MovieChat Forums > The Babadook (2014) Discussion > Don't bother, not even for free

Don't bother, not even for free


So I downloaded this movie (these days I only see the superbig movies at the theatre, like SW) and just watched it. Once again fooled by IMDB's too high ratings.. Yeah I never learn, do I.

Acting is OK (NOT good), but the story and the cheaps tricks that all bad horror movies have, is why I gave this a 1. This movie does not add anything to the genre, that's its main problem. Brings nothing new. It will not stimulate you.

If you're about to watch the first horror movie of your entire life, you might enjoy it, and get a decent scare, but at any rate I'd recommend something else for that.

But if you've seen more than a few movies in your life, don't bother, not even for free, it's just a complete waste of time. Stay clear by a mile.

You want a good, recent horror movie? The Conjuring and Sinister are GREAT, the first few Paranormal movies are decent too.

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Many psych-horror afficionados know better than that.

The OP hasn't investigated how genre iinnovation works. Adding something new to a genre is found in the particular ways a filmmaker treats various formalities, patterns, etc., common to the genre or genre mix. It's no credit to a self-professed genre fan to merely notice these formalities, to tick off boxes. What separates the perceptive fan from box tickers is the ability to recognize how these qualities are treated in a particular context, combined in certain ways, tweaked, celebrated (i.e., self-conscious usage), refreshed, and so on. This can be quite subtle, but no less a valuable contribution for it.

One overt way this movie adds to the genre, which should be immediately evident to any self-respecting genre fan, is the context of a woman hating her own son, in particular due to unresolved, festering grief.

The OP says the acting is bad, but doesn't say why. You can't take empty commentary like that seriously. If I were looking for a review credible enough that I could decide whether to see a movie or not, I'd want it to be more than just empty pronouncements like that. You need to be able to judge the reviewer's judgment for it to have value.

The one worthwhile point the OP makes is that it's foolish to rely on IMDb ratings. Much better to make the effort to seek out reviews with substance.


"You must not judge what I know by what I find words for." - Marilynne Robinson

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Why are you so angry and hostile? It's just a movie . . .

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Im a huge horror film buff myself but i didn't like one. Hammy acting (especially that child going MUM MUM MUM MUM MUM all thru the film..simply annoying!) & uninteresting (sorry fans but this lost my attention)

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Not "simply" annoying. He was made annoying to help us appreciate something. Saying mom over and over, trying to get her attention. Deprivation due to withheld intimacy.


"You must not judge what I know by what I find words for." - Marilynne Robinson

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Totally agree. This is a fantastic film. OP needs to go back to watching superhero movies.



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Definitely a fantastic film. I do agree with the OP's other picks for scary horror films, but the Babadook was good! I think it comes down more to what a person considers "scary." For me, I'm most afraid of things that could seemingly happen in real life. Could a mother who is on the verge of a psychotic break, who is in charge of a young child, lose it completely and turn homicidal on her own kid? Yes, it's imaginable. Everyone has a breaking point and throughout the film you see a mother reaching hers, while a young child is left at her mercy.

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Oh man was that kid annoying, I do agree that in real life this might be a real reaction and he would be a very sympathetic person, but I DON'T want to see this crap in movies. They could have at least tried to make his attention grabbing antics less nerve grating but they specifically chose the most annoying ones they could find.

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I couldn't make it past the first 20 minutes.... between the kid's annoying crying and the 'mum, mum, mum' - I couldn't take it anymore

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As a aussie myself..this movie was hammy to boot!

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Oooo yes that kid was absolutely annoying!

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Took you a week to reply to yourself?


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He forgot to log in to his sock puppet account. Pretty funny.

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The Conjuring and Sinister are GREAT, the first few Paranormal movies are decent too.


I thought they were crap. Isnt it great that we're all free to decide for ourselves what we like and dont like.

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The OP is wrong to tell people what they should and should not like. Just because he doesn't like it, doesn't mean others won't. Thanks God I didn't listen to him.

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You seem like a person who spends a lot of time on facebook, and talks about meaningless crap 24/7 like a degenerate. You're probably 14 so I get why you didn't like this film. You will learn from your mistakes:)

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Oh, how I wish I had listened to you. From other posts, I was expecting this to be an edge-of-your-seat, best horror movie ever made. I was so disappointed.

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It wasn't even slighty thrilling!

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