PrimeWire

Not bad for an almost-Babadook 2.0. The theme, though presented differently in this film, of a special-needs child and the parent(s) who must soldier on and cope in some unexpected way, is timeless. In The Babadook, the at-her-wit’s-end mom learned to manage things and coexist with the creature, while the mom here simply stepped up and traded her life in order to spare her son’s—-her son who was at long last attempting to speak and to convey his interest in having friends.

I’m not a fan of jump scares; they tend to take me out of the moment…but the ones here were handled fairly effectively. The kid actors were excellent; I especially loved Byron, the little salty friend of the main kid. The not-so-subtle message about our modern addiction to our tech devices is one to heed. I recommend this movie for teens and up; it’ll creep out those that are younger, so be aware.