The Babadook (2014)

Sam spends much of the first half hour screaming, and the movie wants you as worn out as his mom. It works, but some viewers tap out before the real scares arrive. Essie Davis gives one of the great horror performances as Amelia, a widow so exhausted she’s barely holding the house together. Then a red pop-up book appears on the shelf, and Jennifer Kent makes a kid’s book the creepiest object you’ve ever seen. The monster is a top hat, a long coat and a croaky voice, and it barely needs effects. The real fear is watching a loving mom crack. The Babadook is grief, and Kent never lets it be just a jump scare. The last act gets loud and over-explains. It made $10.7 million worldwide on a reported $2M, and it holds a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. An 8.3 because it’s as sad as it is scary. $946.34 says you find a book on your shelf you don’t remember buying and carry it straight out to the recycling.

What works: Essie Davis is extraordinary, and the movie turns grief into a monster without ever losing sight of the mom and son underneath.

What doesn’t: The screaming kid makes the first act a real slog, and the final act spells out its metaphor a little too loudly.

Who it’s for: Horror fans who want dread and heart instead of gore, and parents who know what running on empty feels like.