Monday, April 23, 2018

The Babadook (2014)


IMDb plot summary: A widowed mother, plagued by the violent death of her husband, battles with her son's fear of a monster lurking in the house, but soon discovers a sinister presence all around her.
Directed by Jennifer Kent. Starring Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Hayley McElhinney, and Barbara West.

I am not sure I'm totally sold on the likely symbolism for the monster, but I love the way this plays out. And it's a stellar performance from Essie Davis, who exudes such physical and emotional exhaustion from moment one. Some of the horror moments go on a bit long, but that's totally forgivable when the relational moments are as good as they are.

3.5 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
The Babadook > Another Thin Man
The Babadook < The Front
The Babadook > Men in Black
The Babadook > Auntie Mame
The Babadook > Oscar
The Babadook > The Reader
The Babadook > Gone in 60 Seconds
The Babadook < Star Wars: The Last Jedi
The Babadook > High Strung
The Babadook < Chariots of Fire
Final spot: #706 out of 2766.

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