Rating: 7 of 10
Sometimes the scariest monster of all – who lurks in the darkest part of our being – is the one we create by first denying our true feelings.
Synopsis: “Six years after the violent death of her husband, Amelia (Essie Davis) is at a loss. She struggles to discipline her ‘out of control’ 6 year-old, Samuel (Noah Wiseman), a son she finds impossible to love. Samuel’s dreams are plagued by a monster he believes is coming to kill them both.
When a disturbing storybook called ‘The Babadook’ turns up at their house, Samuel is convinced that the Babadook is the creature he’s been dreaming about. His hallucinations spiral out of control, he becomes more unpredictable and violent. Amelia, genuinely frightened by her son’s behaviour, is forced to medicate him. But when Amelia begins to see glimpses of a sinister presence all around her, it slowly dawns on her that the thing Samuel has been warning her about may be real.” (source)
THE BABADOOK shows exactly why I love horror movies: on the surface you have a spooky story designed to affect a physical response; simultaneously, on a deeper level, you explore a universal experience that touches everyone’s lives. In this case, it’s the death of a loved one. What happens when you deny your pain and grief, stuff them down, and pretend like everything’s fine? A monster is born, and the more you deny its existence, the bigger and stronger it becomes.
What I was most impressed by were the spooky daytime incidents. It’s a no-brainer to set a scene at night, which is inherently scary. But, to terrify me with a scene set in broad daylight, something as routine as driving down the road, is no small feat.
Highly recommended if you enjoyed movies like GOODNIGHT MOMMY, THE CHANGELING or INTRUDERS.
Check out THE BABADOOK on IFC Midnight | official website and trailer | on IMDb
(Watched on Netflix 7/4/2015)