As much as Netflix have a near unmatched catalogue of movies, you do have to be careful that your favourite film you’ve planned to watch this weekend isn’t about to be taken off.
This is the case for one ‘instant classic’ horror film with a whopping 98 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes. Watched for 5.3 million hours by fans on the platform, anyone hoping to add to that number should look to move soon.
Netflix will regularly take films off their platform, often due to licensing deals expiring. They recently set the deadline for the film with the highest Rotten Tomatoes score of all time to be taken off, so it should be no surprise that an iconic horror is also being removed soon.
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Called The Babadook, it is considered one of the best indie horrors of the 21st century.
What is The Babadook about?
The 2014 Australian horror was directed by Jennifer Kent and was based on a 2005 short film called Monster. It follows a young mother called Amelia, played by Essie Davis, who is a widow.
Six years on from her husband's violent death, she is struggling to be a single parent to her son Samuel (Noah Wiseman).
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Sam is out of control and is plagued by dreams in which he’s convinced a monster is coming to kill them.
One day, a children’s book called ‘The Babadook’ shows up at their house and he becomes convinced that ‘Mister Babadook’ is who has been visiting his dreams.
The pair then fall into a ‘well of paranoia’ dealing with the Babadook manifesting itself in their lives.
What have critics and fans said about The Babadook and when is it leaving Netflix?
The Babadook is a terrifying villain (Umbrella Entertainment)
The film received near universal praise as an instant horror classic, hence the 98 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.
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Kristy Puchko said in their 4.5-star review for CinemaBlend: “The Babadook is easily the best horror film of 2014.
“But bolstered by knockout performances, and a mind-bending narrative beautifully shot and coloured, The Babadook is so much more. It's one of the best films of the year.”
Glenn Kenny, writing for RogerEbert.com said the film was ‘the finest and most genuinely provocative horror movie to emerge in this still very-new century.’
As is often not the case, this critical love translated in similar sentiment amongst fans.
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One fan on Reddit said: “The film reminded me of The Shining, in the best possible way. The slow deterioration of the mother is just as scary as the monster. Or the kid.
“There are three monsters in this story, I guess. And all three are ultimately sympathetic. This is an instant classic, IMO.”
A 9/10 IMDb review called the film ‘much more than a horror’, saying: “Personally, I thought about this film for days after seeing it, both because of its ambiguity and because of the themes it explores, namely mental illness and domestic violence.
“Yes, it's scary. But it's also touching and heartbreaking.”
The Babadook is on Netflix for now, however fans have exactly a week left as the film is set to be taken off on 4 July.
Topics: Netflix, Horror, Rotten Tomatoes, Film, TV and Film
Michael Slavin