Depression and Anxiety in the Movie, The Babadook

The Babadook is an Australian horror film where Amelia, a single, widowed mother (her husband was killed in a car accident while driving her to the hospital to give birth to their son) is struggling to live her daily life while trying to raise her highly anxious son, Samuel. One night, her son decides that he wants to read a book that he found in his bookcase called “Mister Babadook.” The book shows images of Mister Babadook (from now on referred to as The Babadook) trying to get one of them to “let [him] in”  (Kent, 2014), and “Amelia stops reciting it when the rhymes and pop-up images describing Mr. Babadook begin to turn darkly perverse. He’s unquestionably the worst creature in Seussville. But once this sinister ghoul is introduced, he aims to rip in ever deeper with his stiletto fingertips. It’s as if their anxieties have taken physical shape” (Covert, 2014). In the end, Amelia saves her son and defeats The Babadook. She then keeps him in her basement. My theory is that The Babadook is a manifestation of Amelia and Samuel’s fight with anxiety and depression.

The movie begins with Amelia being jolted awake by Samuel from her nightmare (reliving the crash that killed her husband). Amelia may have Postpartum Psychosis and anxiety. As defined by the American Psychological Association, “Postpartum psychosis, a condition that may involve psychotic symptoms like delusions or hallucinations, [...] and is very rare” (2007). These symptoms can be seen after about the halfway point in the movie where Amelia sees Samuel start to interact with The Babadook. With the combination of the birth of her son and the loss of her husband in the same day, I believe that it is entirely possible that Amelia has Postpartum Psychosis. Her anxiety may be a contributing factor to her psychosis. According to the American Psychological Association, “Someone who suffers severe physical or emotional trauma such as from a natural disaster or serious accident or crime may experience post-traumatic stress disorder. Thoughts, feelings and behavior patterns become seriously affected by reminders of the event, sometimes months or even years after the traumatic experience” (2010). In the movie, her symptoms of psychosis, or The Babadook, get worse the closer it gets to Samuel’s seventh birthday.

Samuel, on the other hand, may have anxiety and depression. The American Psychological Association states that “People with generalized anxiety disorder have recurring fears or worries, such as about health or finances, and they often have a persistent sense that something bad is just about to happen. The reason for the intense feelings of anxiety may be difficult to identify. But the fears and worries are very real and often keep individuals from concentrating on daily tasks” (2010). Throughout the movie, Samuel builds weapons to fight “the monsters” that are coming to hurt him and his mother, and he is expelled from his school for bringing one of them to class with him. Samuel’s aunt, Claire, also calls Amelia about ten times to come and pick him up once he starts talking about The Babadook and later states that she hates being around her sister’s son.  He also has no friends (stated, not shown) and finds it difficult to get along with anyone other than his mother.

Samuel has an episode while riding in the car with his mother. He is fighting with his mother when he suddenly stops, looks to his left, and starts screaming, “Get out!” Repeatedly. His eyes then roll upwards and he has, what looks like a seizure (later explained to be his brain overheating). The doctor uses a combination of the biological model and the behavioral model to treat Samuel. He is hesitant to give Samuel tranquilizers to help him sleep, and asks Amelia what she is doing to help him.

In the end, Amelia and Samuel both have anxiety and depression brought on by the car accident that killed Amelia’s husband. I feel that the movie accurately depicts Amelia’s Postpartum depression, turned psychosis and Samuel’s extreme anxiety.




0 Comments

Curated for You

Popular

Top Contributors more

Latest blog