The Babadook

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The Babadook

Released Nov 28, 2014

1h 33m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

248 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

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.

Rated: B+

Sep 1, 2017

Full Review

Charlotte O'Sullivan

London Evening Standard

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

Rated: 4/5

Oct 5, 2016

Full Review

Noel Murray

Nashville Scene

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

Oct 5, 2016

Full Review

Marya E. Gates

Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack)

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

Oct 11, 2024

Full Review

Calum Cooper

In Their Own League

Frightening and bleak yet also spellbinding and profound, “The Babadook” deserves to be immortalised in the canon of horror cinema alongside the very pictures that inspired it.

Rated: 5/5

Sep 20, 2024

Full Review

Diane Carson

KDHX (St. Louis)

“The Babadook” is an extraordinary horror film.

Aug 15, 2024

Full Review

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Ricardo d

Temos um bom filme com simbologia sobre o luto, aceitação e como é ser mãe solteira sem rede de apoio. As atuações principalmente da criança são ótimas, até eu faria a mesma coisa que a mãe numa situação assim. O fim ficou um tanto abstrato e por isso não merece as 5 estrelas.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/21/25

Full Review

Yahya K

My cousin Adam recommended this movie (wasteman), if I could give it less then 0.5 stars, I would... not even finished the movie yet and I'm just waiting for it to end. There is about 10 of us in the room watching it. No ones saying it... but they are all bored AF, just waiting for it to end now so can go sleep.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/20/25

Full Review

Chief B

Really not a good movie at all and believe me I tried. Sometimes I have to watch a movie more than once to appreciate it but it doesn't happen with this one. The concept is nice but the execution and acting aren't appealing to me

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/15/25

Full Review

Len P

Low Budget horror movie where the antagonist is mostly left up to your imagination. Good acting does not carry the simple plot nor the cheap special effects. High RT rating completely undeserved. Interestingly the Audience Reviews are very polarised between 1/2 and 1 stars and 4 - 5 stars. Seems the average should be around 30% ? I suspect there are a lot of fake reviews by friends and colleagues of the production team ? It was a pain to hang in until the end, frustrated more by a poor FF facility of the streaming provider.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/26/25

Full Review

Charles W

Excellent, Suspenseful movie with incredible acting, especially from the child actor. This movie, at 10 years old already, will be a classic. The Rotten Tomato score is SPOT ON with 98%!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/25/25

Full Review

Barry John M

Well that was an absolute waste of time and this is meant to be scary it's was just downright weird .

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/24/25

Full Review

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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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