Ever since seeing writer-director Jennifer Kent’s feature directorial debut, The Babadook, all I’ve wanted to do is be a total weirdo and walk around whispering, “Ba ba-ba dook, dook, dook,” to everyone.  Trouble is, the movie doesn’t hit theaters until November 28th, so until then, I’d probably sound like an idiot.  But, a brand new clip from the film did just hit the web and it reveals what The Babadook’s all about and his creepy catchphrase, too.

Hit the jump if you dare let Amelia (Essie Davis) read you the story of Mister Babadook in The Babadook clip.  The film also stars Noah Wiseman, Barbara West and Daniel Henshall.

Via Bloody Disgusting.

This is a smart clip to release from a marketing standpoint because it’s a concise and highly effective introduction to The Babadook, but just wait until you see it in context.  One of the reasons The Babadook is a standout is because of this clever and disturbing bedtime story, but what makes it more than just a fleeting novelty is the film’s build.  There are no sit-back-and-relax moments in The Babadook.  Even when the film isn’t gunning for a scare or you’ve got the comfort that comes with a scene that takes place during the daytime, Kent infuses the entire thing with this all-consuming sense of unease, so while this clip may play well on its own, it won’t spoil the moment in the full film because knowing what happens before will only make it play stronger.

Here’s the official synopsis for The Babadook:

Six years after the violent death of her husband, Amelia (Essie Davis) is at a loss. She struggles to discipline her ‘out of control’ 6 year-old, Samuel (Noah Wiseman), a son she finds impossible to love. Samuel’s dreams are plagued by a monster he believes is coming to kill them both. When a disturbing storybook called ‘The Babadook’ turns up at their house, Samuel is convinced that the Babadook is the creature he’s been dreaming about. His hallucinations spiral out of control, he becomes more unpredictable and violent. Amelia, genuinely frightened by her son’s behaviour, is forced to medicate him. But when Amelia begins to see glimpses of a sinister presence all around her, it slowly dawns on her that the thing Samuel has been warning her about may be real.

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