Only a select few horror movies in the last decade or so have become staples of the genre and reached cult classic status. “The Babadook” is one of them, playing on tropes from horror mainstays like “Poltergeist” and “Nightmare on Elm Street” to paint a terrifying portrait of the ugly side of motherhood and how grief lingers.
It’s leaving Netflix on Jan. 25, and any horror fans who haven’t seen “The Babadook” yet should take the opportunity to watch one of the best horror movies of the 2010s before it’s gone.
The feature directorial debut of Jennifer Kent, the movie follows a tortured mother at the end of her ropes and quickly losing her grip on reality after the terrifying figure in a children’s book begins to haunt her family. “The Babadook” garnered critical acclaim when it was released in 2014, and it’s only gained resonance as time has gone on and new fans discover this cult classic, as evident by its 98% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. Here’s why you should add “The Babadook” to your watchlist before it’s gone.
What is ‘The Babadook’ about?
“The Babadook” introduces us to Amelia Vanek (Essie Davis), a widowed mother who knows that anyone with eyes can tell how badly she’s drowning. Every day sees her besieged on all sides, taking care of elderly patients at work who prove just as finicky and ill-tempered as her young son Sam (Noah Wiseman), who just can’t seem to stay out of trouble. She’s lonely, stretched thin, and if she has to smile and nod along one more time while well-meaning neighbors or family members try to offer advice, she’s going to strangle something.
Without going into spoiler-territory, the more you learn about her story, the more your heart goes out to her. The last thing she needs is another plate to juggle, so when a creepy children’s book about “Mister Babadook” suddenly appears in her son’s room and he asks her to read it, she thinks nothing of it at first. That is until its disturbing pop-up images prove to be nightmare fuel for Sam, who’s convinced that this shadowy Babadook character is haunting the family.
Strange events start happening, and Amelia becomes genuinely frightened by her son’s bizarre and increasingly violent behavior. But when she begins to catch glimpses of a sinister presence all around her, she begins to question her grasp on reality, suspecting that the thing Sam has been warning her about may not be make-believe after all.
‘The Babadook’ is even scarier on rewatch
I first watched “The Babadook” years ago after its titular monster became a surprise queer icon, and with how silly the memes were I really wasn’t expecting it to give me nightmares. I made the mistake of watching it when I was home alone, and spent most of the night keeping an ear out for the monster’s haunting calling card: baba dook dook dook. It looks silly written, I know, but trust me that Tim Purcell’s voicework as the Babadook is thoroughly unnerving, a kind of gratey, half-remembered voice from a dream that seems ripped straight from monsters lurking under the bed.
Every moment, even the quieter ones, feels slightly off in some way, in large part thanks to top-tier sound design that stokes a pervading sense of tension throughout. Long, lingering shots, deliberate and terrifying in their implications, will leave you holding your breath, waiting for jump scares that rarely come. But when they do, they hit. I don’t usually scare easily at horror movies, especially the second time around, but in rewatching “The Babadook” for this article, I was surprised how many times it got me, even when I knew what to expect.
I especially enjoyed how “The Babadook” offers telling glimpses into Amelia’s psyche through ethereal dreamlike sequences; you feel the stress she’s under as she’s yanked awake too soon by her antsy son or floats about the house after her first night’s sleep in weeks. That makes it all the more terrifying when her bliss is interrupted by a knock at the door and a familiar children’s book on her porch that should be ripped to shreds at the bottom of the bin.
Both of the movies’ stars deliver haunting performances, but Essie Davis is particularly noteworthy for her portrayal of Amelia, elevating what could have been a generic scream queen into a multilayered character who embodies the hysteria and ugly truths behind how grief manifests. Amelia’s growing hostility for her son takes on what you might call supernatural proportions in the second half, with the titular monster becoming a metaphor for both the terrors of childhood and the terrors of parenting.
“The Babadook” is definitely one to watch for horror fans. Still not sold? Check out our guide to the best Netflix movies for more streaming recommendations. If you’re interested in more horror movies, though, I’d also suggest checking out our guides to the best horror movies on Netflix too.
Watch “The Babadook” on Netflix through January 25.
