Review of The Babadook (2014) by Random V — 16 Nov 2017

There's a lot of well-put-together detail in this Australian movie. No scene goes by that's doesn't somehow build on the characters or story. THE BABADOOK's tonal creepiness keeps the story afloat, and the light and dark contrast is stark in every scene, with an effective muted colors.

The performances seem natural. The poor bedeviled child, who's never known a father or father figure, lives with his suppressed, over-stressed, and physically worn mother. The mother's had to give up on all her creative efforts to raise and manage her son while maintaining full-time work at an elderly care center; seriously, she just doesn't get a break.

The tension and struggle of the pair as they live together and attempt a socially healthy life are well chronicled as they deal with the looming influence of the Babadook. The child's sheer cleverness and the mother's struggle to handle her small family, work life, and social life are intricate driving forces of the story as we feel the Babadook's presence knocking on their door, waiting for the opportunity to get in.