The Babadook (2014)

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

56 wins & 63 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Essie Davis	...	Amelia
Noah Wiseman	...	Samuel
Hayley McElhinney	...	Claire
Daniel Henshall	...	Robbie
Barbara West	...	Mrs. Roach
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	...	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:

Don't let it in.

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Genres:

Drama | Horror

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the debut theatrical feature film of director Jennifer Kent.

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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

Claire: It must be difficult. I do volunteer work with some disadvantaged women and a few of them have lost their husbands and they find it very hard.
[Amelia's eyes fill with tears and she stares off into the void, ignoring the conversation]
Claire: How's Richard's merger going?
Eastern Suburbs Mum: Oh, good. I mean, his workload's just ballooned. I've got the kids 24/7, it feels like!
Claire: Tell me about it! I don't even have time to go to the gym anymore! It's ridiculous!
Amelia: [loud, sarcastic and hostile] That's a real tragedy! Not having time...
[...]

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Another Top 10 Movies You Shouldn't Watch Alone (2015)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

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.

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