By Dash Jordan
Well, it’s certainly been awhile. I’m sorry again for the delay, guys. But like a slasher villain in a shallow grave, the Dash Man always comes back. Perfect timing, too! Halloween is upon us, kids! The chilly nights, the leaves, the pumpkins, the candy, the costumes, the raging bible-thumpers who think everything is satanic…I mean, the kid is dressed as a Ninja Turtle and eating a Snickers. WHAT’S SO EVIL ABOUT THAT?!? Anyways, one tradition I was always more fond of during All Hallow’s Eve were the Horror Movie Marathon. This year, we’re gonna have a little marathon of our own. So Riddle Me This, Batman! How is my sudden disappearance, similar to today’s movie? We were both dug up from DOWN UNDER!!!
He he he, see what I did there?
‘The Babadook’ is a 2014 Australian Horror film written and directed by newcomer Jennifer Kent. The film tells the story of Amelia, a depressed widow and her son who come across what seemed to be just some creepy children’s book. But, our two leads eventually learn to never judge a book by its cover.
The film itself is truly to behold. Much like the ‘Evil Dead’ reboot, this movie ignores all of the more modern-day horror movie tropes such as overblown effects, jump-scares and big names. Instead, opting for a more “psychological” approach; relying more on its clever writing, unsettling atmosphere and some truly brilliant acting from unknown actors. Speaking of which, what really stole the show was actress Essie Davis as Amelia; one of the most underrated and sympathetic horror-heroines in recent memory.
Now, on to what makes this movie truly stand out from most other psychological horror films. As with every movie, there’s some kind of underlining theme. With ‘The Babadook’, its the many stages of grief. I must warn you that spoilers are ahead. If my personal score means anything to you, I strongly recommend that you watch this movie right now to avoid spoilers. I’ll wait…
Okay, already! As I was saying, the film delves into the grief one feels when losing a loved one. In the events leading up to the film, Amelia and her husband end up in a car accident while she was pregnant, but her husband died while she miraculously survived and gave birth to their son, Samuel. One night, Amelia reads Samuel this unknown book called ‘Mister Babadook’ which of course, freaks them both out. Throughout the film, we see the gradual transformation and mental anguish Amelia goes through as the mysterious figure from the book is really nothing but the physical manifestation of her own inner torment: The denial and sadness of her husband’s death, as well as the anger she feels towards her own child…which to be fair, I can’t really blame her. I mean, have you seen this damn kid? I wanted to strangle him!
Other than that, this is certainly one new horror movie that should not be overlooked. Thankfully, it’s not. ‘The Babadook’ has garnished so many positive reviews and has even been considered the scariest movie of 2014, and it’s not even from the US. What does that about our own country?!? While we’re busy tap-dancing on Wes Craven’s grave by rebooting ‘Scream’ as an TV Series on MTV, Australia is making movies like ‘The Babadook’! All joking aside, it’s very hard to make a horror movie nowadays that’s scary AND makes you think, but ‘The Babadook’ is hands-down one of the most frightening and smartest new horror films I’ve ever had the privilege of watching. I can’t recommend it enough, and what a great way to kick off Halloween! Until next time, Gotta Dash!
Rating: 9/10
