Women in Horror – Short Film: Monster (2005) directed by Jennifer Kent

Monster

Written & Directed By: Jennifer Kent

Length: 10:43 minutes
Genre: Horror

What It’s About: “A single mother battles her son’s fear of a monster in the house, but soon discovers a sinister presence all around her.”

Why I Like It: “Monster” is the short film that was later extended into the feature length Babadook â€” both of which are great. In both, a woman is harangued by her overactive son and his imaginative fears. How this develops into revealing the supernatural force at work is a bit different in each, with the condensed narrative of the short adding to the dark fairy tale tone. It’s able to build a story without needing to explain much — the monster is a monster andcan be defeated. In other words, it’s possible to master one’s fears by giving them a stern talking to. I also admire the beautiful black and white cinematography with its stark shadows.


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