The Babadook (2014) Review – A Masterclass In Metaphorical Horror
The Babadook is more than just a monster movie. Jennifer Kent explores the raw, uncomfortable realities of grief and motherhood through a haunting lens.
Welcome to the heart of Knockout Horror. This is where we keep the hundreds of reviews we’ve written over the years. Let’s be honest: the horror genre is a minefield. For every Hereditary, there are a dozen low-budget disasters waiting to waste your Friday night. That’s where we come in.
We watch the good, the bad, and the absolute trash so you don’t have to. From the latest theatrical blockbusters to the obscurest oddities hiding in the depths of Tubi and Shudder, you’ll find our honest, unpretentious, and jargon-free verdicts right here. No film school lectures, just a horror fan telling you if it’s worth the popcorn.

The Babadook is more than just a monster movie. Jennifer Kent explores the raw, uncomfortable realities of grief and motherhood through a haunting lens.

Colton Tran delivers a “true story” thriller with Sorry, Charlie. While the ending offers a fun twist, does the rest of the film rely too heavily on slasher tropes?

Liam Gavin delivers a masterclass in slow-burn dread with A Dark Song. A grieving mother and an abrasive occultist engage in a months-long ritual with terrifying results.

Chris LaMartina returns with Out There Halloween Mega Tape, a spiritual successor to WNUF. Trade the 80s news for 90s talk shows and alien conspiracies.

Radio Silence and David Bruckner deliver a unique, loop-based horror anthology in Southbound. Five stories bleed into one another on a desolate desert highway.

Perry Blackshear delivers a haunting and sympathetic portrayal of mental illness in They Look Like People. Two friends reconnect as one suspects a monstrous invasion.

Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell reunite for Evil Dead 2, the ultimate “re-quel.” Buckets of blood meet slapstick comedy in this pulse-racing horror thrill ride.

Lucky McKee delivers a quirky, grungy masterpiece with May. Angela Bettis stars as a lonely outsider who takes the idea of “making a friend” to a literal extreme.

Richard Bates Jr. delivers a stylishly depraved character study with Excision. A troubled teen goes to surgical extremes to win her mother’s approval.

Bruce McDonald delivers a brilliant “chamber piece” horror with Pontypool. A radio shock jock discovers that language itself has become a deadly weapon.

Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead deliver a daring, genre-bending debut with Resolution. Two friends find themselves trapped in a story they didn’t write.

It reunites Halloween 4 director Dwight Little with Danielle Harris and throws Robert Englund into the mix for good measure. On paper, Natty Knocks sounds like a slasher fan’s dream come true. But does this 2023 throwback actually deliver the scares, or is it just another generic entry relying on star power to hide a weak script? Let’s take a look.