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The Babadook (2014)

There's been a decent amount of hype about this movie and I always like seeing horror movies from other cultures, and while Australia pretty much shares most of the same parallels with its European ancestry (at least the white thieving side), I maintain you can always gain some cultural awareness by taking part in other cultures media. That being said, I don't see what the big deal with this movie is. Outside of some really nice still imagery and some real care and attention to the arts department, I found the movie to be mired by the 3rd act. Up to then there was some really cool ambiguity as to the extent of the haunting and just how much of it was made to be real and how much was imaginary but the third act just threw all that out the window for way too much up close detail and weird CGI. I still believe it was all a metaphor for grief but when compared to other psychological thrillers I've seen it just comes off as really schizophrenic.

I think tonight I'm going to rewatch Lake Mungo, another Australian horror movie with grief as its central theme because I want to see if it holds up as well as I kept on thinking it did last night while watching The Babadook.

I really wanted to enjoy The Babadook as much as the hype encouraged me to, but I was pretty much on the same page as you. There's a lot to appreciate in that movie, a lot of attention and craft, but it never felt compelling or moving to me in any way.

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Lake Mungo (2008)

I decided to watch this movie because it had a lot of parallels with The Babadook (2014). Both films have a sort of ambiguity about them as to whether or not the supernatural occurrences are real or brought about by grief, however I think Lake Mungo does a better job at staying more consistent. I think a part of that is due to the mockumentary style of the film, where it feels like the truth throughout.

Both films are perfect examples of why Australia is better at movies than we are.

Finally watched It Follows.
Despite some problems with the plot, especially towards the end, it was pretty great.
Very entertaining and well done movie.
I wish there were more horror films like that. I hate jump scares so much.
Going to watch The Babadook next, heard it's similar in avoiding those.

What's with all you people and not liking jump scares? I get preferring more psychological horror, but all these people complaining about jump scares sound like all those same people jumping on the bandwagon to complain about JJ Abrams and his lens flares.

Ever seen The Changeling with George C. Scott?

Watched The Mazerunner yesterday. Good popcorn flick with one of the worst endings ever.

I didn't know there was such a bandwagon.
I just feel that a horror movie that mostly relies on them gets boring and annoying very fast, plus it just isn't as effective as psychological stuff and a cool, creepy atmosphere.

I love a good jump scare, I think Drag Me to Hell is one of the best examples of a good film with those. It's just that many films tend to rely solely on jump scares for their element of horror, so it gets easy to just see them as tired and/or unnecessary.

Not yet. It's on my list, but my list is ridiculously long. Perhaps I should bump it up a notch.