The Babadook
Brief review of Jennifer Kent’s 2014 indie horror
The plot follows the story of single mother Amelia (Essie Davis) and her son Sam (Noah Wiseman), who live day to day under the shadow of her husband’s death which happened on the day of Sam’s birth. Sam, now 6 years old, relies nightly on his mother’s ability to scope out monsters before bedtime, and more than usual, crawls into bed with her when they appear. We catch the two in a fit of insomnia when out of the blue, a children’s pop up book Mister Babadook shows up unexpectedly on Sam’s bookshelf. The contents inside and the growing anxiousness surrounding their sleepless home, triggers the events that unfold within the book.
I give this movie a standing ovation. Knowing it premiered during the Sundance Film Festival, with part of its budget relying on a Kickstarter, it gains all the more respect from me. As a straight up thriller and horror movie junkie, there were parts of it that got my blood pumping and my body contorting tighter into itself in anticipation, which is a very rare occurrence. (My usual response is to laugh constantly.)
The interplay of light and colors, darkness and music made for an ambiance bigger than they. There is so much to be said about the depth of the characters, and their slow decline into madness –I feared for them as well as felt for them.
The ending wasn’t as I expected, and as I’ve read of others, somewhat confusing, but the deeper meaning of it is altogether poignant and realistic. Honestly, I’d rather fear the Babadook than my own wandering mind.
Rating: ★★★★★
