THRILL SCALE 1-10
10
HAVE I SEEN IT BEFORE?
Yes, once, shortly after it was released
BEST SEQUENCE
When the Babadook enters Amelia's bedroom, or when Samuel sees the Babadook in the car
BEST LINE
“I’ll soon take off my funny disguise
(Take heed of what you’ve read…)
And once you see what’s underneath…
YOU’RE GOING TO WISH YOU WERE DEAD”
ROTTEN TOMATOES SCORE
98%
ROTTEN TOMATOES CRITICS CONSENSUS
"The Babadook relies on real horror rather than cheap jump scares -- and boasts a heartfelt, genuinely moving story to boot."
IMDB SYNOPSIS
"A single mother and her child fall into a deep well of paranoia when an eerie children's book titled "Mister Babadook" manifests in their home."
DIRECTOR
Jennifer Kent
MAIN CAST
Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman
THOUGHTS
- When choosing a movie to watch, it seems like some people place high importance on the "new" compared to the "already seen". It also may not be surprising to learn that I have no such requirements; if I enjoyed a movie in the past, it's definitely up for a rewatch somewhere down the line. Despite this, and despite having extremely positive memories of The Babadook as a movie (not that it's a positive movie, it's very grim, but you get my meaning), I haven't rewatched it since shortly after it was released
- In such situations, of course, the fear is that the memory of the film will hold up better than the viewing experience upon rewatch. Fortunately, I had no such issues here. The Babadook was just as effective and just as chilling as I remembered, and perhaps even more so, with the added benefit of a modicum of surprise, since I remembered the general idea of the movie, and several of the important moments, but I didn't remember how thoroughly it chilled me to my core
- I'm talking full-body shivers, all the way up and down my spine, at many different points during the movie; practically throughout the whole thing. I'm pretty sure I felt this sensation more during The Babadook than any other movie I've reviewed so far
- I only listed two cast members above, and there are a few supporting characters I didn't include, but this really is a two-hander between Essie Davis as the mom, Amelia, and Noah Wiseman as the son, Samuel, especially towards the end and the climax of the movie. They're both fantastic. Davis goes through such a wide range of emotions, and just the way she delivers her lines provided a few of the previously mentioned full-body shivers. And this may seem like a backhanded compliment, but it's not meant to be - I like that Samuel is played as legitimately off-putting and, at times, obnoxious, and yet this doesn't affect our sympathy towards him. He's not a typical movie kid, the likes of which I've disparaged in this very blog, he's the kind of kid that you might sometimes want some time away from. And yet, his love for his mother is always very apparent, lending the events of the movie a wonderfully genuine quality
- The Babadook was critically acclaimed from the jump, and as far as I know it's still held in high regard, but I can kind of understand if some people don't find it as scary as I do. A story about a spooky goth-looking guy in a top hat who pops out of a creepy children's book, it's a pretty specific vibe that might not match your particular flavour of frights. But if we view the Babadook as a physical manifestation of Amelia's grief and depression, perhaps that will hit a little harder for some people out there
- And, somewhat related, a few times I was strongly reminded of Hereditary, another one of my favourite horror movies from the past decade, a movie I'll be reviewing eventually (#12 on the readers' list), and a movie that came five years after The Babadook
- Finally, I feel like I would be remiss if I didn't mention that at some point since its release, the character of the Babadook became a gay icon of sorts. And while the common consensus is that this came about due to Netflix mistakenly categorizing The Babadook as an LGBT movie, and while I've always seen this to be one of your standard, garden-variety memes, that's not to say that one can't find meaning in some unlikely sources below the surface. So if, for you, the Babadook is openly gay, I want you to shout it loud and proud. Just remember, when you're shouting it, "Babadook" should be pronounced to rhyme with "book" and not with "toque," which is a pronunciation that my brain absolutely refuses to let me remember
Up next: One of the most profitable movies ever made, and one of the most influential, Paranormal Activity from 2007
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