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The Babadook

  • 2014
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 34m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
261K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,334
87
Essie Davis and Noah Wiseman in The Babadook (2014)
A single mother, plagued by the violent death of her husband, battles with her son's fear of a monster lurking in the house, but soon discovers a sinister presence all around her.
Play trailer2:25
6 Videos
99+ Photos
Monster HorrorPsychological HorrorSupernatural HorrorDramaHorrorMystery

A single mother and her child fall into a deep well of paranoia when an eerie children's book titled "Mister Babadook" manifests in their home.A single mother and her child fall into a deep well of paranoia when an eerie children's book titled "Mister Babadook" manifests in their home.A single mother and her child fall into a deep well of paranoia when an eerie children's book titled "Mister Babadook" manifests in their home.

  • Director
    • Jennifer Kent
  • Writer
    • Jennifer Kent
  • Stars
    • Essie Davis
    • Noah Wiseman
    • Daniel Henshall
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.8/10
    261K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    2,334
    87
    • Director
      • Jennifer Kent
    • Writer
      • Jennifer Kent
    • Stars
      • Essie Davis
      • Noah Wiseman
      • Daniel Henshall
    • 1.1KUser reviews
    • 510Critic reviews
    • 86Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 56 wins & 64 nominations total

    Videos6

    Festival Trailer
    Trailer 2:25
    Festival Trailer
    The Babadook Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:22
    The Babadook Official Trailer
    The Babadook Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:22
    The Babadook Official Trailer
    The Babadook: You Can Bring Me The Boy
    Clip 3:20
    The Babadook: You Can Bring Me The Boy
    The Babadook: Amelia Burns The Book
    Clip 2:31
    The Babadook: Amelia Burns The Book
    The Babadook: Reading Mister Babadook
    Clip 2:55
    The Babadook: Reading Mister Babadook
    The Babadook: Crime Scene On TV
    Clip 1:27
    The Babadook: Crime Scene On TV

    Photos189

    View Poster
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    + 184
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    Top cast38

    Edit
    Essie Davis
    Essie Davis
    • Amelia Vanek
    Noah Wiseman
    Noah Wiseman
    • Samuel
    Daniel Henshall
    Daniel Henshall
    • Robbie
    Hayley McElhinney
    Hayley McElhinney
    • Claire
    Barbara West
    Barbara West
    • Mrs. Roach
    Ben Winspear
    Ben Winspear
    • Oskar
    Chloe Hurn
    • Ruby
    Jacquy Phillips
    • Beverly
    • (as Jacqy Phillips)
    Bridget Walters
    • Norma
    Annie Batten
    • Old Woman in Corridor
    Tony Mack
    • Principal
    Carmel Johnson
    Carmel Johnson
    • Teacher
    Tiffany Lyndall-Knight
    Tiffany Lyndall-Knight
    • Supermarket Mum
    • (as Tiffany Lyndall Knight)
    Lucy Hong
    • Supermarket Little Girl
    Sophie Riggs
    • Checkout Chick
    Lotte Crawford
    • Kissing Woman
    Chris Roberts
    • Kissing Man
    Terence Crawford
    Terence Crawford
    • Doctor
    • Director
      • Jennifer Kent
    • Writer
      • Jennifer Kent
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews1.1K

    6.8260.7K
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    Featured reviews

    8garydear3009

    Chilling and Sad.Ignore the One-Stars!

    Never written a review before. Haven't felt the need. But after seeing the 1 star reviews of this film,i just felt compelled.

    Firstly,what this is.

    I would say a cross between The Shining and We Need to talk about Kevin. This film is desperately sad. A woman who is haunted,first by her husbands death,then by the Babadook all while looking after her young son. This is a creepy, no jump scare, fantastic psychological horror. A rare gem that plays on all those fairytale fears that you may have had as a kid.

    Second.What this isn't.

    Well,not "The worst horror in years".I get that people have different opinions.I do.But this isn't a film that can justify that sort of nonsensical comment. It isn't a dull jump scare-filled blockbuster. The characters are not hot teenagers. They are believable, disturbed and this makes the film the slow,creeping horror that it is.

    If you are a fan of horror,it really is a must see film.
    7gavin6942

    One of the Best Horror Films of 2014

    A single mother (Essie Davis), plagued by the violent death of her husband, battles with her son (Noah Wiseman)'s fear of a monster lurking in the house, but soon discovers a sinister presence all around her.

    Some people find this film terrifying, some just find it eerie. If nothing else, it stands out as original. Writer-director Jennifer Kent hits a home run, taking what she learned from her very unusual film school (watching Lars von Trier) and incorporating it here. But it is so much more than good direction and excellent framing.

    This is a film that could fail if the elements were off. If the creature effects were cheesy, it would not be as scary. If the mother was not as convincing, it would not be so emotional. And Noah Wiseman? Wow. Few child actors are able to perform on this level. The last one with this much talent that comes to mind is Chloe Moretz. Give this kid more roles, and give them to him now.
    8peter_tucker-596-25932

    Great Australian horror film

    You've heard of feel-good films, well this is not one. It's creepy and disturbing pretty well all the way, a good old horror fantasy with a nod to the psychological canniness of Nightmare on Elm Street but much more economical in terms of special effects, casting and I would imagine budget. It nevertheless maintains tension and atmosphere along with some high-flying dramatic sequences from the actors which bear comparison with The Exorcist. The plot also connects nicely with the psychological and existential conflicts facing a single mother whose son's birth coincided with the tragic death of her husband, and the whole nasty Babadook phenomenon, and its unresolved outcome, can certainly be read as an allegory of this traumatic event. Maybe it's over-reading to say the film also contains a Nietszchian lesson about the importance of embracing every aspect of one's life and history, no matter how horrific - but it works for me. The acting is amazingly good from the two leads, although the supporting characters are a bit stereotyped, a directing decision presumably. Sets and locations are charged with a bleak gloom, and the colour accordingly verges on monochrome. Love the specially made children's book, and Mr Babadook's physical character, as well as the wonderfully curated vintage movie footage appearing throughout on the TV screen. And a special word for the very fine intricately crafted sound design.
    7Cineman17

    The scariest "children's film" I have ever seen

    We are all familiar with the scenario: a young boy with an overactive imagination becomes terrified of the monster underneath his bed, and rushes to his mother for a therapeutic bedtime story. But what if this imaginary monster actually becomes real? This is the set up for a new Australian horror flick premiering at this year's Sundance Film Festival entitled The Babadook. Our protagonist, Sam, is terrified of monsters. So terrified he is loosing sleep, causing trouble in class, and creating his own sinister weaponry out of household objects as a means of defense. It's enough to drive his widowed mother, Amelia, into a frantic state of paranoia. As tensions between the two escalate, a new presence called the Babadook makes it's way into the household which questions the sanity of everyone involved. The film cleverly embraces and deconstructs typical horror film conventions in order to create something new. Though it is hilariously playful and entertaining, it's also a terrifying psychological thrill in the same vein as films like Black Swan or Rosemary's Baby. Essie Davis is great as Amelia, but newcomer Noah Wiseman gives an incredibly memorable child acting performance. If you are a horror fan looking for something new, look no further than The Babadook. Just be prepared to have nightmares afterward, and remember to leave the kiddos at home for this one.
    8choosemymusic

    Subtle and Creepy

    I really enjoyed this film, its dark and unnerving without resorting to loud bangs or "found footage" style filming to get its scares.

    Low budget and well shot, the film leans on the power of suggestion and tone to create a film which has a sense of unease throughout, tonally like the Exorcist, where there is this underlying feeling of dread and helplessness

    The scares are not spoon fed, so this won't be for everyone, if your brand of horror is purely just modern films like Insidious or the recent Annabelle - then this might not be for you.

    One of my favourite films of the year.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Director Jennifer Kent holds the rights to the film. When asked if there would be a sequel, she said, "I will never allow any sequel to be made, because it's not that kind of film. I don't care how much I'm offered, it's just not going to happen."
    • Goofs
      (at around 18 mins) When calling out "legs 11" during the bingo game she holds a blue ball but a back shot shows her holding a white ball and in the next front shot she has the original blue ball again. As an extra the white ball is not 11 but 69 (which maybe a playful joke with the crew and cast)
    • Quotes

      Amelia: You are nothing. You're nothing! This is my house! You are trespassing in my house! If you touch my son again, I'll fucking kill you!

    • Connections
      Edited from Mortal Kombat (1992)
    • Soundtracks
      Music from 'Skippy'
      Written by Eric Jupp

      © Administered by APRA/AMCOS

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    FAQ21

    • How long is The Babadook?Powered by Alexa
    • Is this just another monster in the house picture?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 28, 2014 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • Australia
      • Canada
    • Official sites
      • Kojo
      • Official Facebook
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Sách Ma
    • Filming locations
      • Adelaide, South Australia, Australia(locations: Marion, Glenside, Goodwood, St Peters and North Adelaide)
    • Production companies
      • Screen Australia
      • Causeway Films
      • The South Australian Film Corporation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $2,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $964,413
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $30,007
      • Nov 30, 2014
    • Gross worldwide
      • $10,685,444
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 34 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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