What to do with a Halloween weekend
So, I saw The Babadook over the weekend. I gotta say, it was one of the creepiest, most beautifully shot, well done horror movies I've seen in a while. It's got that whole creeping dread thing down that I think Insidious was trying for and totally missed.
It was also written, directed, and starred a woman. Lookit that, Hollywood.
If you haven't seen the trailers, the basic story is that single Aussie mom Amelia is struggling to keep mind and body together--and not doing too well at it--while still dealing with the loss of her husband, as well caring for her 6-year-old son, Samuel, who has "behavior issues." Sam, among other things, is obsessed with monsters coming to get him and/or his mother. Then, one day, he finds the world's creepiest pop-up book on his shelf, which is all about The Babadook.
Events do not get better from there.
One of the great things in this movie is the economical way it first sets up the mundane hellishness of Amelia's life. She's already living about five minutes from a nervous breakdown well before anything supernaturally spooky starts, and when said spookiness happens, it's not immediately clear if this is actually happening or more in her and her son's slightly fractured minds.
The house is also stunning and is filmed amazingly well. The mysterious book about the Babadook conveys it's sinister message with stark typeface and charcoal and pencil smudges, the house Amelia and Sam live in is a reflection of that: all slate greys and shadows which could be cozy, but instead turn the otherwise lovely home into even more of an emotional prison.
The sound editing is also incredibly well-done. The thing about sound in a movie is that you normally don't notice it unless it's BAD, but here you has scenes where sounds--of insects, of the TV, of what-the-hell-is-that--start at low levels and build slowly enough that you don't notice it immediately. And then it suddenly stops. And it's hard to tell which was more unnerving.
So, definitely recommend for anyone who likes deeply creepy, mostly psychological scares. I will give this a warning, though, for some of my friends: the dog does NOT make it. Which you will get foreshadowing for long before it happens.
ETA: Added for those who want to see, here's the first trailer for the film.
Originally posted at Dreamwidth. There are currently
DW comments. Please comment at Dreamwidth if possible.
It was also written, directed, and starred a woman. Lookit that, Hollywood.
If you haven't seen the trailers, the basic story is that single Aussie mom Amelia is struggling to keep mind and body together--and not doing too well at it--while still dealing with the loss of her husband, as well caring for her 6-year-old son, Samuel, who has "behavior issues." Sam, among other things, is obsessed with monsters coming to get him and/or his mother. Then, one day, he finds the world's creepiest pop-up book on his shelf, which is all about The Babadook.
Events do not get better from there.
One of the great things in this movie is the economical way it first sets up the mundane hellishness of Amelia's life. She's already living about five minutes from a nervous breakdown well before anything supernaturally spooky starts, and when said spookiness happens, it's not immediately clear if this is actually happening or more in her and her son's slightly fractured minds.
The house is also stunning and is filmed amazingly well. The mysterious book about the Babadook conveys it's sinister message with stark typeface and charcoal and pencil smudges, the house Amelia and Sam live in is a reflection of that: all slate greys and shadows which could be cozy, but instead turn the otherwise lovely home into even more of an emotional prison.
The sound editing is also incredibly well-done. The thing about sound in a movie is that you normally don't notice it unless it's BAD, but here you has scenes where sounds--of insects, of the TV, of what-the-hell-is-that--start at low levels and build slowly enough that you don't notice it immediately. And then it suddenly stops. And it's hard to tell which was more unnerving.
So, definitely recommend for anyone who likes deeply creepy, mostly psychological scares. I will give this a warning, though, for some of my friends: the dog does NOT make it. Which you will get foreshadowing for long before it happens.
ETA: Added for those who want to see, here's the first trailer for the film.
Originally posted at Dreamwidth. There are currently
DW comments. Please comment at Dreamwidth if possible.