Jennifer Kent’s psychological horror film THE BABADOOK which made its World Premiere in the Midnight Section at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival has been acquired by IFC Midnight for release in the U.S. The film, with a screenplay by Kent, stars actress Essie Davis in a breakout role as a single mother who must cope with her troubled son and the shadowy monster that has taken over their home.  

Jennifer Kent ‘s debut feature tells the story of a single mother named Amelia (Australian actress Essie Davis in a critically hailed breakthrough performance).  She is plagued by the violent death of her husband, and forced to battle with her troubled son’s nighttime fear of a shadowy monster.  At odds with her own child and this terrifying presence in her home, she is forced to confront this dark entity lurking in her house. With echoes of past and contemporary classics like Rosemary’s Baby, The Tenant, The Exorcist, The Omen and Let the Right One In, the film is an exquisitely crafted tale starring Davis and young newcomer Noah Wiseman. The supporting cast includes Daniel Henshall, Hayley McElhinney, Barbara West, and Ben Winspear.

Jonathan Sehring, President of Sundance Selects/IFC Films, said: “This is an extraordinary debut feature from a brilliant Australian filmmaker named Jennifer Kent who has crafted the perfect classic horror film.  We were blown away by the two lead performances in the film, and we believe that people will see this film and realize that Jennifer Kent has arrived as one of the great new horror filmmakers.”

via moviecitynews