Demons of our Minds


 

A recurring theme in many horror movies circles around whether something is real or imagined. The movie 1408 with John Cusack, for example, causes the audience to wonder how much of the events that take place in the room are actually taking place or if he is slowly descending into madness. This theme is echoed in other movies like The Shining, Event Horizon, and the film du jour, The Babadook.

When we started this movie, I deeply empathized with the main character, single mother Amelia. Amelia clearly struggles from PTSD, grief, depression, and possibly even paranoia/schizophrenia. When a mysterious book titled The Babadook appears on her 7 year old son's bookshelf, terrifying events begin to unfold. The longer Amelia tries to ignore the creature, the stronger he gets, rendering poor Amelia nearly unrecognizable. She becomes vicious, angry, aggressive, and abusive towards her son. When the Babadook chases her upstairs and Amelia shouts loudly that he's not really there, the Babadook possesses her. It's a clear allegory about what happens when mental issues like Amelia's are ignored and swept under the rug. When Amelia finally takes control and acknowledges/confronts the monster, only then does she begin to live the life she is destined to live. The Babadook never leaves, but Amelia becomes stronger and in her acceptance of the monster, can move on. 

It's not only a symbol for the demons we carry inside us, but a warning of what happens when we pretend those demons don't exist. 

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