This one finally made it to my town, so I had to see what all the fuss was about.

Summary

A woman, dealing with the stress of raising a child alone after her husband’s death, comes face-to-face with the Babadook, a monster that has been haunting her son.

Entertainment Value

• The sound editing makes this movie scary. It’s been a long time since I’ve said that.
• At times, the mom and her kid drive you crazy, and at other times, you’re terrified of them.
• The pop-up book containing Mr. Babadook is scary and beautiful.
• The son makes all his own monster-killing inventions and also does magic. He’s pretty adorable.

Dark Muse Value

We all have our own Babadooks, the evil that rules our lives because of our past griefs. This movie calls out that practice, especially through how we talk about grief with children. Kids say, “There are monsters.” We say, “There’s no such thing.” There is such a thing, and we know it! We know the world if full of hardship, and instead of acknowledging its existence, we deny it to “protect” them from the truth they already know. The real truth? You can’t get rid of the Babadook. Your scars will stay with you. You can name them and choose to move forward in spite of them, or you can let them drag you under. You can’t pretend they don’t exist.

Verdict: WATCH

Anyone else seen The Babadook yet?