The movies are a primary form of entertainment in our culture. It has been this way since the first silent one-reel movies were presented over 100 years ago. They have always been acknowledged and valued as a universally beloved diversion – a way to break from the realities of day to day living to sit in a darkened theater and be transported. In every genre, there have been filmmakers who have tried to create a piece of crowd-pleasing entertainment that is also unmistakably high art. There have been painfully few films that have successfully walked that tightrope – and only the very best filmmakers can pull it off. Every film – in any genre – to some degree or another, tells us something about ourselves, but few of them reveal and contemplate the human condition. It is just as rare in Horror. In 2014, however, a small Horror film from out of Australia attained a level of profundity rarely seen in the Horror world. That movie was Jennifer Kent’s feature film debut; THE BABADOOK.
THE BABADOOK tells the story of Amelia (Essie Davis), a widowed single mother who’s husband, Oskar (Benjamin Winspear) was killed in a car crash while driving her to the hospital to deliver their son, Samuel (Noah Wiseman). 6 years later, Amelia is still deeply mourning the loss of Oskar and is struggling to provide a normal life for Samuel, who increasingly is displaying behavioral problems. One night, she tells Samuel that he can choose the book she will read to him before bed. He chooses a book from the shelf that neither of them recognize. It is called “Mister Babadook” – a disturbing pop-up book depicting a shrouded demon that wants you to let him in. After reading the book, strange occurrences begin to happen around the house and Samuel stops sleeping – claiming to see the Babadook everywhere. Once Amelia gets a prescription for Sam to help him sleep, however, Amelia becomes the new target of the Babadook’s attentions.
THE BABADOOK is a carefully crafted, slowly paced creepshow that is distinctly European in its cinematic style. This is not surprising since Jennifer Kent, wanting to learn to direct after years of acting, worked as an assistant on Lars Von Trier’s “Dogville”. This paid off in a big way, since this feature film debut displays a confidence and maturity rare even among the most veteran of directors. Essie Davis delivers a tour-de-force performance as Amelia – a long-grieving widow descending into her own vulnerability. Noah Wiseman is completely believable as a child who has no idea what it is to be happy. The script, also by Kent, is intelligent and insightful without being wordy or obvious in its dialogue – and it is here, in the writing, where THE BABADOOK rises above its familiar haunted-house premise.
The evil, tenacious Babadook acts as a physical manifestation of Amelia’s deep emotional trauma. The book “Mister Babadook” says “The more you deny me, the stronger I get”, and indeed, by refusing to acknowledge her grief, Amelia only made it more intrusive in her and her son’s lives. It is only in the confrontation of her grief as an outside malevolence is she able to overcome it. It is one of the most powerful, frightening, and even beautiful uses of metaphor ever utilized in a Horror film. And the metaphor is accomplished while avoiding any preachiness or pretension. It is a singular achievement in screenwriting and direction. We haven’t seen the likes of it in quite some time.
THE BABADOOK is, quite simply, a brilliant movie. Entertaining as a great haunted house story and evocative in a way that only high art achieves. It is a film that will stick with you and occupy your thoughts for a long time. It is a movie that tells us something very real and very profound about the human condition – and all while scaring the socks off of us.
And it really doesn’t get much better than that!
THE BABADOOK fun facts – Partly funded through Kickstarter, the funds raised from the crowdfunding site went mostly to the art department.
The look of the Babadook was inspired by Lon Chaney’s make-up in the lost silent film “London After Midnight”. All that is left of that movie is its production stills and promotional material.
For the shots where Amelia is verbally abusing Samuel, Essie Davis yelled at an adult stand-in standing on his knees. Director Jennifer Kent was very protective of young Noah Wiseman, saying; “I didn’t want to destroy a childhood to make this film”.
“Babadook” is an anagram of “A bad book”.
Amelia - “You are trespassing in MY HOUSE!”
Samuel - “You can’t get rid of the Babadook.”
Samuel – “Do you want to die?!?”
The Babadook – “You can bring me the boy.”