10 Terrifying Horror Movie Monsters (You Never See Kill)

4. Mister Babadook - The Babadook

Some horror fans like to take the p*ss out of Mister Babadook. They say he looks too silly. That his top hat and exaggerated features are too cartoonish to be scary.

They're also wrong.

The Babadook is supposed to be a warped version of a childhood boogeyman, a figure literally brought to life by a twisted storybook. He's also partly inspired by horror icons of the silent age, all chiaroscuro lighting and suggestion. In the context of the film it absolutely works as well, and this guy creeping around, croaking out "ba ba dook dook dook!" is creepy as hell.

The way he flashes in and out of scenes, the way you only ever see glimpses of details, the impeccable sound design of his movements, it all creates one of the scariest monsters of the 21st Century.

However, this is a film more about the psychological torment of its characters than the supernatural lore of its main villain (who may or may not even be real), and as a result The Babadook doesn't kill anyone.