10 Potentially Awful 2014 Movies That Turned Out Great

4. The Babadook

Why it could have been awful: From countless J-horror movies through to their American remakes and imitators, the parent/child in haunted house scenario has been so overdone it's pretty much transformed into another unwanted horror subgenre. The Babadook, about a anxiety-ridden mother dealing with her erratic son after the death of her husband, and the mysterious supernatural presence which enters their house, sounded like it might turn out to be yet another generic horror film destined to head immediately to DVD. Why it's great: Australian writer-director Jennifer Kent takes what could have been a thoroughly pedestrian low budget horror concept and, through a great use of visual style which sometimes approaches the Lynchian and a keen understanding of strong characters (aided by fine performances), crafts one of the best horror movies of the year. The design of the Babadook itself, influenced by the aesthetics of the pop up book which appears on the son's bookcase one evening, is a pleasing alternative to the predictable CGI apparitions in many other films, while the psychological subtexts make the film refreshingly mature.