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The Babadook

Released Nov 28, 2014 1h 33m Horror Mystery & Thriller List
98% Tomatometer 247 Reviews 72% Audience Score 25,000+ Ratings
A troubled widow (Essie Davis) discovers that her son is telling the truth about a monster that entered their home through the pages of a children's book. Read More Read Less
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The Babadook

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The Babadook

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Critics Consensus

The Babadook relies on real horror rather than cheap jump scares -- and boasts a heartfelt, genuinely moving story to boot.

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Critics Reviews

View All (247) Critics Reviews
Candice Frederick Reel Talk Online Nestled deep within this teeny Australian thriller packs a simple yet profound message about what it often feels like to be a single parent, and even what it feels like to be the child of that parent. Rated: B+ Sep 1, 2017 Full Review Charlotte O'Sullivan London Evening Standard The Babadook's villains and victims are still running amok in my brain. I think they might be there for some time. Rated: 4/5 Oct 5, 2016 Full Review Noel Murray Nashville Scene What's most terrifying about The Babadook is that Kent grounds a bizarre supernatural premise in very real feelings of anxiety and depression. Oct 5, 2016 Full Review Wael Khairy The Cairo Scene Here’s a horror film that strays away from cheap thrills, and taps into something real; true human fear, grief, anxiety, and depression...the more I thought of The Babadook, the deeper it sank into my psyche. Apr 22, 2024 Full Review Brian Bisesi Horror Movie Club Podcast The Babadook succeeds on nearly every level. Its supernatural scares are effectively grounded in real-life tragedy and broken relationships that are depicted brilliantly by a superb performance from Essie Davis. Rated: 4.5/5 Jan 17, 2024 Full Review Joe Lipsett Horror Queers Podcast Essie Davis is a revelation in Jennifer Kent's meditation on grief and the challenges of single parenting. It's easy to hate Samuel, but the film is actually carefully calibrated to shift the villain status from son to mother. It all really works Rated: 4/5 Jan 16, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member One of the best horror movies I have EVER seen. Must see. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/21/24 Full Review Antonio L Dooki booki ahh movie wasn’t scary at all, the movie felt like a joke Rated 2 out of 5 stars 07/20/24 Full Review Rich N One of the worst movies I've ever seen. Horrible dialogue. Nonsensical story. Threadbare sets. Such a cheap, amateurish bit of rubbish. 90 minutes I'll never get back. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 07/20/24 Full Review Sermph L One of the most overrated horror movies of all time. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 07/17/24 Full Review Justin B The Babadook succeeds in being an excellent written psychological horror movie. The movie perfectly displays how single parenting can be challenging, especially if your kid experiences heavy emotions because of past trauma. The most terrifying, brilliantly written concept of this movie is the way the Babadook takes control of the moms emotions. She goes from a very kind and aiding lady to a psycho killer. Very well acted. If you are looking for a horror movie that thrills you througout your whole body, this is a must watch! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/14/24 Full Review Mia B This movie was actually so bad. The babadook was only shown max of 10 minutes through the whole film. Not even 10 minutes realistically it was 2 minutes total. Also not scary at all. Too British for me. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 07/14/24 Full Review Read all reviews
The Babadook

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The Babadook

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Movie Info

Synopsis A troubled widow (Essie Davis) discovers that her son is telling the truth about a monster that entered their home through the pages of a children's book.
Director
Jennifer Kent
Producer
Kristina Ceyton, Kristian Moliere
Screenwriter
Jennifer Kent
Distributor
IFC Films
Production Co
Causeway Films, Entertainment One, Smoking Gun Productions
Genre
Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
Australian English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 28, 2014, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 5, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$933.1K
Runtime
1h 33m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
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