The Babadook (2014) (Review)

The Babadook (2014) I didn’t like this film. I expected a lot more from it. But I’ll try to pick out all the good points: Horror/drama with horror thriller and special mystery, but sometimes a bit kitschy, I find. The camerawork and effects surprise in more or less the right places. Disturbing and singular, but also captivating and entertaining at times. With a sympathetic lead actress and a coherent film score, I thought it would be exciting from start to finish, despite a few slow, illogical moments. Those expecting a mainstream horror film with lots of blood, moments of terror or gore/splatter effects are completely mistaken. Logic, credibility and realism are also sought in vain. I wasn’t overly entertained, because the film mostly irritated me. The mother has all the makings of a patient, genuinely nice woman, but she’s going off the deep end as a result of being conciliatory, criticized and tired. I found the film rather average, as very little happens, and very slowly. OK, it creates a scary atmosphere, but there are many better examples of this genre. The film has a rather cute side and the story itself isn’t really new for big thrill fanatics. It will be highly original for others. Some even pay homage to the film, finding the ending so brilliant. No “they lived happily ever after…” – well, yes, but not the way you think of it !Very unusual. The atmosphere is really dark and disturbing, even if it doesn’t reinvent the wheel. But to compare it to Insidious or Conjuringis totally unworthy of those films. A direct-to-dvd release was more than enough, and we could even do without it. For the first 20 minutes, you may find this film a little, or even very, bizarre. After that, the film either takes off or remains boring. Jennifer Kent’s directorial debut, The Babadook is a masterful, ingenious horror film that prefers to distill an oppressive, anxiety-inducing atmosphere rather than fall into the genre’s easy ways. For a start, Kent’s script is more of a family drama set against a psychological thriller than a traditional horror film. Yes, a bit like Kubrick’s Shining and Shyamalan’s Sixth Sense, even if it does imprint the cinematographic codes. The film takes place behind closed doors, with the only protagonists being a depressive mother and her unstable son, both of whom have suffered a heavy loss as a result of the father’s death on the day of his son’s birth. The script skilfully plays with the viewer’s nerves by delaying the appearance of its monster as long as possible. The fantastic is never really explained, leaving us wondering whether all this is real or just a psychotic delusion shared by mother and son. In fact, the fantastic aspect isn’t even the driving force of the film, almost playing a secondary role in the story, as it takes time to appear in the narrative, and the real horror will be something quite different, that of the feelings and hatred towards one’s child, whom we hold responsible for all our misfortunes.Here, we adopt the mother’s point of view, and she sees her child as a veritable monster (the scenes in the car, where he throws hysterical fit after hysterical fit). She blames him for her husband’s death, even though she knows he had nothing to do with it. He, on the other hand, feels rejected by everyone, especially as he’s a rambunctious child with a vivid imagination, desperate for attention.This is where the film’s initial horror lies, with the perpetual hatred and rejection, the feeling of loneliness that frightens everyone, but ultimately it subtly evolves into the childish fears that pursue us for the rest of our lives.In fact, you almost get the impression that Kent is trying to exorcise her demons, and she makes intelligent use of the fear and reflexes of children, such as hiding under the sheets when you feel you’re being watched, as if this would protect you, and the demystification of this illusion is chilling. In this respect, the idea of having the creature appear in a children’s book is quite clever, especially as the moments when the book and the creature appear are pure moments of darkness and poetry.Curse is a bogeyman born of the characters’ psyches, feeding on their fears and closely linked to the family. Usually in this kind of film, the family moves into the wrong place, because the house is haunted following tragic events.Here, it’s the family that’s haunted, not by a monster, but by itself.If the Babadook exists, it’s because they believe in it, and more precisely because the mother created it out of her hatred, sadness, resentment and despair.In this respect, the creature will be more interesting, as it has a history, a fascination with the monster and a sense of macabre poetry that Guillermo del Toro, among others, is so fond of. Spoiler alert !!! The Babadook is a representation of the father’s death, with all that surrounds it: the mother’s fear, sadness, resentment and hatred. And in this respect, the ending is not only unexpected, but also seems intelligent, despite being a tad clumsy. They decide to adopt the monster, as if each had decided to forgive the other, and as if the mother could finally mourn and learn to love her son. The monster is thus clearly a means of exploring the characters’ psyche, which makes it far more authentic and terrifying than most other horror movie creatures, all of whom focus on their horrific aspects, but have no personality whatsoever. As for the actors, the supporting cast is good, but not overpowering, while the young Noah Wiseman is excellent, managing to be as annoying as he is endearing, and Essie Davis is stunning in her inhabited, schizophrenic performance, where she embroiders a palette of emotions that is hallucinatory and always just right.As for the direction, the sound work is impressive, drawing us into this gloomy atmosphere where our ears are on the lookout for every creak, so it’s very immersive, while the monster’s design is simplistic but effective, playing more on its distorted appearance than on the visual aspect of its face, which has the merit of being shown only furtively to accentuate the mystery that surrounds it.Otherwise, the mise-en-scène is highly inspired, paying direct homage to German Expressionism (excerpts from which are also featured in this film) with its play of light and shadow. It also has the good idea of not taking the easy way out of the traditional horror film, namely the jump scare, which could have taken all the tension out of the film. And the methods Kent uses to avoid revealing too much about his creature are astute and maintain the film’s anguish and mystery. In conclusion, The Babadook is a very good horror film, a singular work that is a breath of fresh air in the face of productions that give in to the easy way out, preferring to play on the element of surprise rather than fright.This kind of horror cinema is all too rare, however, and it’s here that we really get to the essence of the genre: psychological horror, the kind that turns us upside down and asks us questions, the kind that pursues us even after the screening is over.In any case, it’s clear that Jennifer Kent is a filmmaker to keep an eye on, and that if she continues in this vein, she could easily become the master of the genre, succeeding where James Wan has probably failed (because, according to some, he plays far too much and far more on sleight of hand than on psychology) and by inscribing her cinema in the tradition of John Carpenter’s, i.e. the golden age of horror cinema. That’s it! That’s my in-depth analysis of this film, to show that it’s more than just hot air, and that it does have a certain appeal. But I had to force myself to do this research, because basically I would have just said : I really don’t understand anything about cinema. 3.5 in press reviews? Already off to a bad start with a totally unbearable kid and a mother with 2 of tension, the film turns a little better with the appearance of the book and the question of whether it’s all made-up or whether the Babadook really exists. I really don’t understand anything about cinema. 3.5 in press reviews? Already off to a bad start with a totally unbearable kid and a mother with 2 of tension, the film turns a little better with the appearance of the book and, to know whether everything is invented or if the Babadook really exists. And… Voila! Nothingness ensues, scenic nothingness with no plausible explanation and an incomprehensible ending. Long, pointless scenes are surely there to fill this bottomless pit. Even curious viewers should avoid this ordeal. Mister Babadook was more than oversold. Winner of several awards at Gérardmer, there wasn’t going to be much competition this year, given the results of this film. Supposedly a horror film, the fear and anguish build up so slowly that you risk falling asleep long before the only interesting 15 minutes. A slightly ridiculous, but thought-provoking ending brings the film to a definitive close. The direction is dusty, and the acting very poor, which gets worse as the film progresses. Very disappointed, very little thrill, boring, you laugh more than you’re scared, and that’s not the point of a horror film. Not being very surprised by current horror cinema, I wanted to give this Australian horror film that made it to France a chance. Unfortunately, this was a big mistake. For a start, the acting is abysmal, especially Noah Wiseman as the little boy. His panic attacks are laughable, so badly acted, and I even caught glimpses of the actor’s ill-concealed smiles during arguments. Let’s move on to the screenplay, which started out with a good idea and a real myth imagined around the Babadook. Yet the story seems long and terribly boring. The Babadook’s book (which is the scariest element, let’s face it!) half-spoils the ending, and the rest is surprisingly predictable, except for the very end. There’s a lot of classic horror here, with lights going out and phone lines being cut – in short, nothing very innovative… There are a few scenes of daring humor on the part of the director, but they sometimes take place right in the middle of a tense action scene and are therefore very badly placed. I’d also add the presence of a particularly “unhealthy” scene for my taste: that of the mother giving herself pleasure on her bed and her child appearing. It’s a scene that doesn’t really belong in this film. Even if I can understand it, if I open my mind as much as possible. I’ll end on the most laughable: the Babadook himself. He appears with special effects worthy of the ’80s (and I’m being kind in that respect), and for some scenes they even used a simple mannequin ! Suffice to say, we’re laughing! What’s more, the so-called Babadook, as frightening as the poster suggests, ends up completely devoid of any horrific aspect, becoming a sort of pet, and needless to say, the ending is as zany as the rest of the film, i.e. illogical and totally meaningless. I could end by saying: “My conclusion is that this film is a complete waste of time (and money), and I would advise against it to anyone tempted to go and see it…”.But I leave the choice up to you, because to each his own vision, point of view and taste. If you like this film, all the better !