The best-reviewed horror film in years has earned a good share of its acclaim for a fantastic central performance from Essie Davis as a bereaved, single mother, Amelia, trying to raise her difficult young son. While in many respects The Babadook is a familiar horror flick, the superb style and smart character-driven drama allows Davis to overcome any generic trappings to deliver a performance of real depth. As Amelia tries to reconcile the pervasive, toxic depression closing in around her (as symbolised by the titular beast), she only becomes more and more frayed at the edges, something Davis portrays with a startling authenticity. Though horror movies almost never even start at the Oscars, this performance was absolutely worthy of Oscar attention, doing a huge service to the genre as a whole.