The Babadook (2014)

A widowed 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.

Director:

Jennifer Kent

Writer:

Jennifer Kent

Stars:

Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Daniel Henshall

56 wins & 61 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Essie Davis	...	Amelia
Noah Wiseman	...	Samuel
Hayley McElhinney	...	Claire
Daniel Henshall	...	Robbie
Barbara West	...	Mrs. Roach
Benjamin Winspear	...	Oskar (as Ben Winspear)
Chloe Hurn	...	Ruby
Jacquy Phillips	...	Beverly (as Jacqy Phillips)
Bridget Walters	...	Norma
Annie Batten	...	Old Woman in Corridor
Tony Mack	...	Principal
Carmel Johnson	...	Teacher
Tiffany Lyndall-Knight	...	Supermarket Mum (as Tiffany Lyndall Knight)
Lucy Hong	...	Supermarket Little Girl
Sophie Riggs	...	Checkout Chick

Storyline

Amelia, who lost her husband in a car crash on the way to give birth to Samuel, their only child, struggles to cope with her fate as a single mom. Samuel's constant fear of monsters and violent reaction to overcome the fear doesn't help her cause either, which makes her friends become distant. When things can not get any worse, they read a strange book in their house about the 'Babadook' monster that hides in the dark areas of their house. Even Amelia seems to feel the effect of Babadook and desperately tries in vain to destroy the book. The nightmarish experiences the two encounter form the rest of the story.

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Plot Keywords:

book | single mother | mother son relationship | monster | fear | 

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Taglines:

You can't get rid of . . . The Babadook.

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Genres:

Drama | Horror

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Causeway Films - Festivals & Awards Causeway Films [Australia]

Country:

Australia Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 November 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Babadook

Filming Locations:

Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$30,007, 28 November 2014, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$924,279, 8 February 2015

Company Credits

Production Co:

Screen Australia, Causeway Films, The South Australian Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS (5.1 surround)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film became a meme and symbol for the LGBTQ community after Netflix accidentally placed it under "LGBT movies."

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Goofs

After reading The Babadook and putting Samuel to bed, Amelia watches TV and sees a commercial for phone sex. The number is 1-900-646-EASY, which would be a US telephone number, even though the film is set in Australia.

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Quotes

Samuel: [loud and hysterical] DO YOU WANT TO DIE?

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Connections

Referenced in A.P. Bio: Drenching Dallas (2018)

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Soundtracks

Music for Anglo Saxes'
Written by Alan Bristow
Courtesy of EMI Production Music

User Reviews

Anyone who's suffered loss knows this horror.

"You can't get rid of the Babadook." Samuel (Noah Wiseman)

The monsters they do live inside us, except, of course, when they also inhabit our humble homes, which is the stuff of horror films for over a hundred years. In that well-prescribed genre rests Jennifer Kent's disturbing The Babadook, one of the best psycho-horror films in recent years.

Almost jumping off a children's terrorizing pop-up book, Mister Babadook, the titular monster and typical kids' bogeyman, is first of all an obvious metaphor for the demon that dogs a mom, Amelia ( the fine Essie Davis), after losing her husband in a car accident as she is going to give birth to her 6 year-old son, Samuel. As they try to deal with the loss and its resentments, mom and son can't shake the terror of losing dad and husband, nor can the guilt-ridden Samuel let go of the feeling that Babadook is in their lives for the long haul: "You can bring me the boy," says Babadook, in a statement redolent of revenge and resentment.

Actually seeing the monster as it invades their house is rare, as it should be, given the suspenseful emphasis on the son's growing obsession with the ghoul's presence and Mom's increasing mania. In other words, this film works as a psychological study almost better than a horror story.

In some ways it reminds me of The Innocents, and in other ways it is notably a successful rendition of the modern female fighting elements that used to be reserved for the flawed male (think of The Shining as a shining example of the male-dominated horror flick).

First-time Australian director Kent's relaxed depiction of the possession until the effective climax and denouement goes a long way to let the audience consider the psychological ramifications of profound loss. Rarely does she gives us the standard clichés like false alarms and banging doors; rather she lets the horror emanate from the seemingly possessed Samuel and mom's emerging dementia.

"Don't let it in." Samuel