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The Babadook (2014)

Not Rated | | Drama, Horror, Mystery | 28 November 2014 (USA)
Trailer
2:24 | Trailer
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
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Popularity
2,115 ( 221)
55 wins & 64 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

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

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

You can't get rid of . . . The Babadook. See more »


Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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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)." See more »

Goofs

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) See more »

Quotes

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

Guardian Angel
(uncredited)
Performed by Abandon All Ships
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User Reviews

 
Interesting...
28 December 2015 | by paul_haakonsenSee all my reviews

Don't let the movie's somewhat silly title discourage you from watching "The Babadook". If you like a proper horror movie that is driven by an interesting storyline and good acting then "The Babadook" should be on your list to watch. It doesn't, however, unlike many other horror movies, rely on shocks and to make you jump in your seat tactics. And that is what makes this horror movie stand out.

The story is about widowed Amelia and her son Samuel who are trying to cope with the tragic loss of husband and father. When introduced to a children's storybook titled Mister Babadook, Samuel starts acting strange and claiming that the babadook is around him. Slowly as unexplainable things start to occur, Amelia realize that they are indeed not alone.

While "The Babadook" is not the ultimate scarefest, then it is definitely a horror movie that you should take the time to watch, because director Jennifer Kent really managed to build up suspense slowly throughout the course of the movie. But a lot of credit goes to Essie Davis (playing Amelia) and Noah Wiseman (playing Samuel) because their acting performances were just amazing.

One thing that I was missing more of in the movie was more scenes where we could have seen more of the mysterious babadook creature. Sure, having limited exposure for it adds to the suspense and mystery, but it would have been so much more entertaining if we had gotten more footage with the babadook.

"The Babadook" was a much needed addition to the horror genre. I was genuinely entertained and surprised with how good this movie actually was.


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Country:

Australia | Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 November 2014 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

The Babadook See more »

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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
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Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS (5.1 surround)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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