THE
BABADOOK 3.2***
The
Babadook isn't for the mainstream crowd. It is a horror movie for horror genre
fans. It will tap…. no bore into your most primal fears. It portrays the truly
terrifying things in life - grief, loneliness and despair. Not things that
necessarily freak you out but things that make you feel unsettled, disturbed,
and human.
STORY: Six years after the death of her husband, Amelia (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 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, he becomes more unpredictable and violent. Amelia, genuinely frightened by her son's behavior, is forced to medicate him. 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.
STORY: Six years after the death of her husband, Amelia (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 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, he becomes more unpredictable and violent. Amelia, genuinely frightened by her son's behavior, is forced to medicate him. 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.
It's rare to watch a horror
film that is this emotionally deep. The Babadook’s characters are both
fascinating and frightening to watch. Essie Davis gives a stellar performance
as the stressed out Mom. She very effectively shows a full range of terror,
sadness and evilness in an almost seamless fashion. Noah Wiseman also gives a
great performance as the not so well-adjusted Samuel. Samuel's off- putting,
even weird behavior was a daunting challenge for a child actor, but Wiseman
pulls it off flawlessly.
The atmosphere created here is hair-raisingly ominous. Just the look of the house creeps you out… it’s cold hallways and dark rooms full of shadows and noises create an oppressive and daunting atmosphere. From the opening frames you get a sense of the forbidding atmosphere. As for the monster itself, it's a mixture of primal fears that will send shivers down your spine. But the fear does not come from the violence the monster could cause but from its nefarious shape and what it embodies. It's an amazingly evil film creation especially since it was humanly constructed rather than digitally done which somehow enhances its fear factor.
The atmosphere created here is hair-raisingly ominous. Just the look of the house creeps you out… it’s cold hallways and dark rooms full of shadows and noises create an oppressive and daunting atmosphere. From the opening frames you get a sense of the forbidding atmosphere. As for the monster itself, it's a mixture of primal fears that will send shivers down your spine. But the fear does not come from the violence the monster could cause but from its nefarious shape and what it embodies. It's an amazingly evil film creation especially since it was humanly constructed rather than digitally done which somehow enhances its fear factor.
The Babadook is an effective, chilling, scary, well-acted,
and emotionally rich horror movie.. In fact, it is one of the best
psychological horror movies to come along lately.
Clark
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