The Babadook will scare you, but it might not do so in the way you expect.

As a ‘monster in the closet’ flick, it is easily the equal of recent favourites The Conjuring, Sinister and Insidious, however it also manages to be unlike them, eschewing formulaic jumps for a hidden subtle menace. There is no scene where an expert arrives to diagnose beleaguered mother Amelia and her son Samuel’s supernatural threat, instead – much to the film’s credit – the titular creature remains in the shadows, it’s origins mysterious. Any brief glimpses we are given of the Babadook reveal a fantastically conceived monster, equal parts Nosferatu and Eraserhead. The children’s book that ushers this malevolent presence into the fraught pair’s lives too is beautifully designed, like something out of Tim Burton’s darkest nightmares. It’s no surprise that rumours of its imminent publication abound.

Beyond the creepiness however, the film harbours a deeper form of terror less prevalent in modern horror cinema. The fear of what happens when life crushes you from all sides. Without revealing too much of the plot, The Babadook goes to disturbing lengths to reveal the monster we are capable of becoming when we are driven to lash out; to blame someone for our circumstances. Essie Davis and Noah Weiseman are fantastic leads and remain utterly convincing as mother and son as the film moves into darker and darker territory.

Both moving and terrifying, The Babadook aims much higher than the average Halloween scare fest and succeeds on every level. Not content to merely offer supernatural shocks, it is shrouded in a more intimate fear that we can all relate to. It is this fear that stays under your skin when the credits roll and makes The Babadook easily one of the best horror movies of recent years.

Peter Brearley

Image: eOne Films International