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The Babadook relies on real horror rather than cheap jump scares -- and boasts a heartfelt, genuinely moving story to boot.
All Critics (228) | Top Critics (46) | Fresh (224) | Rotten (4) | DVD (3)
The Babadook's villains and victims are still running amok in my brain. I think they might be there for some time. Oct 5, 2016 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…
The Babadook's villains and victims are still running amok in my brain. I think they might be there for some time.
Charlotte O'Sullivan
A deftly inventive and psychologically charged horror story that trades on the ways in which the prospect of maternal failure can be just as fearsome a boogeyman as any monster under the bed. Oct 5, 2016 | Full Review…
A deftly inventive and psychologically charged horror story that trades on the ways in which the prospect of maternal failure can be just as fearsome a boogeyman as any monster under the bed.
Alison Willmore
The film has a solid grasp on the mutable, but ever-present pain of loss. Jan 21, 2016 | Full Review…
The film has a solid grasp on the mutable, but ever-present pain of loss.
Lenika Cruz
The line between terrifying reality and terrifying fantasy isn't so much blurred as altogether obliterated. Mar 6, 2015 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…
The line between terrifying reality and terrifying fantasy isn't so much blurred as altogether obliterated.
John Semley
This simple yet shiver-inducing tale, the auspicious feature debut of Australian writer/director Jennifer Kent, makes for one of the better horror movies of recent times. Mar 5, 2015 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…
This simple yet shiver-inducing tale, the auspicious feature debut of Australian writer/director Jennifer Kent, makes for one of the better horror movies of recent times.
Peter Howell
It presents grief as a demon, questions reality, and creeps out the viewer by making psychopathology seem like something that could happen to anybody. Mar 5, 2015 | Rating: 4.5/5 | Full Review…
It presents grief as a demon, questions reality, and creeps out the viewer by making psychopathology seem like something that could happen to anybody.
Jim Slotek
... a non-stop ball of tension from beginning to end, the acting is freaking amazing, the creature F/X are great. I can't even express how surprised I was by this movie. Mar 3, 2019 | Full Review…
... a non-stop ball of tension from beginning to end, the acting is freaking amazing, the creature F/X are great. I can't even express how surprised I was by this movie.
Amie Simon
The Babadook will stick with you. It is brilliantly done, imaginative horror that grips us where most of us live. Jan 7, 2019 | Rating: A- | Full Review…
The Babadook will stick with you. It is brilliantly done, imaginative horror that grips us where most of us live.
Abbie Bernstein
The Babadook...is a brilliant manifestation of grief. Jan 7, 2019 | Full Review…
The Babadook...is a brilliant manifestation of grief.
Tara Judah
The Babadook is an incredibly well-made movie, with each aspect of the film fitting neatly into an overall theme. Nov 8, 2018 | Full Review…
The Babadook is an incredibly well-made movie, with each aspect of the film fitting neatly into an overall theme.
Kt Schaefer
It had amazing acting, a creative storyline, and it still was able to give me the heebie jeebies. It's a horror film with a deeper meaning about how people deal with grief after the death of a loved one. Nov 2, 2018 | Rating: 9/10 | Full Review…
It had amazing acting, a creative storyline, and it still was able to give me the heebie jeebies. It's a horror film with a deeper meaning about how people deal with grief after the death of a loved one.
Molly Henery
Silly name; very smart movie. Oct 26, 2018 | Full Review…
Silly name; very smart movie.
Joe Landsberger
While I can appreciate the film's effort to get its scares from the classic tropes like dark corners, creaky doors and creepy sound effects, it all falls apart by the limitation of (unlikable) characters and the rather predictable plot. It would have worked as a scary tale about grief, insomnia and depression too, but doesn't explore all those themes enough, instead favoring a classic film monster after all. Missed opportunities all around and, worst of all, the second half gets increasingly annoying and you just want it to be over. Check out this film at doesthedogdie.com.
Super Reviewer
If the horror genre could be summed up with one pithy saying, I imagine it might be "it's out to get you", whatever "it" might be. With this interesting take, Australian writer/director Jennifer Kent (gasp! a woman!! In horror???) offers that one's own thoughts and feelings might be the source of the terror, unresolved guilt and malignant feelings, a vibe directly from the iconic "The Innocents". The creep and subsequent attack are worthy of the genre, especially the most horrible "am I dreaming this, is this really happening?!?" staple. Good stuff.
It is always a wonderful surprise to see an intelligent horror film with such profound psychological and emotional scope, making use of a rich symbolism to tell the story of a woman who succumbs to her own inner shadow and is forced to confront it as it takes over her sanity.
The final sequence's sheer terror makes up for a couple of flaws throughout. The Babadook is a suspenseful, clever horror film that is driven by its ominous mysterious & shrouded figure which is inventive and modern for today's genre. 4/5
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