The Babadook, directorial debut of Jennifer Kent, had it's first showing at this years Sundance Film Festival and became an instant favourite. Given that it features an chilling narrative and superb performances, it's painfully obvious as to why that is.
Years after the death of her husband Oskar, Amelia (Essie Davis) and her son Sam (Noah Wiseman) are struggling to live a normal life. Amelia is stuck in a boring job and Sam is struggling to stay in school due to behavioural problems. One night, the two of them find a disturbing pop-up book about a creature called the Babadook. Soon a series of strange events begin to unfold and Amelia is faced with the unsettling possibility that the creature might just be real.
The Babadook is a welcome change from the typical horror films that have been made in recent years. Not relying on jump scares or gore, the film keeps a relatively slow pace, with the horror elements slowly creeping up on you. Director Jennifer Kent takes the everyday life of a mother and child and somehow magically transforms it into something eerie and unsettling. This is mainly done by highlighting how dysfunctional the relationship between Amelia and Sam is. Overcome by grief and depression, Amelia distances herself from Sam. Both emotionally and physically. This makes the family dynamic of the film both familiar and completely alien all at once. Essie Davis is the driving force of the film. Her acting as Amelia is sheer brilliance and, at times, utterly terrifying. Her performance is mesmerising, and you'll not once take your eyes off her at any point in the film. Unlike so many other horror characters, the role of Amelia is complex and developed. She's a character you'll feel for. Although at times you may be unsure if you feel sorry for her or are just completely terrified of her. This is one of the features that makes The Babadook really stand out. Unlike so many simple slashers and mindless gorefests, this film is a clever horror, that has been really well written and has fully developed, identifiable characters.
Despite the obvious elements of the horror genre that are running through The Babadook, the story is deep and meaningful. The strange, detached relationship between Amelia and Sam is disheartening, and so different from how we normally perceive parent-child relationships to be. It is however so realistically portrayed that you really do feel for them. This film is essentially a tale of a woman struggling to connect with her son through her grief and depression. With a supernatural monster thrown in for good measure. But the mix works amazingly well. The Babadook itself (the monster, not the film) is unlike any other horror villain we have seen in recent years. If anything, the fact that we never really get a good look at it makes it all the more creepy. Throughout the film, even it's very existence is debatable. It is entirely possible that the Babadook is the physical manifestation of the internal monsters that Amelia and Sam both possess.
Beautifully chilling and unsettling, with an outstanding performance from Davis. The Babadook is a masterpiece, and a definite breakthrough for female directors. Well done Jennifer Kent.
