Friday, April 17, 2015

The Babadook (2014)

Image result for the babadook poster
“You can't get rid of the Babadook”

            When I was little I went to a wedding that took place in this old house up. Apparently the house was haunted and there was binder of photographs that showed the ghosts that lived in the house. For years and years after that I was terrified of the dark I was always thinking that the ghosts from the photographs were all around me. If there was a really dark spot in the room I would freak the fuck out! It took me a really long time to get over the dark. I had a nightlight in my room until like eighth grade and then I got rid of it because the light bothered the hell outta me. I think it is so interesting the psychological fear we all have of the dark. Things are the same as they were in the daytime but because we cannot see what see in the daytime we are horrified. The idea of not seeing our surroundings is terrifying.
            I like when movies either horror or psychological or a mash up of both take a person and have their fears played upon and magnified. To help you understand what I am trying to say look up the plot of The Haunting of Hill House.  The Babadook has a story that plays on the fears and anxiety of a mother and son.
            Amelia is a widowed mother. Her husband was killed in a car accident while bringing her to the hospital to have their son Sam. Amelia still has nightmares about the night her husband died. Sam is now six years old. He is not very well liked at school because he has behavioral issues. Sam rarely sleeps because he has nightmares himself and he wakes up Amelia to look for the monster that was bothering him.
            One night Sam pulls out a book called Mister Babadook. Amelia has no idea where the book came from. The book starts off alright and then it becomes scary and evil. On one page it is written that once someone is made aware of the Babadook the monster torments them for all time. Not long after Amelia is tormented by sounds and sights in the night. Soon she becomes possessed by the Babadook. She does not sleep for nights on end and does things that book showed her would happen.
Image result for the babadook
Image result for the babadook
            Sam tells Amelia that “You can’t rid of the Babadook.” Fortunately Amelia is able to take charge of the Babadook by telling the monster that she is not leaving her house. By saying this she banishes the Babadook to a dark place in the basement of the house.

            So as much as I thought the psychological aspect of Amelia being mentally and emotionally unstable and then constantly thinking of the Babadook and having the monster take hold of her was really interesting the movie was kind of boring. It felt kind of slow. I definitely went into this movie thinking it was a horror story so I was waiting to be scared. I am not a horror movie fan and I do not really like being scared but I was waiting for the damn monster to creep me the fuck out for the rest of the night and I was not scared! I wanted to be scared shitless when I going to bed tonight and being scared to look into one corner of my room! The only thing that kind of freaked me out was how large the furniture was. It reminded me of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari where all the sets were large Expressionist works of art. The furniture and everything in The Babadook looked like the large oversize like the furniture in the book. Pretty much, the movie let me down in the being scared department. I was not too impressed with The Babadook and honestly I cannot even tell you why. Despite my boredom do not let that deter you from seeing it because it is different and it is visually really cool. 
Image result for the babadook

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