The Babadook

A solid (if derivative) little thriller, The Babadook details the exploits of a single mother (Essie Davis’ Amelia) and her young, hyperactive son (Daniel Henshall’s Robbie) – with trouble ensuing after the title figure, a character from a sinister children’s book, begins insinuating himself into their lives. Filmmaker Jennifer Kent does a superb job of initially luring the viewer into the deliberately-paced proceedings, as The Babadook‘s first half, which is more drama than thriller, effectively establishes the strained dynamic between the protagonists and the toll that the increasingly ominous happenings takes on Amelia. It’s clear, too, that the movie benefits substantially from Davis’ often spellbinding turn as the central character, with the actress deftly transforming Amelia into a Jack Torrance-like figure whose sanity seems to be crumbling by the second. There does reach a point, however, at which the narrative essentially plateaus; Kent elects to push the movie’s more overtly frightening elements to the background and instead emphasizes the mystery surrounding the Babadook’s very existence (ie is this creature real or is it just a physical manifestation of Amelia’s growing madness?) The Babadook is, then, more concerned with psychological tension than with overt scares, which is fine, certainly, and yet one can’t help but feel a little disappointed given the initial creepiness of the title creature – thus confirming the film’s place as an exceptionally well-acted thriller that provides little in the way of genuine scares.

**1/2 out of ****