So hard to make good horror these days... this was one I enjoyed.

Quoted from Dreamscale BUT...there were numerous scenes in which supernatural things were happening to both Amelia and Samuel. Are we to beleive that none of this actually happened?

There were no supernatural things. It was all in her head. She was cracking from the unresolved grief over her husband's death, pressures of work, having to raise an unstable, disobedient child without a father and so on. That was what the first part of the movie was about, and why the kid was shown to be so unlikeable, so the audience can have a understanding why she snapped. That, and the flashbacks of the car accident, which were there to show that she was struggling with a major traumatic experience. I don't remember that well, but I think she also had some kind of resentment toward her kid, because her husband died driving her to the hospital to give birth. So there could have been an angle that she lost the love of her life because of her kid. But, I don't really remember all that well.

She was the one doing all those things. She wrote the book, killed the dog, etc. When things were shown to be supernatural, it was just how she viewed them. In reality she was throwing her kid around, when it looked like it was a supernatural force. The kid was playing along, that the Babadook was his mother when she was "sick". In the end the kid telling her he loved her and the neighbor showing up, showed her that there was some kind of love in her life, which stopped her from spiralling further and allowed her to regain some control.

The Babadook kind of looked like a magician and the father, IMO. And the kid was into magic. In the end it was clearly shown that it was the mother that ate the worms and dirt. That she was the Babadook.

This is at least what I gathered watching the movie.

Good summation Demento and you remember correctly re the car accident, they were in the way to hospital to give birth... There's also a clever line about her being an artist/illustrator which is the clue to the fact that she's made the book.

This film was definitely not for me. What a complete snooze fest. I think from now on, I'll just stay away from all supernatural, ghost crap. I hated all Paranormal Activity films, The Conjuring and The Babadook.  Yuck!  

Quoted from Grandma Bear This film was definitely not for me. What a complete snooze fest. I think from now on, I'll just stay away from all supernatural, ghost crap. I hated all Paranormal Activity films, The Conjuring and The Babadook.  Yuck!

Yes, I thought the same.
It was so obvious what the issue was because the film concentrated on the woman so much. It kinda told you from the opening: She's the problem.

My brother made me sit through this, he liked it, but it was just not for me.
I didn't mind the Paranormal films, the first one is quite fun as a gimmick (Ghostwatch 1992 is probably far superior) but by part two and three it gets a little boring.

The Babadook was just boring, and annoying.
God, I wanted to kill that woman myself.

You're all nuts!

May a Babadook book find its way mysteriously under your beds one night.  

On the plus side, Rick will be pleased he's not alone.  

Finally, some people with sense!

Quoted from Scar Tissue Films Finally, some people with sense!

Touché.  

Quoted from Scoob Yes, I thought the same. It was so obvious what the issue was because the film concentrated on the woman so much. It kinda told you from the opening: She's the problem. My brother made me sit through this, he liked it, but it was just not for me. The Babadook was just boring, and annoying. God, I wanted to kill that woman myself.

Wow - I have to say... I agree.  Caveat on the announcement: I didn't get past the first 15 minutes.  But this one just didn't grab me.  Which is a shame, because I've heard good things about it.  

The opening is the most interesting part, Janet.

It's all downhill after that.

Owwwwwww.  

I've watched it three times and have the popup book on order... I think it is a very intelligent and human study of loss, grief and mental illness with more depth than most horror films released in last 10 years...

Just my opinion of course

Anthony -

I always do respect your opinion.  Maybe I'll give it another try at some point.

That said, there's been *very* little in the way of intelligent, deep horror movies for a long, long while.... (Says the primarily horror - and SF - writer..)  PP

Hey Janet... and vice versa

I'd recommend giving it another go, it has layers and is a very human story, arguably as much drama as it is horror.

Well that's my opinion as ex Horror fanzine editor

Anthony