The Babadook

2014

The Babadook

Critics Consensus

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

98%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 235

72%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 39,013

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Movie Info

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 behaviour, 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. (C) IFC
  • Rating:
    NR
  • Genre:
    Drama, Horror, Mystery & Suspense
  • Directed By:
    Jennifer Kent
  • Written By:
    Jennifer Kent
  • In Theaters:
     limited
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    IFC Films

Cast

Essie Davis
as Amelia
Noah Wiseman
as Samuel
Barbara West
as Mrs. Roach
Daniel Henshall
as Robbie
Hayley McElhinney
as Claire
Tim Purcell
as The Babadook
Tiffany Lyndall-Knight
as Supermarket Mom
Cathy Adamek
as Prue
Peta Shannon
as Eastern Suburbs Mom 2
Benjamin Winspear
as Oskar
Michael Gilmour
as Young Policeman 1
Adam Morgan
as Police Sergeant
John Maurice Sullivan
as Car Guy
Craig Behenna
as Warren
Terence Crawford
as Doctor
Carmel Johnson
as Teacher
Lise Hachi
as Bugsy
Michelle Nightingale
as Eastern Suburbs Mom 3
Pippa Wanganeen
as Eastern Suburbs Mom 1
Pippa Wanganeeh
as Eastern Suburbs Mom 1
Chloe Hurn
as Ruby
Lotte Crawford
as Kissing Woman
Stephen Sheehan
as Magician
Lucy Hong
as Supermarket Little Girl
Chris Roberts
as Kissing Man
Tony Mack
as Principal
Sophie Riggs
as Checkout Chick
Craig McArdle
as Young Policeman 2
Sophie Allan
as Fast Food Kid 5
Bridget Walters
as Norma
Isla Zorkovic
as Fast Food Kid 2
Ethan Grabis
as Fast Food Kid 4
Jacqy Phillips
as Beverly
Annie Batten
as Old Woman in Corridor
India Zorkovic
as Fast Food Kid
Charlie Crabtree
as Fast Food Kid
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Critic Reviews for The Babadook

All Critics (235) | Top Critics (49) | Fresh (230) | Rotten (5)

  • Its portrait of maternal exhaustion is intense and disturbing.

    October 17, 2017 | Full Review…

    M. Faust

    The Public (Buffalo)
    Top Critic

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

    October 5, 2016 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

    Charlotte O'Sullivan

    London Evening Standard
    Top Critic

  • The style of the film is not teasing exactly -- it's too sad and lonely -- but there is certainly a hair-pulling mixture of glum laughter and vast apprehension. Is the demon real? Does it matter?

    October 5, 2016 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

    Antonia Quirke

    Financial Times
    Top Critic

  • 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.

    October 5, 2016 | Full Review…

    Alison Willmore

    BuzzFeed News
    Top Critic

  • The film has a solid grasp on the mutable, but ever-present pain of loss.

    January 21, 2016 | Full Review…

    Lenika Cruz

    The Atlantic
    Top Critic

  • The line between terrifying reality and terrifying fantasy isn't so much blurred as altogether obliterated.

    March 6, 2015 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

    John Semley

    Globe and Mail
    Top Critic
View All Critic Reviews (235)

Audience Reviews for The Babadook

  • Jan 14, 2018
    Creepy! The Babadook can stand for so many things, of which most of us can relate.
    Super Reviewer
  • Nov 21, 2017
    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.
    Kevin M. W Super Reviewer
  • Feb 14, 2017
    http://cinephilecrocodile.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/the-babadook-dir-jennifer-kent-2014.html
    Anthony L Super Reviewer
  • Dec 29, 2016
    pre-viewing had heard alot of good things about the babadook and in turn was quite expectant. the acting from both leads was good but the actual scares delivered were more on a B-movie level and, as my expectations were high, a bit of a let down. further deflating was the apparant babadook possibly being simply a metaphor for the struggle of dealing & coping with trauma. couldnt it just simply be a monster? possibly a frightening one? i think for young teenagers this is perfectly balanced but for those horror aficionados out there this is a frolic in the park.
    Sanity Assassin ! Super Reviewer
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