A masterclass in tension and metaphor. The Babadook is terrifying not because the monster hides under the bed, but because it lives in the mind, feeding on the things we refuse to say. It is a harrowing, heartbreaking, and essential watch.

This is a tour-de-force performance. Davis transforms from a fragile, sympathetic victim into a terrifying, jagged-toothed predator, and finally into a woman who has found a strange peace. Her portrayal of sleep deprivation and repressed rage anchors the supernatural elements in reality.