Sam Rowe

I watched this film somewhat begrudgingly. I'd seen the Iranian film 'Under the Shadow' some years before, and it rapidly became one of my favourite horror films of all time, however critics had commented on its similarity to this earlier film, so I was worried watching it might sully my feelings of loyalty. The films are extremely similar, in both a mother who has a complex relationship with her child is trapped in their home with a malevolent spirit, but the Iranian film is the superior take in my book. I found this film a bit over stylised, the characters less believable and the central metaphor of what the monster represents less compelling. The creeks, wind and groans that both films share in their soundtrack also seemed all the more chilling in the bland concrete hardness of Tehran apartment block than the classic spooky Victorian house here. Above all though, its the social and political context of Under the Shadow and its affects on a young, ambitious woman's life were that are its real horrors, and compared to that, the The Babadook's gothic melodrama just felt a bit silly. It's not a bad film, it just suffers from sharing the world with a comparatively stronger film. Check them both out thought and make up your own mind!

Like Kill Bill but less realistic or funny.