Parents' Guide to

The Babadook

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Spooky horror film about a mother, a son, and an evil book.

Movie NR 2014 93 minutes
The Babadook Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 14 parent reviews

Moneydog23
Moneydog23 Adult
January 20, 2020
age 13+
Lauradook Dook Dook
Lauradook Dook Dook Adult
July 15, 2019
age 12+

Depends on the kid...

WONDERFUL. This was a very well done film and extra scary, (disclaimer: I don't usually watch many horror films). My 12-year-old daughter and I watched it together and even though I had misgivings about watching a film like that with her, the fact that it was so well done overrode some of the doubts I had. I remember that some of the scary movies I watched as a teen (Nightmare on Elm's St type) were pretty crappy films. This is more art house. That said, it was seriously spooky - if you think you've got a kid that might not want to sleep alone after a film like this, I'd pass until they're older. (My kid was okay).
See all 14 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Single mother Amelia (Essie Davis) and her 6-year-old son, Samuel (Noah Wiseman), have struggled to get by since Samuel's father died in an accident the day he was born. Amelia is exhausted and depressed, and Samuel is prone to destructive behavior and tantrums. Samuel also believes in monsters, and when he discovers a new pop-up children's book on his shelf, The Babadook, and his mom reads it, strange things start to happen. Amelia tries to destroy the book, but it re-appears with new pages, and the things on those pages begin to come true, too. The end of the book depicts something truly horrible, and the book warns that "you can't get rid of the Babadook." How will mother and son survive?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (14 ):
Kids say (102 ):

Australian filmmaker Jennifer Kent makes her feature debut with this extraordinary horror movie, one that manages to avoid most of the usual ghost cliches. It stays rooted in human fears, desires, and uncomfortable truths. It's a film that acknowledges the terror and panic that can come from parenthood, especially when one parent has to face it alone. Samuel is shown as a resourceful little man (he makes his own monster-fighting weapons), which can make him seem even more off-putting. But then he can suddenly seem like a little boy again, and his transformation is heartbreaking.

Kent's rhythms are pitched almost like little jolts of sleep, nightmares punctuated by moments of regular life. She keeps a kind of light, wry tone, and it's possible to laugh at certain desperate moments, if only because there's no other response. But the movie is also indisputably spooky and won't disappoint die-hard horror fans. It's an impressive benchmark in the genre and a most powerful debut.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about The Babadook's violence. How intense is it? Does it feel heightened given that it involves a young boy?

  • Is the movie scary? What makes a good scary movie? And why are we drawn to scary movies in the first place? What else is the movie about besides the monster?

  • What's the relationship between the mother and son like? What could improve it?

Movie Details

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