The Babadook (2014) (Special Edition)

[CarsonDyle]

Wow, saw this last night. Agree with those who think it's a masterpiece. Possibly the most annoying kid in a film ever. (In a good a way.)

[petrified-eye]

You guys claiming the kid to be the most annoying ever haven't seen many kids in real life, have you? I have similar kids in my neighbourhood and I seriously hope that their parents don't think that they are the most annoying ever. The kid was acting like that to get attention from her mom and it's perfectly natural. If sometimes annoying, yes.

[Pizzamorg]

Plus at least this kid could actually act, child actors are usually annoying because they are annoying rather than doing it on purpose. I also liked how Sam got to be the hero by the end but they did it in such a way that it felt much more natural and far less contrived than when it's been done before. I just thought both Amelia and Sam were incredible creations and wonderfully performed and the idea that people write this movie off because "annoying kid" says to me they didn't watch the film through to the end. Not every movie needs to be finished to make an opinion on but I feel The Babadook is certainly of the kind that does.

[djgeneral]

Originally Posted by cakefactory

One thing most of the reviews neglect to mention is that her kid is an absolute monster who is unbelievably annoying; most of the plot is driven by the fact even the mother is sick of this awful kid. He was so unbearable that I had a hard time making it through the first half of the movie, but obviously that's exactly what the character is supposed to be like so it isn't a criticism of the movie exactly, just a reason I didn't enjoy watching it.

I'm sort of in the middle. I think the kid was a poor actor in the beginning. There are ways to be unlikable as a character but still do a good job in terms of acting. A lot of the acting early on was pretty cringeworthy from the kid. The ending scenes he seemed to improve vastly. There have been plenty of great horror films with young actors so being young really isn't any excuse either.

The movie overall was fairly decent. I don't think it is a classic by any means, but it was a very enjoyable and at times creepy horror/psychological thriller.

[Danchez]

I thought that Sam and the actor who portrayed him were both absolutely brilliant. I even had to rewatch the scene where he is in the basement doing magic tricks for his stuffed animals and the framed picture of his Mom and Dad because he gave such a convincing portrayal of a spastic, hyperactive kid who had been through a lot, didn't have any friends, and was left to his own devices.

And his line to his Mom, "I'll promise to protect you, if you promise to protect me" pretty much broke my heart.

Loved this film.

[schlock]

SPOILER-MANIA, sorry, but hard to discuss without them....

I thought the pop-up book was the creepiest part of the film and I wish they could have done more with it. The scene with the kid

[Show spoiler]going crazy/being scared

in the car was also creepy. But otherwise, I didn't find the film at all disturbing or creepy. That's not to say I didn't like the film, I do. I thought all of the performances were excellent, and never was bothered by the kid's annoying persona - I actually think that was brilliant. I do think once they show the Babadook too much, it loses a lot of its creepiness. When

[Show spoiler]the Babadook went onto

the ceiling, that scene was the first part of showing "too much". The less shown, it would have been better. And its arms reaching way out to the side reminded me too much of Freddy in the original NOES.

The

[Show spoiler]kid being tossed around and pulled by invisible forces

reminded me of Poltergeist. The

[Show spoiler]mother all evil

reminded me of countless possession films. It all just seemed like a hodgepodge of previous horror films, but I think it did a decent job of making all of that its own thing. Overall, I don't think it is fully successful,

[Show spoiler]as its supposed concepts of depression and/or guilt creating this monster

aren't clearly fleshed out, leaving most viewers scrambling to message boards afterwards to try to figure out what was real or simply in the mind.

[Show spoiler]For example, did mother throw the kid against the wall numerous times, or was it the real manifestation of her monster that did so?

I believe the director has said what she meant it to be, but the film itself does not make that clear. The film leaves that open to interpretation, and that is either a positive or negative to each viewer. I kind of like the ambiguity, but I have to say a film like "Paperhouse" did this kind of idea so much better 25+ years ago. Still, The Babadook is definitely worth checking out.

[BluCoop]

I enjoyed this movie it was pretty creepy in some parts, was not a big fan on how it ended, but it was a good movie.

[Akijama]

The Babadook is coming to Blu-ray on April 14, courtesy of Shout! Factory.

Amazon link http://www.amazon.com/Babadook-Blu-r...073052&sr=1-20

[The Debts]

Originally Posted by akijama

the babadook is coming to blu-ray on april 14, courtesy of shout! Factory.

Amazon link http://www.amazon.com/babadook-blu-r...073052&sr=1-20

: D

[Leonidas King]

I was about to import the Australian Blu! Glad its coming here.

[Johnny Blu]

The Babadook was a good movie, but no where no as good as it's 97% Rotten Tomatoes score. There were too many themes that needed to be interpreted and there were zero answers. For instance, I see many people questioning if the

[Show spoiler]Babadook was real, but what about the book? And if the book is not real, then how can two people imagine the same thing?

Also, the movie is clearly about depression,

[Show spoiler]which the mother still seems to battle when she goes into the basement at the end. However, how could the kid seem to so easily get past his demons/antisocial behavior after he took one dose (or less than one weeks worth) of the medication? He didn't suddenly learn to become a better actor, the character was just different at that point.

However, I assume the Babadook was really

[Show spoiler]the mother the whole time. This was how the kid saw her and maybe made the book himself. Because of the book, the mother saw how her depression was effecting her son from his perspective. A "normal life" didn't happen until she faced her depression over the loss of her husband and just accepted it. Then again, maybe the mother needed her son in that medicated state to finally see the person she had become without having to constantly worry about him and his behavior. She still thinks about her husband when she goes in the basement once a month, but she seems to have moved on with the rest of her life.

[Rhoq]

Originally Posted by Johnny Blu

The Babadook was a good movie, but no where no as good as it's 97% Rotten Tomatoes score. There were too many themes that needed to be interpreted and there were zero answers. For instance, I see many people questioning if the

[Show spoiler]Babadook was real, but what about the book? And if the book is not real, then how can two people imagine the same thing?

Also, the movie is clearly about depression,

[Show spoiler]which the mother still seems to battle when she goes into the basement at the end. However, how could the kid seem to so easily get past his demons/antisocial behavior after he took one dose (or less than one weeks worth) of the medication? He didn't suddenly learn to become a better actor, the character was just different at that point.

However, I assume the Babadook was really

[Show spoiler]the mother the whole time. This was how the kid saw her and maybe made the book himself. Because of the book, the mother saw how her depression was effecting her son from his perspective. A "normal life" didn't happen until she faced her depression over the loss of her husband and just accepted it. Then again, maybe the mother needed her son in that medicated state to finally see the person she had become without having to constantly worry about him and his behavior. She still thinks about her husband when she goes in the basement once a month, but she seems to have moved on with the rest of her life.

Considering what we know about the mother...

[Show spoiler]She made the book. Remember - she used to write children's books and would have the know-how to create the Mister Babdook book. There was also a clue when she went to the police station. She had what could have easily been ink (the same ink used to write the book) all over her hands. I'm under the impression it was a manifestation of her grief, depression, sleep deprivation and frustration.

[GasmaskAvenger]

About time a US release date is announced.

[RipleyLV426]

Originally Posted by Akijama

The Babadook is coming to Blu-ray on April 14, courtesy of Shout! Factory.

Amazon link http://www.amazon.com/Babadook-Blu-r...073052&sr=1-20

Hmmm,should i cancel the UK preorder i have then, ya think?

[MikeScott]

Can't wait for their official announcement and to see cover art.

[Danchez]

See, my interpretation wasn't that it was either/or, in terms of whether

[Show spoiler]the Babadook was real or not. In the film, he was obviously real. I interpreted it as a dark parable in which the Babadook symbolized/personified the mother's grief, but was also a tangible and real presence that fed on her denial. The idea that the Babadook somehow *was* the mother begins to fall apart pretty quickly when reviewing the plot of the film.

...Just my two cents.

[Johnny Blu]

Originally Posted by Rhoq

Considering what we know about the mother...

[Show spoiler]She made the book. Remember - she used to write children's books and would have the know-how to create the Mister Babdook book. There was also a clue when she went to the police station. She had what could have easily been ink (the same ink used to write the book) all over her hands. I'm under the impression it was a manifestation of her grief, depression, sleep deprivation and frustration.

I forgot the mother was a writer and this would make sense. However, I believe she went to the

[Show spoiler]police station after she had already burnt the book. In the beginning of the movie, the son said he found the book, so the mother could have easily written the book at some point but forgot about it.

Like I said, the movie was good but not great. There are too many themes open for interpretation and when you try to go back and piece the puzzle together, it doesn't really add up.

[Chaotic]

It would be cool if it came with a pop up book or something similar.

[colinrgeorge]

Originally Posted by Chaotic

It would be cool if it came with a pop up book or something similar.

You've still got about a week to order the high-quality pop-up book if you feel so inclined: http://thebabadook.com/

[Chaotic]

Originally Posted by colinrgeorge

You've still got about a week to order the high-quality pop-up book if you feel so inclined: http://thebabadook.com/

Thanks, just did.