Last night, I watched a movie about parenting. And it was the most terrifying movie I’ve seen in years.

The Babadook is phenomenal. It’s about more than just parenting – grief, depression, guilt, children’s books, insomnia, cockroaches, monsters – but at its core it’s about a single mom trying to raise a difficult child on her own in the aftermath of a tragedy, and the toll it takes on her, her son, and their relationship. Also it’s about a terrifying monster from inside a terrifying children’s book.

It’s probably the best horror movie I’ve seen in years, not least because most of the scares don’t come (solely) from the supernatural but also the psychological (like other favorite Rosemary’s Baby, or maybe Don’t Look Now). I highly recommend it; just try to choose a day when your kids aren’t pissing you off!

You wouldn’t know that The Babadook is about parenting by the title. But what would a movie about parenting be called?

The Stages of Parenthood (via Movie Titles)

Pre-Pregnancy: Days of Wine and Roses
Trying to Get Pregnant: Don’t Look Back
Pregnancy: Something Wicked This Way Comes
Infancy: Insomnia (alternative: The Blob)
One-year-old: Dazed and Confused
Two-year-old: Wild
Three-year-old: Fight Club
Four-year-old: Help!
Kindergarten: Cast Away
Elementary School: 2 Fast 2 Furious
Middle School: Breaking Away
High School: Face/Off
College (Double Feature*): The Great Escape; Gone in 60 Seconds
Adulthood (Triple Feature!*): Victory; Cry Freedom; European Vacation
Grand kids (QUADRUPLE FEATURE!*): You’re Next; Trading Places; Payback; No Holds Barred

*There’s finally time!