The Babadook haunted me. It shook me to my core. So much so I've watched it four times over. I'm not done, maybe I never will be, and isn't that the critical sign of a great film? The film has an ending, the credits role, but the story and its themes live on through discussion and analysis. It strikes the perfect balance of scares, to engage us on a visceral level, and enough content/ideas to keep us thinking long after the film ends. To successfully create a chilling sense of unease while also being poignant in its message is a rarity and something only a select few horror films have been able to achieve.
The film centers around a mother, Amelia, trying to raise her six year old son, Sam. He is precocious in some ways but also lacks the social polish most other children his age have already developed. He doesn't listen, has a penchant for violence and speaks freely to everyone. It is clear Amelia is overburdened by the weight of raising her troubled child but keeps her anxiety bottled up. Because of her nature, their contentious relationship remains fairly repressed. Things take a turn for the worse once a demon is conjured that inflicts great horror onto the family. I would go into further detail but any more would be an injustice to the film's ability to stay unpredictable.
The Babadook hits on certain themes that many films are unable to properly convey usually due to a convoluted plot. It deals with grief, loneliness and the dangers that can come along when you repress these feelings.
There is so much content in the film just begging to be dissected -- so many moments that demand exploration and further analysis. It can be an absolute delight if viewed with the right mind frame. It is a film that takes itself seriously and demands its viewer to do the same, therefore I recommend watching it alone. This is by no means intended for the passive viewer.
The genius of this film is in its obscurity. Is the monster a literal form or simply a conduit for the character's anxiety and fears? Maybe it's both. You can interpret the film however you'd like; there is enough left open ended for viewers to engage in lively debate as to what really is taking place.
In a nut shell: The Babadook did what few films are able to do, truly scare me. There is so much dread, such foreboding atmosphere it can feel quite unsettling. However, having a sense of dread and feeling scared, to me, are two very different emotions. Some films try to supplant one for the other but to have a perfect horror film you need both to work in congruity. Being scared is almost indescribable. We can't show it but we can feel it. There is a childlike innocence to being scared. When a film can conjure back those emotions with such ease, in a way that doesn't feel cheap, we realize the awesome potential of the genre.
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