Jennifer Kent – The Babadook (2014)

THE BABADOOK was the breakout horror hit of Sundance 2014, and has been terrorising audiences around the world ever since. This creepy, expertly crafted feature has been a critical and audience scary favourite, winning a slew of awards for best film, best actress, best director etc. Which suits Mister Babadook just fine because he is a conceited asshole and loves people heaping praise on his film.

Review:
The Babadook
★★★★★ (out of 5 stars)

There is nothing stronger than the bond between a mother and her child. Aussie writer and director Jennifer Kent not only understands that, she also uses it as a device to create tension and unbridled horror in The Babadook. On the surface, it’s a modern fable of a family being tormented by a creature from an old storybook. What lies beneath is a struggle for a woman (the unstoppable Essie Davis) to find closure, and the breaking down of a family through the eyes of an abnormal child (Noah Wiseman) who just wants to see the only woman in his life be happy again.

The tension is real, the scares are genuine and the end product is a classic horror masterpiece that deserves a place among the greats. You’ll come for the scares, and stay for the feels. – Adam McCabe (orlandoweekly.com)