Jump to content

The Babadook

From Alfawiki
The Babadook
Company typeFilm
IndustryMotion picture
Founded2014
FounderJennifer Kent
Headquarters
Adelaide
,
Australia
ProductsPsychological horror film

The Babadook is a 2014 psychological horror film from Australia, marking the feature-length debut of writer and director Jennifer Kent. The movie expands upon her 2005 short film Monster. Featuring performances by Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Daniel Henshall, Hayley McElhinney, Barbara West, and Ben Winspear, the narrative centers on a widowed mother and her young son who face a sinister humanoid creature haunting their home.

Kent started developing the script in 2009, aiming to delve into themes of parenting, grief, and the fear of losing one's sanity. Funding was secured through Australian government grants combined with crowdfunding efforts. The production took place in Adelaide, with Kent utilizing insights gained from her role as a production assistant on Lars von Trier's Dogville (2003). Special care was taken to shield six-year-old Wiseman from any disturbing material during filming. The creature effects employed a blend of stop-motion animation alongside practical effects.

The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on 17 January 2014 and saw a limited release in Australia on 22 May 2014, initially underperforming at the domestic box office. Globally, it earned $10 million against a modest $2 million budget. Critical acclaim highlighted the acting, creature design, concept, and thematic depth. At the 4th AACTA Awards, it secured Best Film, while Kent received accolades for Best Direction and Best Original Screenplay. Over time, The Babadook has cultivated a dedicated cult audience.

Plot

Set in 2018, Amelia Vanek is a single mother living in Adelaide who struggles to care for her six-year-old son Samuel following the death of her husband Oskar in a car crash. Samuel displays unpredictable behaviour and becomes obsessed with an imaginary monster, crafting makeshift weapons to defend himself. One evening, he asks Amelia to read from a mysterious pop-up book titled Mister Babadook, which tells of a sinister figure wearing a top hat that torments those it haunts. Troubled by the book’s sudden appearance, Amelia rejects Samuel’s insistence that the Babadook is real.

Unsettling incidents intensify: Amelia discovers shards of glass in her food and blames Samuel, although he attributes it to the Babadook. After tearing up the book, she discards it. During a birthday party, Samuel pushes his cousin from a treehouse amid bullying incidents, causing her to break her nose; later he experiences a seizure triggered by visions of the Babadook.

The reconstructed Mister Babadook book reappears at their doorstep with new ominous pop-ups illustrating violence directed at their family. Frightened, Amelia burns the book and visits the police station but leaves abruptly after spotting what resembles the Babadook’s suit behind the desk.

That night, the Babadook assaults Amelia, who becomes increasingly isolated and unstable, exhibiting violent tendencies and hallucinations involving harm to Samuel. A spectral vision of Oskar offers to return if she "brings the boy," but recognizing this as deception by the Babadook, she escapes. The entity takes control of her; while possessed, she kills their dog Bugsy and attempts to murder Samuel. After he incapacitates her in the basement, she regains consciousness and tries to strangle him until his love causes a black substance to emerge from her body, apparently banishing the Babadook. However, Samuel warns that "you can't get rid of the Babadook," as an unseen force drags him into her room. She rescues him but must face haunting memories of Oskar’s fatal accident.

Enraged, Amelia confronts and confines the Babadook in their basement. As they begin healing together, she encourages Samuel’s imaginative pursuits and magic tricks. In a symbolic gesture, she offers the Babadook a bowl of worms in its confined space, calming it as it settles into a corner. The story concludes with them celebrating Samuel’s birthday outdoors in their yard.

Development

Kent completed her acting studies at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), graduating in 1991. After spending around twenty years as a performer, she experienced a waning enthusiasm for acting by the late 1990s and decided to pursue filmmaking by assisting Danish director Lars von Trier on his 2003 drama Dogville. She regards this opportunity as her "film school," highlighting persistence as a vital takeaway.

Prior to creating The Babadook, Kent produced the short film Monster and directed an episode of Two Twisted. She identifies Monster as the conceptual precursor to The Babadook, referring to it as "baby Babadook". Starting approximately in 2009, she developed the screenplay to delve into themes such as confronting internal fears, the anxiety surrounding mental instability, and portraying parenting with honesty. Kent emphasized the often-taboo nature of maternal challenges, aiming to portray affectionate and relatable characters. The name babadook was coined by Kent herself, inspired by the Serbo-Croatian term for boogeyman, "babaroga". She completed five versions of the script.

Leveraging her experience from Dogville, Kent assembled a consistent production team, enlisting Polish cinematographer Radek Ladczuk—his first project in English—and American illustrator Alexander Juhasz. Her cinematic influences span horror films from the 1960s through the 1980s, including titles like Eyes Without a Face (1960), Carnival of Souls (1962), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Halloween (1978), The Thing (1982), and The Shining (1980), alongside earlier classics such as Vampyr (1932) and Nosferatu (1922), as well as the 2008 movie Let the Right One In.

Producer Kristina Ceyton obtained roughly A$2.5 million in financing from Screen Australia and the South Australian Film Corporation. To finance set building expenses, Kent and Ceyton launched a Kickstarter campaign in June 2012 with a target of US$30,000, successfully raising $30,071 from 259 supporters by September. This crowdfunding effort filled crucial funding gaps for design and special effects, enabling the creation of a unique visual environment.

Casting director Nikki Barrett sifted through about 500 audition tapes for the child lead role before narrowing down to finalists for improvisation sessions. Six-year-old Noah Wiseman was ultimately selected due to his natural innocence, possibly influenced by his background as the son of a child psychologist.

Filming

Principal photography took place mainly in Adelaide, South Australia, with most interior scenes filmed on a sound stage within the city—a requirement linked to funding from the South Australian government.[1] Director Jennifer Kent aimed to establish an ambiguous setting that would avoid feeling distinctly Australian despite being filmed locally.[2]

To support this universal atmosphere, a Victorian terrace-style house was custom-built for filming because such homes are uncommon in Adelaide; exterior shots utilized an existing terrace in North Adelaide.[2] Rather than conducting a traditional script read-through, Kent prioritized bonding and playful interaction with six-year-old lead Noah Wiseman to help familiarize him with the cast.[3] Pre-production spanned three weeks during which Kent shared a child-appropriate version of the story with Wiseman and prepared him for his significant role.[4][3][5]

Kent initially intended to shoot in black-and-white to evoke an elevated yet credible mood inspired by pre-1950s B-grade horror films known for their theatricality and visual style. Ultimately, she opted for colour filming, collaborating with production designer Alex Holmes and cinematographer Radek Ladczuk to design claustrophobic, carefully crafted sets without relying on camera gels or post-production colour grading.[2][6][7] Her influences included filmmakers David Lynch and Roman Polanski.[4]

Filming proved "stressful" due to Wiseman's young age, necessitating carefully planned schedules and a supportive environment with his mother present on set.[2] To protect Wiseman during intense scenes involving verbal abuse, Kent used stand-ins for those moments, prioritizing his welfare over authentic depiction.[4] She commended lead actress Essie Davis for her professionalism and cooperative approach.[6]

The design of The Babadook creature drew inspiration from the Man in the Beaver Hat featured in London After Midnight (1927), focusing on a low-budget, handcrafted aesthetic influenced by Georges Méliès and early horror cinema such as The Fall of the House of Usher (1928) and Häxan.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name[8][9] Extensive use of stop-motion animation was employed, with smoothing effects applied during post-production. Kent defended this deliberate lo-fi style as essential to maintaining the film’s authenticity and atmosphere.[10]

Music

The original score was created by Jed Kurzel and issued in 2017 by Waxwork Records on a "black with red haze" vinyl edition. The album cover art replicates the film’s distinctive pop-up book design.

Release

The movie made its worldwide debut at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival in January 2014. It saw a limited theatrical rollout in Australia in May 2014, following a screening at the Stanley Film Festival in April.

Subsequent international launches included Singapore on 25 September 2014, the United Kingdom on 17 October 2014, and the United States on 28 November 2014. During the cinema closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, The Babadook was offered for free screenings via independent theaters through IFC Films.

To commemorate the film’s 10th anniversary, a special screening is planned for January 25, 2024, at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, coinciding with the festival’s 40th year. Director Jennifer Kent reflected on this milestone, emphasizing Sundance’s crucial influence on both the film’s trajectory and her own career development.

Home media

Alongside the short film Monster, The Babadook was initially released on DVD and Blu-ray in Australia by Umbrella Entertainment on 31 October 2014. The US release followed on 14 April 2015 through IFC Midnight and Scream Factory, featuring a special edition that included Kent's short film Monster and a behind-the-scenes featurette titled Creating the Book by Juhasz. The UK Blu-ray edition contains extra short documentaries such as Illustrating Evil: Creating the Book, There's No Place Like Home: Creating the House, and Special Effects: The Stabbing Scene.

The film became available for streaming on Netflix in 2016 and was later acquired by Shudder.

Box office

The Babadook debuted in Australia on 22 May 2014 across only 13 cinemas, generating approximately $258,000 domestically. Its international performance was notably stronger; in North America, it opened in three theaters with an initial gross of US$30,007 and had accumulated $964,413 in the US by February 2015. Worldwide earnings reached $9.9 million, bringing the total global box office to $10.3 million against a modest $2 million production budget.

In the UK, it earned $633,000 during its opening weekend—exceeding its entire Australian box office—and garnered over $1.09 million in France and $335,000 in Thailand. Producer Kristian Molière attributed the robust French results to Wild Bunch's effective marketing strategy, contrasting with Australian promoters who declined multiplex screenings. This international success rekindled interest within Australia ahead of DVD releases and television broadcasts.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 98% based on 248 reviews, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The critical consensus praises The Babadook for relying on authentic horror rather than cheap jump scares while delivering a deeply affecting narrative. It ranked as the highest-reviewed horror film and third overall among films released in 2014 on the platform. As of 2024, it stands as Rotten Tomatoes’ 21st greatest horror film ever made. On Metacritic, it boasts a weighted score of 86/100 from 34 critics, all positive.

Glenn Kenny of RogerEbert.com described it as "the finest and most genuinely provocative horror movie to emerge in this still very-new century." Dan Schindel from Movie Mezzanine hailed it as "the best genre creature creation since the big black wolf-dog aliens from Attack the Block." Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian awarded it four out of five stars, commending Kent’s direction and sound design for cultivating tension without resorting to loud scares. Scott Foundas from Variety applauded its production design and thematic richness, noting how it balances startling moments with profound explorations of loss and grief.

On November 30, 2014, William Friedkin, director of The Exorcist, tweeted that THE BABADOOK joins classics like Psycho, Alien, and Diabolique, calling it "the most terrifying film" he has witnessed. British critic Mark Kermode named it his favorite movie of 2014 and placed it eighth on his decade list. In 2022, Samuel Murrian declared it "the best horror movie so far this century" in Parade magazine.

Over time, The Babadook has grown into a contemporary cult film. Luke Buckmaster included it among the top Australian films of the 2010s in The Guardian. Film scholar Amanda Howell credits some of its acclaim to its placement within art-horror cinema alongside titles such as Pan's Labyrinth, Let the Right One In, and Antichrist, which blur distinctions between art films and horror. Additionally, the film gained traction as an internet meme with the titular creature ironically embraced as a queer icon. In 2025, it ranked fourth on The Hollywood Reporter’’s list of "25 Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century."

Accolades

Award Category Recipient Outcome References
4th AACTA Awards Best FilmShared with The Water Diviner Kristina Ceyton and Kristian Molière Template:Won
Best Direction Jennifer Kent Template:Won
Best Original Screenplay Template:Won
Best Actress Essie Davis Template:Nom
Best Editing Simon Njoo Template:Nom
Best Production Design Alex Holmes Template:Nom
4th AACTA International Awards Best Actress Essie Davis Template:Nom
Critics' Choice Awards Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie 'The Babadook' Template:Nom
Best Young Actor Noah Wiseman Template:Nom
Detroit Film Critics Society Awards Best Actress Essie Davis Template:Nom
Best Breakthrough Jennifer Kent Template:Nom
20th Empire Awards Empire Award for Best Female Newcomer Essie Davis Template:Nom
Empire Award for Best Horror 'The Babadook' Template:Won
Fangoria Chainsaw Awards Best Limited-Release/Direct-to-Video Film 'Jennifer Kent' Template:Won
Best Screenplay 'Jennifer Kent' Template:Won
Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Actress 'Essie Davis' Template:Won
Best Supporting Actor 'Noah Wiseman' Template:Won
2014 New York Film Critics Circle Awards Best First Feature Kristina Ceyton
Kristian Molière 		Template:Won
Online Film Critics Society Awards Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress Essie Davis Template:Nom
San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress Essie Davis Template:Nom
41st Saturn Awards Saturn Award for Best Horror Film Kristina Ceyton and Kristian Molière Template:Nom
Saturn Award for Best Actress Essie Davis Template:Nom
Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor Noah Wiseman Template:Nom

LGBT community

In late 2016, an unexpected cultural phenomenon occurred when the Babadook became an LGBT icon following a humorous Tumblr post combined with Netflix’s classification of the film under LGBT titles, which sparked viral attention. Although no explicit LGBT themes exist within the narrative, fans and commentators identified queer subtext—coined "Babadiscourse"—focusing on the character’s dramatic flair and challenge to conventional family structures. During Pride Month in June 2017, the Babadook trended widely on Twitter and was embraced as a symbol by many; this led to charity screenings hosted by theaters in Los Angeles. Scholar Michael Bronski observed its representation of queer desire and antagonism, linking it to historic LGBTQ motifs found in horror classics like Frankenstein and Dracula. Director Jennifer Kent expressed approval of how this meme helped maintain cultural relevance for her creation.

Themes and symbolism

Tim Teeman writing for The Daily Beast interprets grief as the true antagonist within The Babadook, illustrating how bereavement lingers long after death’s occurrence. He describes the Babadook creature metaphorically as an all-consuming, shape-shifting darkness embodying grief itself, emphasizing that confronting such sorrow is essential rather than avoidance.

Similarly, Collider views the monster as emblematic of Amelia and Sam’s mutual trauma stemming from Oskar’s death. The analysis stresses that Amelia’s denial intensifies the monster’s power, serving as a cautionary tale that healing from trauma demands continuous emotional labor. The film warns against suppressing pain because unaddressed trauma can escalate beyond control.

See also

Notes


External links

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Lui
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Den
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named :7
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Alt
  5. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named :5
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named San
  7. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Paul
  8. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named :6
  9. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Gary
  10. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Emp
Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=The_Babadook&oldid=49075"