Australian writer/director Jennifer Kent’s intelligent, impeccably designed creepfest about a single mom, her adorable nutbar son, and a sinister picture book draws on organically frightening elements—darkness, silence, old black-and-white cartoons, and silent films—to create an unsettling trespass into the unspeakable emotional conflict between parents and children, and the different kinds of violence it can unlock. An instant classic in the tradition of post-Hammer British horror with a kinky, Tim Burton–esque visual sensibility, The Babadook isn’t the kind of horror film that makes you scared to look under the bed. It’s the kind that makes you scared to look in the mirror. 
Sean Nelson has worked at The Stranger on and off since 1996. He is currently Editor-at-Large. His past job titles included: Assistant Editor, Associate Editor, Film Editor, Copy Editor, Web Editor, Slog... More by Sean Nelson