10 Horror Movie Background Scares That Will Scar You For Life

Few of us were ready for the Babadook when he crept onto screens in 2014, bringing with him a new indie-horror filmmaking sensibility that, in many ways, out-A24s A24.

Single mother Amelia (Essie Davis) is haunted by the violent death of her husband, while having to contend with her young son Samuel's (Noah Wiseman) fear that a monster from one of his storybooks lurks in their house. Australian made and shot like a small-town drama, the terror of The Babadook lies in the blurred boundaries between the supernatural and the psychological, leaving us wondering whether what we're seeing is really to be believed or the product of a grief-damaged mind.

While the monster himself is scarce throughout the film, one of his most undeniable manifestations comes when Amelia is at her most absentminded, washing the dishes. Catching her unaware, the monster's figure can be seen in the shadows of the neighbour's hallway, looming large, still and barely visible. Amelia breaks a dish, looks again and he's gone, but it's far too late to wipe the impression from our minds, never mind hers.

You can't get rid of the Babadook...