The Babadook

A grieving single mother and her child fall into a deep well of paranoia when an eerie children's book manifests in their home.

One of the most celebrated horror films of the century, The Babadook won over critics almost unanimously with its layered treatment of grief and psychological dread — though the gap between that near-universal critical embrace and a more cautious audience response suggests the film's slow-burn, art-house sensibilities divide viewers more than reviewers let on. Scholars have noted that much of the critical acclaim hinged on framing it as 'art-horror' rather than genre fare, which may explain why general audiences expecting conventional scares find themselves less convinced.