Netflix subscribers who have a penchant for spine-tingling entertainment are in for a spook fest this Halloween, as the streaming giant welcomes one of the most revered supernatural thrillers to emerge in recent times.
Released to critical acclaim back in 2014, the Aussie horror flick has been lauded as one of the more “inventive” and chilling offerings in the genre, known for leaving its viewers thoroughly spooked.
Boasting an impressive 98 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, the movie has spawned numerous Halloween getups.
At the helm is Australian director Jennifer Kent, whose creation, The Babadook, is deemed a must-watch during the spooky season this October.
The plot centres around Essie Davis’ character, Amelia, a single mum battling to hold her own and her son Samuel’s (played by Noah Wiseman) life together amid harrowing loss, reports the Mirror.
Samuel becomes fixated with a malevolent force he insists is present in their home, which takes the form of a ghastly apparition out of a disturbing children’s book.
Upon its debut a decade past, many esteemed critics didn’t just applaud The Babadook as the pinnacle of horror cinema that year, but also as one of the standout films of 2014 overall.
Cinemablend exclaimed: “With scares that will have audiences hiding behind their hands or shrieking for help, The Babadook is easily the best horror film of 2014.”
“But bolstered by knockout performances, and a mind-bending narrative beautifully shot and colored, The Babadook is so much more. It’s one of the best films of the year.”
RogerEbert.com hailed the film as: “The finest and most genuinely provocative horror movie to emerge in this still very-new century.”
A 2022 retrospective by Parade highlighted its enduring qualities, asserting it’s “still the best horror movie so far this century”.
Further praise was bestowed upon the film in the article, referring to it as a “uniquely terrifying and unnerving experience” with “stunning psychological depth” and a monster that was “climb-the-walls, scare-the-peanuts-out-of-your-M&M’s-scary”.
The Babadook has become an iconic name in horror, gaining a vast following amongst the general audience over the past decade, with fans vocally championing the film.
An enthused fan exclaimed on X (formerly Twitter): “Long overdue, but watched THE BABADOOK for the first time and I can’t pull my jaw from the floor.”
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SkyThey continued to express their surprise at the film’s emotional impact: “Everyone talks about how scary this movie is but I am utterly flummoxed at how emotional and affective it is. One of the best horrors I’ve seen…ever? Jennifer Kent, you goddamn genius.”
Echoing similar sentiments on Reddit, another devotee stated: “The Babadook (2014) is one of the best horror films I’ve ever seen.”
Their commentary added, “Having heard nothing but good things about The Babadook I went in with high expectations but it managed to meet my expectations and exceed them in multiple ways.”
The Redditor concluded with high praise: “I already knew that this was not a monster movie. This is a psychological horror and I’d easily put it up there with the likes of The Shining and Repulsion as one of the best psychological horrors ever made.”
With such acclaim surrounding The Babadook, the question lingers will you muster the courage to watch it this Halloween?
The Babadook is available to stream on Netflix.