Reworking of horror and crime/ganster genres in films made by women
By Moira Sullivan Over the course of film history, the content of traditional genres begun in the silent era has consistently changed in terms of plot, characters, setting, form, and iconography. This is especially true in films directed and written by women. Some films challenge traditional views of motherhood to such an extent that they are frightening. In The Babadook (2014, Australia), directed by Jennifer Kent, a children’s storybook becomes the origin of an unsettling transformation of what would otherwise be perceived as an ordinary, loving mother. Amelia (Essie Davis) is a widow raising her young son Sam alone (Noah Wiseman), who has learning disabilities and needs constant care. Soon she is unable to cope and later on becomes a demonic mother. The son is clever enough to know that this is not his mother and becomes a caretaker for her. The character in The Babadook children’s book has come alive, a sinister character in black that invades the home and the psyche of ...