Review of The Babadook (2014) by Thomas W — 25 Oct 2016

It's been years since I've taken the time to watch something spooky in late October. And boy am I glad I did, as I admittedly needed a reminder of how good the horror genre can be when approached the right way. In an age where terror is defined by an unexpected piano strike or scream timed to a thing that's not on screen suddenly being ON the screen, in an age where the "creature" of a film overshadows most if not everything else in the picture, in an age where sadistic cruelty and arbitrarily gory deaths can convince legions of people that their favorite soap opera or snuff film is some kind of subversive artistic masterpiece (yeah I said it. Fight me. I don't even care anymore.), movies like THE BABADOOK are there to be the atmospheric little gem that snowflakes like me can watch without having our precious little standards or feelings hurt whilst watching something scary.

I'll briefly forego the hyping to clear up one thing, which is how to go into this thing. Simply put, if you go into it expecting wall-to-wall scares and thrills, or a monster comparable to Freddie Krueger, you're gonna be very, VERY confused and disappointed. It's not that kind of movie. It's not trying to be, and it shouldn't have to when it couldn't be more clear about what it's actually trying to do.

This is instead reminiscent of psychologically-charged films like Pan's Labyrinth, Rosemary's Baby, and Psycho. It has an almost fairytale-like quality that works as a parable for those who struggle with depression and loss. And while the message it ultimately delivers is arguably a little on the nose, it does so in loving, inspired fashion, caking on the dread scene after scene through unnerving direction and editing choices, haunting costume design and set decoration, and two central performances that range from pure human tenderness to paranoia comparable to scraping a fork over a plate.

The movie wants to rattle your nerves over the course of its lean 1 1/2 hour run time, making you wonder what's real and what isn't while occasionally cringing at the absurd way the protagonists are affected by their pasts, and will leave you questioning your own sanity as it reaches its cathartic climax.

I'll curl up with something a bit more cornball and fun before the seasons out, as I actually value the other side of the Halloween coin quite a bit (hmmmm...still haven't seen Halloween), but modern horror is a realm of entertainment that often leaves me cold with its cynicism and lazy storytelling. And I am incredibly thankful for those little pieces of hipster bait out there that are able to give me that extra something.