10 Horror Movies You Probably Hated The First Time Round (But Loved The Second)

8. The Babadook

Jennifer Kent’s 2014 directorial debut, The Babadook, is a superb illustration of allegory and symbolism in horror. Why? Because its titular creature is actually a manifestation of the confrontational bitterness and sorrow felt by matriarch Amelia Vanek and her son, Samuel, following the fatal car accident of family patriarch Oskar.

Specifically – and somewhat understandably – Amelia becomes perpetually resentful and violent toward Samuel (who is undeniably annoying, needy, erratic, and all-around insufferable from the moment their journey begins). His unbearableness, coupled with the film being generally unfrightening in a traditional sense, resulted in a considerable amount of onlookers outright loathing Kent’s vision.

As is often the case, retrospective analyses of what The Babadook is really about – and how well it succeeds at its depictions – have substantially altered such negative appraisals.

Today, Babadook enthusiasts see it as a beautifully constructed and touchingly earnest tale of grief, love, and connection between a mother and her child. As for Samuel’s excruciating behaviors (and Amelia’s reprehensible responses to them), both are far more frightening yet necessary than what might be seen in a conventional monster movie.