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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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

Nick H

What a disappointment. Heard and read the movie was the epitome of psycho/horror thrills. Hmmm...well it certainly takes a superficial look at mental illness (Essie Davis as Amelia), and her son Sam (Noah Wiseman) play the parts of dysfunctional family struggling to adjust after the fathers death....on Noah's birth date (obviously). Noah is annoying and Amelia crumbles under weight of..what, we're not sure. A book appears that talks about a horrific entity Babadook. Amelia and son read story one bed time. Things turn slightly more worrying when unexplained noises and visions occur in the home. From this point the film doesn't progress one inch. Something bad is there and..that's it. Director tries to make sense of matters by reincarnating Amelia's husband 'Bring me the boy'...but its no more than candyfloss. What Babadook offers are sanitised creeps for folk who consume 'horror-lite'. The only disturbing aspect pf the film is that I devoted 90 minutes of my life to it. Babadook is The Omen done half as well for ten times the budget. What a let down.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/14/25

Full Review

Julia H

Hands down the worst film I’ve seen in my life. This is the benchmark upon which I rate all of the worst films I’ve ever seen, and nothing yet comes close.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/14/25

Full Review

Audience Member

Boring tbh and plus the dog dies not very fun watch

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/13/25

Full Review

kacy h

this movie SUCKS. slow burn, not scary at all, not enough dramatic effect, acting isnt great, ending is weird. don’t recommend it is ASS

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/10/25

Full Review

Aydan A

i didn't understand this movie at all until my dad explained that it was about grief. now i look at it entirely differently.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/04/25

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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