The Babadook

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The Babadook

2014

1h 33m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

249 Reviews

72%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Six years after the violent death of her husband, Amelia (Essie Davis) is at a loss. She struggles to discipline her 'out of control' 6 year-old, Samuel (Noah Wiseman), a son she finds impossible to love. Samuel's dreams are plagued by a monster he believes is coming to kill them both. When a disturbing storybook called 'The Babadook' turns up at their house, Samuel is convinced that the Babadook is the creature he’s been dreaming about. His hallucinations spiral out of control, he becomes more unpredictable and violent. Amelia, genuinely frightened by her son's behavior, is forced to medicate him. But when Amelia begins to see glimpses of a sinister presence all around her, it slowly dawns on her that the thing Samuel has been warning her about may be real.

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Critics Consensus

The Babadook relies on real horror rather than cheap jump scares -- and boasts a heartfelt, genuinely moving story to boot.

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

09/01/2017

B+

Nestled deep within this teeny Australian thriller packs a simple yet profound message about what it often feels like to be a single parent, and even what it feels like to be the child of that parent.

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Charlotte O'Sullivan

London Evening Standard

10/05/2016

4/5

The Babadook's villains and victims are still running amok in my brain. I think they might be there for some time.

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Noel Murray

Nashville Scene

10/05/2016

What's most terrifying about The Babadook is that Kent grounds a bizarre supernatural premise in very real feelings of anxiety and depression.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Jan 1

3.5/4

How’s this for an endorsement? William Friedkin, who directed the movie often called the scariest ever made (The Exorcist), stated that "I’ve never seen a more terrifying film than The Babadook." That’s a hell of a plug.

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Bryce Hanson

Horror Movie Talk

Sep 23

10/10

This film is an obvious homage to the German expressionist silent films of the 20s that established the earliest foundations of the horror film genre. It is also a deeply modern exploration of grief, the stresses of parenthood, and mental health crises.

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Marya E. Gates

Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack)

10/11/2024

Kent’s film tapped into a lot of visceral fears I had at the time as a woman living alone

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John C.

@movieexpertteen 2d

The Babadook is the definition of a perfect film it is absolutely flawless and genius. It is one of the greatest horrors to ever be displayed on screen.

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Eclipse A

@Eclipse461 Jan 20

I liked the emotional side of the movie, the mothers frustration with Samuel and Samuel's increasing anger and resentment is refreshing to see when most horror movies constantly show the "perfect family" dynamics. Where the problem for me is not the storyline or the acting, rather the absolute dogshit cgi- a YouTube short has better cgi than this. Even for its time, the cgi is low quality no matter how hard you squint your eyes. Secondly I think the lighting and colour scheme isn't the best, I understand having dark and gloomy setting increases the spook factor but the movie really does over do it.

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Zeferino P.

@Z6fP6ral6s Jan 18

I really don’t see what everyone else sees here Great idea but really drawn out I love horror movies but this one i can watch again some day and hopefully see it in a different light

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Alan F

@SamOM Jan 17

An outstanding one woman show. You really dont know what direction it's going to go in, which is refreshing for this type of horror. But i would not watch it a second time

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Ryan F.

@FrostyJim Jan 5

The kid is creepy but a little irritating. But the Mom’s acting was really good in my opinion.

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Debra S

@DebSimons Jan 5

A great psychological horror film in depth character development without resorting to cheap tactics or sentimental tricks . One readily fills deep compassion for the child and the mother simultaneously. I recommend this for anyone. It is brilliant. for people wanting juvenile popcorn throwing gore, go elsewhere. This is a great film for many reasons. DebSimons -WS,NC USA

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Jennifer Kent

Director

Essie Davis

Amelia

Daniel Henshall

Robbie

Noah Wiseman

Samuel

Hayley McElhinney

Claire

Barbara West

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Synopsis

Six years after the violent death of her husband, Amelia (Essie Davis) is at a loss. She struggles to discipline her 'out of control' 6 year-old, Samuel (Noah Wiseman), a son she finds impossible to love. Samuel's dreams are plagued by a monster he believes is coming to kill them both. When a disturbing storybook called 'The Babadook' turns up at their house, Samuel is convinced that the Babadook is the creature he’s been dreaming about. His hallucinations spiral out of control, he becomes more unpredictable and violent. Amelia, genuinely frightened by her son's behavior, is forced to medicate him. But when Amelia begins to see glimpses of a sinister presence all around her, it slowly dawns on her that the thing Samuel has been warning her about may be real.

Director: Jennifer Kent
Producer: Kristina Ceyton, Kristian Moliere
Screenwriter: Jennifer Kent
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: Causeway Films, Entertainment One, Smoking Gun Productions
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Australian English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 28, 2014, Limited
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Sep 19, 2024
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 5, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $933.1K
Runtime: 1h 33m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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