The Babadook

Believe the hype: "The Babadook" really can lay claim to being the scariest movie in years. The spooky shenanigans of a horrific storybook that just won't go away fills this independent movie from IFC Films with the right amount of thrills and chills for horror fans everywhere. Scream Factory drops the frightening film on Blu-ray, with tons of special features too.

A mother and son have to live every day with the loss of their husband and father, respectively, who died seven years ago in a tragic car accident. In the grand tradition of "The Exorcist" and "The Others," the little boy starts acting strangely and blames it on his "Babadook" storybook, and how the main character of it has come to life. It isn't long before his mother starts going mad as well in this tale of the unseen.

The fantastic little selling point of "The Babadook" Blu-ray is that the case replicates the children's storybook used in the movie, replete with your very own pop-up Babadook and phrases used in the film. If that isn't enough, a behind-the-scenes takes the viewer on a journey to the set, including a look at two key scenes and how they were filmed. Four tiny deleted scenes show some more interaction between mother and son, but nothing that really adds to the story.

Also on hand are question and answer segments with Essie Davis (Amelia) and director Jennifer Kent, whose own horror short film "Monster" gets included as a separate bonus feature. The parallels between "Monster" and "The Babadook" are apparent, and even in its brief 10-minute running time, "Monster" invokes shivers.

"The Babadook"
Blu-ray
www.shoutfactory.com