The Babadook

The Babadook is a psychological horror film that tells the story of a widowed mother, Amelia, and her six-year-old son, Samuel, who are haunted by a monster from a children's book called Mister Babadook. The monster is described as a tall, pale-faced humanoid with taloned fingers that torments its victims after they become aware of its existence. Samuel becomes increasingly erratic and convinced that the Babadook is real, while Amelia is at first skeptical but eventually begins to experience strange events herself, such as mysterious noises and objects moving on their own. She attributes these events to Samuel's behavior, but he insists that the Babadook is responsible. As the film progresses, Amelia becomes more and more unhinged, struggling to cope with her son's behavior and the strange occurrences in their home. She eventually discovers that the Babadook has been coming to life from the pop-up book and terrorizing them both. The film explores themes of grief, trauma, and mental illness as Amelia's grip on reality begins to slip away. The line between reality and fantasy blurs as she becomes increasingly paranoid and isolated from her family and friends. In the end, Amelia must confront the Babadook head-on in order to save herself and her son from its malevolent influence.

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Some movies that have similar genres and were produced around the same time as The Babadook include Carriers, Midsommar, Black Swan, Ravenous, Carrie, It Chapter Two.