Australian horror film The Babadook sounds like the typical supernatural genre fare, with its story of a family subjected to an otherworldly intruder into their house, and its use of invisible elements and possession tropes. But it is far from typical. Unlike most modern horror films, The Babadook takes the time to build a sturdy narrative base and a genuinely spooky mood. What it lacks in flashy tricks and startling scares, it more than compensates through skillful storytelling and bravura filmmaking.
Amelia (Essie Davis) is crumbling under the stress of raising her son Samuel (Noah Wiseman) on her own. Her husband died in a car accident while driving her to the hospital, and since then, Amelia has been struggling with the stress of dealing with Sammy's precocious nature. He's been especially difficult as of late, as he's become convinced that a storybook monster called the Babadook is real and poses a threat to the family. Amelia tries her hardest to assuage her son's fears, but it soon becomes clear that there is something darker at play.
The Babadook is the kind of horror movie that would work even if you removed all of the supernatural elements. The film isn't really about the jolts and the scares, though those are certainly present. It instead uses those elements to augment a really well developed narrative that depicts the struggles of one woman to overcome the loss of a loved one while having to take care of a constant reminder of that loss.
The real terror in this film isn't from the simple acknowledgement of the presence of something extraordinary, but instead from the deep recognition that this is something that could happen to anyone. The Babadook serves as potent metaphor for the ravages of loss, and the resentment that can grow within even the most loving of parents. It is a reflection of the benign cruelty that one might face everyday, even when people have the best intentions.
This is all brought to life skillfully under the direction of Jennifer Kent. There is an emphasis placed on atmosphere, the movie really taking the time to establish the rhythms of the house and the sounds that populate the spaces. It then methodically breaks it all apart, piling on the strangeness as it plunges the characters into the madness of the supernatural. Terrific sound design keeps the audience keenly aware of every creak and crack, highlighting the eerie nature of even the most mundane things. Excellent performances from Essie Davis and the terribly gifted Noah Wiseman ground the film deeply into a recognizable reality.
The Babadook isn't the kind of horror movie that most people are used to nowadays. The genre has largely been producing thrill rides designed mainly to raise heart rates and deliver immediate reactions. The Babadook is much more measured and reserved, but it is also ultimately more rewarding. It excavated a deeper sense of terror, one that lasts beyond the immediate confines of the theater. It uses the genre elements to expose the horrors of everyday life, mining the scares from what we can recognize in ourselves.
My Rating:
