The Babadook
The brief
The Babadook turns grief into genuine terror through Essie Davis's raw, unhinged performance as a mother barely holding it together after her husband's death. Director Jennifer Kent builds dread slowly, making you feel trapped in this claustrophobic house with an increasingly disturbed child and his fraying mother, until you can't tell what's supernatural and what's psychological breakdown. The monster design is genuinely creepy, but the real horror comes from watching a family disintegrate under trauma. Perfect for fans of Hereditary or The Witch who want their scares rooted in emotional devastation rather than cheap jumps.
The verdict
If you want psychological horror that uses genuine grief and family trauma to create deeply unsettling scares, this is essential viewing with one of the best horror performances in years. If you prefer straightforward supernatural frights or can't handle watching a mother's mental breakdown and a child in distress, skip this for something with cleaner genre thrills.
Watch with
- 👤 Solo viewing for maximum psychological impact
- 👫 Horror fans who appreciate emotional depth
- ⚠️ Not suitable for young children
- ⚠️ Avoid if sensitive to child distress
Heads up
- Child in psychological distress throughout (frequent)
- Intense domestic violence and self-harm (moderate)
- Disturbing monster imagery and jump scares (moderate)
- Death of spouse/parent (car accident) (brief)
- Mental health crisis and breakdown (frequent)
Credits
- Director
- Jennifer Kent
- Cast
- Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Hayley McElhinney, Daniel Henshall, Barbara West, Ben Winspear, Cathy Adamek
Official synopsis
A single mother, plagued by the violent death of her husband, battles with her son's fear of a monster lurking
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with Perfect Blue (1998)
Both explore psychological horror through maternal figures confronting internal monsters.
Total runtime: 1h 34m + 1h 22m = 2h 56m
