Although it doesn't hit theaters until next month, we can tell you that 'The Babadook' is one of the best horror movies of 2014 and that director Jennifer Kent is someone you will want to keep your eyes on for the foreseeable future. However, before her film freaked everyone out at Sundance and Fantastic Fest, Kent made a short film titled 'Monster,' which acted as a warm-up to her first feature gig. If you want to get a taste of 'The Babdook' and have already seen the trailer, this is the next logical place to go.

The set-up of 'Monster' is identical to 'The Babadook' -- a single mother must protect her son from a creepy monster that invades their home through a seemingly innocent toy (it's a children's book in the feature). Jump scares, creeping menace and powerful motherly love ensue!

'Monster' is rougher around the edges than 'The Babadook' and the ten-minute running time means that it can't achieve the emotional catharsis that makes the 94-minute version so surprisingly powerful, but it's still a wildly effective short film. It's easy to imagine this being the most important tool in raising a budget. If we had seen this first, we definitely would have tossed some money at Kent to make whatever the heck she wanted.

'The Babadook' will officially open in theaters on November 28, 2014.

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