15 Best Horror Movies To Watch On Netflix This Halloween

You’ll enjoy The Babadook more if you haven’t already seen Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark (2010), Mama (2013), Insidious (2010), The Possession (2012), The Orphanage (2007) or any other movie where a parent battles to save their child from a supernatural predator. Then again, it’s more accomplished and effective than any of them, and more likely to acquire a cult reputation in the future.

The film builds a credible story of a single mother, still coming to terms with the death of her husband, who together with her son discovers a book about the monster that supposedly lurks in their house. Eschewing cheap shocks and big-scale set pieces, The Babadook is a much more intimate affair than its competitors and its success depends mainly on the performance of the lead actress. Fortunately, that actress is Essie Davis, who won numerous awards for her work on the film.

If Dr Seuss had ever turned his hand to horror films, he might’ve created something like The Babadook. The eponymous creature looks like an escapee from one of the author’s most twisted dreams, and recommendations don’t come much higher than that.