The Babadook (2014)

The Babadook rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic

IMDb6.8/10· 266K votes

Rotten Tomatoes98%

Metacritic86%

TMDb6.5/10· 6K votes

With 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 6.8/10 on IMDb and 86/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been very positive.

About The Babadook

A grieving single mother and her child fall into a deep well of paranoia when an eerie children's book manifests in their home.

Cast of The Babadook

• 

  Essie Davis

  as Amelia Vanek

• 

  Noah Wiseman

  as Samuel Vanek

• 

  Hayley McElhinney

  as Claire

• 

  Daniel Henshall

  as Robbie

• 

  Barbara West

  as Gracie Roach

• 

  Ben Winspear

  as Oskar Vanek

• C

  Cathy Adamek

  as Prue

• 

  Craig Behenna

  as Warren

• H

  Hachi

  as Bugsy

• T

  Tim Purcell

  as The Babadook

• C

  Chloe Hurn

  as Ruby

• J

  Jacquy Phillips

  as Beverly

The Babadook facts

Budget

$2M

Box office

$10.3M

Our take on The Babadook

Jennifer Kent's 2014 horror drama channels grief into dread as a single mother and her young son unravel after a sinister children's book, about a creature called the Babadook, appears in their home. As paranoia deepens, the film blurs the line between a supernatural threat and the crushing weight of loss and exhaustion. Kent favors mood, shadow and psychological pressure over gore, building unease through the fraying bond between an overwhelmed parent and a difficult child. It suits viewers who like intelligent, character-driven horror that works as metaphor as much as scare. If you want fright rooted in real emotion rather than easy shocks, this is a standout.