The Babadook

The Babadook is a 2014 Australian psychological horror drama film written and directed by Jennifer Kent in her directorial debut, and produced by Kristina Ceyton and Kristian Moliere. The film stars Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Daniel Henshall, Hayley McElhinney, Barbara West, and Ben Winspear.

The Babadook was initially not a strong commercial success in Australia and was given a limited release in art house theatres. However, largely after its strong reception at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, the film generated more attention in the United States and Europe, garnering good reviews and grossing $7.5 million against a $2 million budget.

Plot
A troubled widow (Essie Davis) discovers that her son is telling the truth about a monster that entered their home through the pages of a children's book.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) The film provides an alternative presentation of mental illness, depression, and anxiety. Even The Babadook is a symbol of grief and mental illness.
 * 2) Plenty of intense, unsettling and scary moments, especially with the scene where the Babadook climbs on the ceiling and lunges at Amelia on her bed. It goes by so quickly that the viewer only sees a glimpse of the Babadook's face and not a generic 5-second long cheap jump scare.
 * 3) It's a movie that only slowly builds up with tension, and doesn't get into the scares right away.
 * 4) It's brave enough to leave out jump scares and focus on real horror. Unlike other movies that don't rely on jump-scares but only use a few, this movie leaves them out altogether.
 * 5) Great performances done by Essie Davis and Noah Wiseman.
 * 6) The Babadook himself is a really intimidating villain.
 * 7) While the ending is rather disappointing, it's pretty understandable. Amelia has learned to cope with her mental illness (The Babadook) and keeps it in the closet, meaning she has hidden it away.
 * 8) It has even spawned internet memes, especially the "Why can't you just be normal" meme and the Babadook becoming a gay icon.

The Only Bad Quality

 * 1) Samuel is an extremely unlikeable character. He's basically a spoiled whiny brat for the majority of the film, constantly throwing tantrums and screaming at the top of his lungs, although this may be because of his fears of the Babadook.

Reception
The Babadook was one of the best reviewed films of 2014. It holds an approval rating of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 230 reviews, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The critical consensus states: "The Babadook relies on real horror rather than cheap jump scares—and boasts a heartfelt, genuinely moving story to boot." The film also has a score of 86 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 34 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". On Rotten Tomatoes' aggregation, it was ranked as the third most-praised film of the year. But somehow, it has only a 6.8 on IMDb

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