10 Most Polarising Horror Movies Of All Time

Jennifer Kent's Australian film debut The Babadook shares many of the issues around polarization which were found in Hereditary: strong early buzz generated at the Sundance Film Festival, a positive reception from the media with rave reviews across the board, and a central theme focusing on the mental deterioration of a beleaguered mother. It's also another recent horror movie which wears its artistic intentions with pride, determined to be seen as a credible film working beyond the genre conventions.

Not surprisingly, audience reactions followed similar trends to Hereditary. The Babadook's slow and measured pace, with an emphasis on building tension rather than delivering cheap jump scares, won over many audience members. Admiring the thoughtful approach to the psychological aspects of the film, they also praised the design work for the Babadook creature itself and considered it to be an iconic entry into horror lore, joining the ranks of the great movie monsters such as Michael Meyers and Freddy Krueger.

But this attempt to inject the film with a degree of maturity not often found in horror films rubbed many others the wrong way. For its detractors, The Babadook was a tedious slog completely lacking in scares - the cinematic equivalent of watching paint dry completely undeserving of praise and destined to be forgotten. Time will tell which assessment proves to be the most accurate.