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The Babadook

Play trailer 1:17 Poster for The Babadook Released Nov 28, 2014 1h 33m Horror Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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98% Tomatometer 247 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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Critics Reviews

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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 Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Richard W I am extremely confused why people are saying this is a good movie ,they are even rating it as one of the top horror movies ever like number 18 out of the top 200 ever ,,i justvcant understand it ,this is a really bad movie ,if you dont believe me watch it ,i dare you ,i double dare you Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 07/10/25 Full Review Ryan S. Decent movie but I don’t see the hype around it. It wasn’t scary and just ended up lame. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 07/05/25 Full Review Stephen C Success in 1 hour and 33 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In Australian English with American English subtitles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $933,100.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/04/25 Full Review Mollie H The best horror movie!!!! I can't sleep with my bedroom door closed now, afraid Babadook will come. AAAARGGGHHHH!!!!!! The best freaking movie!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/30/25 Full Review Zenon L Thought the film was bland and boring Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 06/27/25 Full Review Harry M Fantastic Aussie movie! It slowly builds up the tension into an unforgettable climax at the end. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/20/25 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

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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