DVD REVIEW: The Babadook

THE BABADOOK

RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW (DVD)

RATED: R

RATING: *****/*****

WORTH BUYING?: If you have the money, yes. If not, this movie is also on Netflix for your viewing pleasure. I recommend watching it there before buying, just in case you for some reason don't enjoy it.

SPECIAL EDITION?: There is a special limited edition BLU RAY out that has a slip case with a pop up page.

THE PRO'S: Extremely eerie and unsettling story, great acting and writing, superb use of its titular villain, genuinely scary movie. If you're looking for a movie scary enough to give you nightmares, this is the one.

THE CON'S: Some of the more disturbing subject matter makes this not a movie for everyone.

THE REVIEW:

So, by now, I'm guessing most people have heard of this movie. It's a little hit movie out of Australia that has made waves in the industry. And I'm here to assure you all that it is for good reason, and that this gem of a movie is without a doubt worth all the acclaim it can get.

The film focuses on a widowed mother, Amelia, who finds a disturbing children's book known as "Mr Babadook" among her son, Samuel's children's books. What she initially finds as just a twisted storybook, and casts aside, however, takes a sinister turn as mysterious things happen around her home. Could Mr. Babadook be as real as the book makes it out to be? If it is, it could spell doom for them both.

The movie plays out as probably one of the best "monster horrors" I have seen in a while. With a big reason being that unlike 90% of these movies, we never see the monster. A great deal of the movie's suspense actually comes from the fact that "Mr. Babadook" is shrouded in mystery, and it works very much in the movies favor. I don't think I've ever been so afraid of something I couldn't actually see in a movie, and this movie proves that is very possible.

On top of its scare factor, the acting and writing in this movie is TOP NOTCH. With an amazing performance from our lead - Essie Davis. She is probably one of the best actresses I've seen in horror in a long time, just knocking it out of the park scene after scene. Extremely big props also go to the little boy in this movie, Noah Wiseman, who turns out a great role (although admittedly not as great) as her son Samuel. 

But even moreso than the monster, or the acting, the fear factor is what sets this movie apart from anything else (and in the same category as "It Follows"). The sheer feeling of dread and fear this movie creates is absolutely astounding as much as it is unsettling. Even when the movie is not trying to be absolutely terrifying, it still manages to completely unsettle its audience and leave you just WAITING for something to happen.

But by far the best part about The Babadook is how "old school" horror it is. If you're tired of horror movies with tons of gore, or teens running around to their death, this is the movie for you. The Babadook features very little in the way of blood and gore, in favor of its eerie chill factor and keeping it's audience on its toes and on the edge of their seat.

My only warning with this little gem is that it goes into some unsettling and dark subject matter. So be cautioned that some of this might make it NOT a movie for everyone. Even if it's a film I recommend any horror fan watch.  

And so, there's not much more to say other than....

IN CONCLUSION:

The Babadook is the movie that nightmares are made of. If you're looking for a good, chilling old-school horror movie to make you not want to turn off the lights tonight, this is the movie for you. Grab a bowl of popcorn, turn on Netflix, and enjoy this horror gem to the fullest. And remember "If it's in a word, or it's in a look. You can't get rid of The Babadook."

5 OUT OF 5 STARS

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