. I felt deeply for their troubles and was on edge just from their confrontations. Their clash is what manifests the ghostly happenings. The slow build could not be more perfectly paced. The Babadook creature is a haunting presence that always lives in the shadows, like the dark recesses of the two main characters' shared struggle. These threads seamlessly blend into one thematic thread that quietly intensifies throughout. The scares aren't your usual 'boo and jump' material. In fact, there are few full-on scares. The unrelenting tension is never fully released at any given moment. I had no idea which direction the film was traversing and, in the latter half, I was constantly fearful of what would come next. I often questioned whether the events were actually supernatural, entirely psychological, or both. The answer is never revealed. It leaves a feeling of unease after the film is over.
