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

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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

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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

Aspen D

the dog…. it’s gone!!!! babadookie wasn’t pookie enough for me. damn that’s one creepy ass kid. the kid is the horror movie frfr. almost as scary as mr boogie. shhhhhhh. anyhoo!!!! this was the worst movie i’ve ever moovied in my entire life chat. 0/9. this was soo not skib gangster. i wish the mom died tbh that hoe was mad crazy. works??? why did she keep it as a sex slave. like dawg.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/23/25

Full Review

Paul S

This is definitely one of the best horror movies I've ever seen. Not only was it terrifying, but it really made me care about the characters. I highly recommend it for horror fans!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/16/25

Full Review

Sean G

The BabaDook is one of my favorite elevated horror movies of all time it's a must watch on mother hood depression and grief and I love the scary supernatural elements in it

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/13/25

Full Review

tina r

This was hands down the worst movie I’ve ever watched in my life. There is absolutely no context about how the Babadok character came to be or any back story . Just a series of random effects of everything typical you’d expect in a horror movie , seeing visions , being dragged by unknown forces … and somehow not once did it actually scare me one little bit and I scare easily. I have no idea what’s 98% about this movie . The ending is also very disappointing. Just don’t waste your time watching this.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/16/25

Full Review

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Jennifer Kent

Director

Essie Davis

Amelia

Daniel Henshall

Robbie

Noah Wiseman

Samuel

Hayley McElhinney

Claire

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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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