The Babadook — Review
Disclaimer: This review was originally written in December 2014 but wasn’t published at the time.
Not only is Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook an outstanding feature debut, but the film is also a much-needed return to the roots of the horror genre. The Babadook stands out in stark contrast to the array of recent horror films that rely heavily on cheap jump scares and gory imagery.
Horror films used to have a purpose; they would use ghosts, monsters, aliens, etc. as a way of reflecting the viewer’s unconscious fears and anxieties. Nowadays horror films are often produced solely with the intent of making the audience jump or scream.Kent’s film is a refreshing addition to the horror genre due to the fact that the film does not require an extensive budget, jump scares, or gore in order to frighten viewers. The Babadook is psychological horror at its finest.
Kent knows how to create a compelling story that is both frightening and poignant. The mother-son relationship depicted in the film is heartbreaking and tumultuous. The performances from Essie Davis and Noah Wiseman also serve to make the relationship between mother and son feel painfully authentic. The titular monster of the film serves as an allegory for postpartum depression as well as a mother’s inability to cope with the untimely death of her husband.
The fact that Amelia’s husband died on the day that her son, Samuel, is born elicits interesting motifs throughout the film. For instance, the fact that Amelia refuses to celebrate Samuel’s birthday on the actual day that he was born due to her inability to properly grieve over the loss of her husband. Additionally, if one were to switch the letters B and D in the title, the result would be “dada book.” However, the title also acts as an anagram that translates to “a bad book.” On the surface, the title of the film might seem silly, but upon closer inspection it becomes clear that The Babadook is the product of a filmmaker who truly puts a lot of thought into her work. In fact, the children’s storybook alone proves that this is a beautifully detailed film. The storybook is frightening on its own, but the film supplies the context that allows the story to get under the viewer’s skin.
The cinematography is impeccable; there are images in The Babadook that will remain with viewers long after the credits roll. The monster itself is not even frightening, but watching Amelia read the book to her son is absolutely chilling due to the stunning imagery and editing.
The themes in The Babadook are easily discernible, and this certainly is not a flaw. If anything, it was necessary for the themes of the film to be obvious because most moviegoers and horror film fanatics have grown accustomed to the cliché horror films that do nothing more than use jump scares and blood to get a quick scare out of the audience.
Thus, it is plausible that many filmgoers will still miss the film’s evident meaning. Fans of recent horror films will most likely be tremendously disappointed and dismiss The Babadook as “boring” or “not scary.” Therefore, fans of films such as Saw, Paranormal Activity, and Insidious should avoid this film. Nonetheless, The Babadook is worth a watch especially for fans of classic horror films. For those who are not fans of the horror genre, The Babadook is still definitely worth watching due to its psychological themes and captivating portrayal of a turbulent mother-son relationship. The Babadook manages to revitalize the horror genre and is reminiscent of films such as Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960), Polanski’s Repulsion (1965), and Lynch’s Eraserhead (1977).
