Hard to like this movie when the main characters are annoying

The mother is a horrible mother. She refuses to discipline her son and even tries to blame the school for his conduct. I absolutely hated her character and I wished that The Babadook was real so that she and her equally annoying son would just go away.

The son is a horrible person, even before "The Babadook" showed up. He was making dangerous weapons, not listening to adults and doing some really stupid things (like climbing on the swing set). He is horrible because his mom made him horrible, but it doesn't mean I can't wish that he'd go away.

Although the film tries to paint the aunt as a horrible person, she has been extremely understanding and I commend her for trying. She drew the line when her daughter was hurt, but the daughter did indeed deserve it.