The Babadook
Description
Amelia (Essie Davis, True History of the Kelly Gang) is not alright. Still consumed by grief six years after losing her husband in a car crash, she is also overburdened by her son Samuel’s (Noah Wiseman) eccentricities and his conviction that a dark and mysterious character from one of his picture books has come to life. When chaos erupts in their lives, the six-year-old blames the book’s trench coat-shrouded, top hat-wearing figure. Initially dismissive of her son’s delirium, Amelia eventually comes to realize that the monstrous force known as The Babadook represents a terrifyingly real threat. More than a decade after its release, Jennifer Kent’s (The Nightingale, Festival 2019) stunning directorial debut continues to haunt audiences the world over, earning a rabid fanbase that crosses boundaries into the pop culture sphere. With a spellbinding performance from Davis and adorned with a wickedly stylish expressionist aesthetic, The Babadook remains an enduringly demonic delicacy for fans of horror cinema to feast upon. —Jordan Klein
Attendee Information
This film is part of a 6-film retrospective focus on classic horror films including Chain Reactions (2024), Carnival of Souls (1962), The Fog (1980), They Live (1988), and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974).
Biographies
A native of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Jennifer Kent began her career as an actor before transitioning to writing and directing. The Babadook, her first feature, garnered multiple nominations and awards, including winner of Special Prize of the Jury at Sitges and Best First Feature in the Indiewire Film Critics’ Poll. She also wrote and directed The Nightingale (Festival 2019), winner of a Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival.