The Babadook (2014)

This movie's biggest strength, is also it's biggest weakness. It's a cleverly constructed horror story with multiple layers. The problem is that it never explains itself, nor does it even drop the faintest hint by the end. Thus, people who went into this thinking this is just a generic monster flick, will come out of it feeling pretty much the same. But that is not what this is.

The movie is far more intelligent than a lot of people give it credit for. It's also a credit to the excellent direction, that this movie never delivers some sort of forced explanation of what it is really about. Without spoiling the movie, this film tricks you into thinking you are going to see a typical horror movie, but it ventures into far darker psychological territory. But like I said, most viewers will not get it. This is why this movie has received some terrible ratings from some viewers, but this is not an accurate representation of the actual quality of the movie.

For the other half of the audience though, this is one heck of a ride. I suspect some viewers will get it halfway through, and some two-thirds into the movie. And everyone else won't get it at all. The acting is stunning, the cinematography and lighting are amazing, and I also really like the sound editing (except when they use a sound effect that's clearly from a very old and overused sound library). I found it especially compelling how the movie shifts focus several times during the story, regarding who the villain is.

See it, and judge it for yourself. Do not let impulsive ratings fool you.