THE BABADOOK
Let me begin with the following; I adore this film, it’s one of my favourite horrors of all time. I even own the limited edition replica pop up book that came out after its release. It took a few watches to really understand why I love this so much and why it is a legitimately scary movie, and when you understand all its nuances, it lands that much more powerfully. The film itself (for those that may not be aware) follows a widowed mother Amelia and her troubled son Samuel as grief consumes their lives. A sinister pop up book unleashes a monster that feeds on fear, depression, and unresolved trauma.
The Babadook stands out as both an intense psychological thriller and a genuinely frightening horror film, delivering deep rooted scares while showcasing varying emotions. Its strength lies not in just fear, but how fear is used to explore grief, motherhood, and mental illness. From the opening nightmare sequence, urgency and dread are established, putting the audience in Amelia’s fractured emotional state; following the death of her husband on the day she gave birth to her son, Samuel. Samuel is initially seen as the chaos in the film via his erratic behaviour, vivid imagination, and fixation on monsters. The introduction of a creepy pop up book, Mister Babadook, marks a turning point, as the creature it describes begins to manifest, feeding on Amelia’s growing resentment, exhaustion, and suppressed grief. As the Babadook’s presence intensifies, Amelia becomes increasingly monstrous, while Samuel is revealed to be vulnerable and frightened rather than simply troublesome. The monster operates as both an entity and a metaphor for grief and depression, something that cannot be destroyed, only managed. Themes of maternal mental health, postnatal depression and hallucinations brought on by chronic sleep deprivation, is where The Babadook really grabs its audience, it brings to light real experiences which puts you firmly in the centre of it all.
Amelia learns to confront and accept what she is experiencing and the film as a whole reframes horror as a means of understanding trauma. We get a deeply human story about learning to live with pain rather than pretending it does not exist.
The Babadook remains one of my favourite horror films of the 21st century. It's beautiful, tragic and frightening all at once. It shows in an honest way how exhausting life can feel, even in its darkest moments, it gives you some perspective that no matter how bad things get, at least you’re not being haunted by a monster in a top hat!
“If it's in a word or it’s in a look, you can’t get rid of the Babadook…”
Mal Jutley