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:

Where there is imagination, there is darkness and from within that darkness lurks a being of unfathomable terror ... close to home.

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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, 30 November 2014

Gross USA:

$964,413

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$10,312,540

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

William Friedkin, director of The Exorcist (1973), said of this film, "I've never seen a more terrifying film than The Babadook (2014)."

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Goofs

When Amelia is screaming at the Babadook after the picture on the dresser falls over, the black frame on the wall to the left of her head is noticeably slanted, but when she is shown again the frame is perfectly straight. When Amelia says "You're trespassing in my house!" the same frame falls. A few seconds later, when she is shown again, it is back on the wall. Then right after they show Sam hugging Amelia from behind the frame is gone again.

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Quotes

Amelia: [Amelia is driving Sam home from his aunt's house] Where did you get those firecrackers?
Samuel: You got them for me on the internet!
Amelia: [livid] Well, that's the end of the internet.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Scariest Movie Characters That Didn't Kill Anyone (2016)

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Soundtracks

Music from 'Skippy'
Written by Eric Jupp
© Administered by APRA/AMCOS

User Reviews

Better than most, but not quite up there with the best.

It's a rare thing when I give anything labeled horror more than a passing glance. The genre has become so completely oversaturated by teen slasher flicks, soulless gorefests and inferior remakes. Having said that I'd heard enough to convince me this may be one of the rare exceptions, unsurprisingly this is a low-key non-Hollywood affair.

Of course there have been enough horrors over the years for a pretty well defined list of tropes to be a known part of the movie-going consciousness. While The Babadook does deviate from the standard affair we all know and are mostly bored of, it does bring in a few of the more classic tropes, the problem child, the distraught mother and thankfully the illusive villain. Throw in a fair dose of questionable insanity and you have a recipe for a decent classic style horror.

In this respect it doesn't disappoint, of course it can't hold up to Rosemary's Baby, The Exorcist or The Shining but it is certainly familiar of those and in no bad way. Paying tasteful homage to inspirations is acceptable if the movie can stand up on its own weight and in this it succeeds.

The actual premise itself seems fairly original, although not groundbreaking, the shocks come from the actions of the characters rather than any clichéd jump-scare tactics. As others have mentioned, the underlying metaphor is not too subtle but surely that's part of what adds to the tension.

There was some really good editing throughout, keeping the feel of a fast paced movie while not rushing the story. The kid actor in it does an excellent job of appearing genuinely disturbed but simultaneously good natured.

The Babadook may not be a groundbreaker, I don't expect it to redefine the genre and I doubt it will appeal to the younger horror demographic, but if like me you yearn for the spirit of the classics to resurface once in a while, this is a pretty good attempt.

And provided the promise of no sequels is kept, this is one that will hold up well for some time.