The Babadook

The Australian horror flick Babadook has been gathering rave reviews since its release in January this year. It is both a full on horror movie and, rarely for the genre, a strong character driven story. It is worth the hype?

The story of the Babadook is that six years after the violent death of her husband, Amelia played by 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 sinister 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 and as he becomes more unpredictable and violent, Amelia is genuinely frightened by her son's behaviour. 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.

This is a well-acted film, ably supported by an excellent cast the two leads are committed in what must have been a exhausting shoot. The low level energy and washed out style of the movie provide an almost perfect set up for what is about to take place. It is very in the face of the audience on the problems of trying to control a disruptive child and is often uncomfortable to watch, this however is balanced by some touching and humorous moments. As a horror film, for this reviewer, it relies on a lot of jump scares, the pacing seems off and often lacks logic, even in the horror universe it is set. However, it has been delighting audiences all over the world so please go see and judge for yourself.