The Babadook

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The Babadook

2014

1h 33m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

250 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

Sep 1, 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

Oct 5, 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

Oct 5, 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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Lexi Amoriello

Movie Recs by Lex

Jul 10, 2026

Kent knows how to create a compelling story that is both frightening and poignant. The mother-son relationship depicted in the film is heartbreaking and tumultuous.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Jan 1, 2026

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, 2025

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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Anirudh K

@RT23790458 Sep 20, 2026

This might be the stupidest horror movie i have ever seen in my life and i don't know how the hell this has a 98% rating on Rotten tomatoes. The most useless and boring horror movie title for me was previously owned by hereditary...atleast that had a reason to why haunting was happening...but this movie was absolutely the worst 1.5 hours i have ever wasted. Don't waste your time watching this.

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Michelle T

@Mishmish2026 Sep 19, 2026

how this received such a high score on Rotten T is beyond me, this has probably got to be THE WORST movie I have every watched. Save yourself, do not watch this movie.

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Jordan M

@rt.7y3mx Sep 13, 2026

found it boring & a bit to slow for short attention span but the concept was interesting.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 4, 2026

The Babadook = a *4* star movie

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Peder O

@Prellder Aug 22, 2026

Not a horror movie, felt like I wasted 1.5hr at the ending

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Blobbo X

@Blobbo Aug 14, 2026

Not a horror movie so much as a solid, graphic depiction of severe mental illness, severe psychotic break from reality, what it's like to be controled by delusions. Excellent everything, but if 90 minutes in a mental institution would throw you off kilter, maybe take a pass on this one. 5 stars for amazing portrayal of psychosis from inside the mind of a psychotic; 5 !!!!!'s of warning/CAUTION for psychologically fragile potential viewers. Seriously.

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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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