Oct. 17, 2026
Countdown To Halloween! SUPERNATURAL Horror Pick #3: “The Babadook”
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RSS Feed Today’s horror category might be the scariest of them all. In these horror movies, locks, guns, and law enforcement prove ineffective against the enemy, because when a supernatural entity is after you, nothing can stop it. Yes, we are listing our favorite “deep cuts” supernatural horror films today. Every weekend we are counting down to Halloween, giving you our top recommendations for guaranteed horror movie hits. There are so many sub-genres in the horror movie category, each Saturday and Sunday we’ll highlight our top movies within that category.
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00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Saturday, October 17th, and you're still looking for the perfect Halloween horror movie. Well, we got a doozy for you today as we switch things up on this Saturday, and we are going to focus on thriller, kind of supernatural-themed horror movies. And we got one word for you on this one. Babadook. And with that, welcome to this episode of Of Amy and TJ. There is a voice and a sound and just a name that might be the scariest thing in this movie.
00:00:36
Speaker 2: Yeah, the Babadook. It is so scary. And I think anytime you bring children into it or children's books into it, there's something that's extra sinister. This one has incredible creep factor. And after I watch it, I remember there are those movies that you watch And right when it gets dark and you're looking in the corners or you're looking up on the ceiling or under your bed, like this is one of those movies that makes you feel that way. You're freaked out about what might be lurking in the shadows of your bedroom. Or is that just me?
00:01:10
Speaker 1: No, this is a, there are some sounds and movements from this spooky character. And yes, some creepy stuff with the children's book. But yes, anytime, right, it's that classic tale of, mom doesn't believe child who has an imaginary friend kind of thing.
00:01:27
Speaker 2: Yes, and there's a dead parent, of course, because there's always a dead parent in these, right?
00:01:31
Speaker 1: And we have to warn you, there is a really kind of a depressing storyline for a little bit of it, and one really, really annoying kid. Now, he's playing his role, but the kid was a little annoying, but it adds to, I guess, some of the intensity and drama of this movie. The mom and the kid actually give, Hell of a performance. And the mom is pretty remarkable.
00:01:54
Speaker 2: This is all Australian actors. So they're not faces or names that you'll necessarily recognize, but the acting is beyond good. To your point, this kid is kind of like a nightmare child. Imagine being a tired kid single working mom who's dealing with the grief of losing your husband and this child's father, the father that might be able to actually get your son behaviorally in line, but he's acting out and he's a mess and nobody wants him around their kids. And so, yeah, you want to like, you're so frustrated for this mom, for the overwhelming situation she's in with her kid. And now he's telling you there's a demon, a Babadook that's coming into his room at night.
00:02:39
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:02:39
Speaker 2: Stop enough. It's it's a lot. So you feel for her. There's there's a real heart in this one and that you're just you're so fed up for her and her life and what she's trying to. She's just trying to keep like literally like just the balance in order. She's she's barely hanging on.
00:02:58
Speaker 1: It's one. I don't need this. It's one of those classics of all the things I got going on. I don't need this. And so that is kind of the backdrop. And Robes, do I have right that this was a PG-13 movie?
00:03:09
Speaker 2: Well, no. Actually, I went to go see because you asked if it was PG-13 and I thought, yeah, maybe it is. But actually, it was released unrated. So I don't know. I mean, they say they have like certain media groups that rate movies if they are released without a rating, and they said it was appropriate for 15 to 17. So, I mean, it's right... It's kind of in between PG-13 and rated R is the way folks have described it.
00:03:35
Speaker 1: And we shouldn't... Heads up. Just because it says it's unrated, it doesn't mean it's so out of control horror that there's no rating for it. No, no, no. It's not some overwhelmingly... It's not violent of a movie.
00:03:46
Speaker 2: No, it's very scary, though.
00:03:48
Speaker 1: It's spooky.
00:03:48
Speaker 2: I will say, if you... I have always felt like the scariest sub-genre of horror movies is the supernatural sub-genre, for me at least. Those are the types of movies that have kept me up at night.
00:04:01
Speaker 1: Because that stuff's real.
00:04:02
Speaker 2: Yes, where I have regretted watching, especially if I have found myself alone in a hotel room. I don't know. I always get scared. When I'm alone in a hotel room, when I was traveling for work, I would find myself in like old hotel rooms in Boston or whatever. And I would be freaked out because I watched way too many scary movies. Those are the moments I regretted watching supernatural horror movies. And yet they're my favorite.
00:04:26
Speaker 1: Boy. Alone in a hotel. Those are the moments I longed for, just to be left alone in a hotel room, not to be bothered. There's no work. There's no kids. There's no nothing.
00:04:37
Speaker 2: Did you ever have, though, like a genre or a type of movie or maybe a movie that kept you up at night or that made you nervous when you turn the lights off and you first get into bed and you think.
00:04:49
Speaker 1: Oh, that's kids' stuff. But you go back to the poltergeists of the world. That creeps you out. I still don't like clowns. for a whole host of reasons, and that movie is part of it. What was the name of that clown that was sitting in the chair? Didn't it have a name?
00:05:01
Speaker 2: Well, that was at the... Poltergeist. That's Poltergeist. Oh, yeah, I can't remember what that.
00:05:06
Speaker 1: They had a name, but that creepy clown at the end of the... It was a clown, right?
00:05:10
Speaker 2: Well, you could hear its little foot, remember?
00:05:13
Speaker 1: Oh, my gosh, okay.
00:05:14
Speaker 2: When the lightning hit and then the thunder rolled, you could hear the little footsteps, and you knew that the clown was gone.
00:05:19
Speaker 1: Oh, yeah, I didn't mess with that. But to this day, Robes, you know the thing as a kid... That terrified me most was Michael Jackson's Thriller.
00:05:30
Speaker 2: Are you kidding me right now?
00:05:32
Speaker 1: And I couldn't stop watching it.
00:05:35
Speaker 2: Wait.
00:05:35
Speaker 1: It scared the hell out of me.
00:05:36
Speaker 2: And yet you were obsessed.
00:05:37
Speaker 1: I was four or five when it came out.
00:05:39
Speaker 2: That's embarrassing.
00:05:40
Speaker 1: And I watched that thing. I would go and sneak into my parents' room and sit at the foot of their bed and watch it on their TV as they slept. And it scared you. Because I was scared. These are monsters. They're scary. It was, oh my God.
00:05:52
Speaker 2: And yet you liked the song and you didn't know why.
00:05:54
Speaker 1: Oh, I didn't know what to do. The first part of that video where he actually turns into the wolf.
00:05:58
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:05:58
Speaker 1: That was crazy. And with the eyes and the claws. Oh my God. That's so funny. But would not stop watching it. Wouldn't stop watching.
00:06:07
Speaker 2: And that's so funny because for me, that was poltergeist. I would sit there and sweat at night. I couldn't let an arm or a leg be exposed because I thought that the closet door would open and I'd be sucked out of my bed. So yes. And the Babadook, I would just say is one of those kinds of films that, so don't, I wouldn't watch it if I were alone and I wouldn't watch it if you're prone to getting scared at night. If you find yourself alone in the dark, This is not for you, but supernatural films in general, I would think, aren't for those folks.
00:06:36
Speaker 1: Would you say this is like children's bedtime, under the bed, check the closet type?
00:06:43
Speaker 2: Yes.
00:06:43
Speaker 1: Creepy monster thing.
00:06:45
Speaker 2: And those are scary.
00:06:45
Speaker 1: Can I say monster? Is that the right word?
00:06:47
Speaker 2: Well, it's a supernatural monster, yes. And actually, it's physical enough that she was able, well, I don't want to give away the ending. We'll get into that. Not a huge fan of the ending of this movie. That's my only issue with this movie. Here's the synopsis, though. Six years after the violent death of her husband, Amelia is at a loss. She struggles to discipline her out-of-control six-year-old Samuel, a son she finds impossible to love. Samuel's dreams are plagued by a monster he believes is coming to kill them both. When a disturbing storybook called The Babadook turns up at their house, Samuel is convinced that The Babadook is the creature he's been dreaming about. His hallucinations spiral out of control. He becomes more unpredictable and violent. Amelia, genuinely frightened by her son's behavior, is forced to medicate him. But when Amelia begins to see glimpses of a sinister presence all around her, it slowly dawns on her that the thing Samuel has been warning her about might be real.
00:07:58
Speaker 1: That's a good write-up.
00:07:59
Speaker 2: It's really good. It's really scary. And look, she ends up getting possessed. So there is possession in this. And then she does find a way. There is an interesting ending to this that wouldn't be the one I would have chosen. But there were all sorts of deeper thoughts to this movie about grief, about compartmentalizing grief, the manifestation of grief. I'm not so much into that. I think that's why it got such a great score. The critics gave it, what was it, 98% on Rotten Tomatoes.
00:08:32
Speaker 1: What?
00:08:33
Speaker 2: Yes, because yes, it's a horror movie. Wow. Yes, it's scary, but it had much deeper meaning, and it touched on grief, and it was poignant in a lot of ways.
00:08:42
Speaker 1: It was.
00:08:42
Speaker 2: And so they just felt like this was a story within a story that was powerful. So 98% from the critics and 72% from the audience. Dang bad. The director, Jennifer Kent, she's also known for The Nightingale.
00:08:56
Speaker 1: Okay, I'm sorry. Can I ask the scores?
00:08:58
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:08:58
Speaker 1: Did you see that the audience, the problem they had with it was that there was too much heart?
00:09:03
Speaker 2: Oh, actually, okay, let's look and see what some of the ratings... I'm sorry, I stopped you. No, but that's fine. The audience, because I am always interested in what the audience didn't like about it.
00:09:13
Speaker 1: Clearly, the audience liked it. But enough of them, there was some issue they took with it. I wonder if that was the thing that the... the actual critics actually like.
00:09:23
Speaker 2: 98%?
00:09:23
Speaker 1: We haven't reviewed a horror movie that's 98%.
00:09:26
Speaker 2: Yeah, the critics' consensus is The Babadook relies on real horror rather than cheap jump scares and boasts a heartfelt, genuinely moving story to boot. And I do think that there was this... Like I said, there was real heart to the story, but it was super scary. I mean, it was very, very, very scary. And so they appreciated both. Now, the audience... I'm going to look and see the ones who didn't like it. This movie sucks. Oh, why do producers always feel the need to kill animals? Okay, people have certain issues. Okay. Wow.
00:10:03
Speaker 1: We should have screened these ahead of time.
00:10:05
Speaker 2: This is funny. Okay. Oh, this is so funny. Found it boring and a bit slow for short attention span, but the concept is interesting. People are saying not a horror movie so much as a solid graphic depiction of severe mental illness. Okay. Then people say, this is my favorite horror movie ever because the performance is so captivating, very thought provoking. To those who might not know why she spoils the child, I found it very interesting watching the movie. And anyway, so some people love the idea that it had heart and another real story about grief intertwined with horror. And then Huge, like, major horror movie fans were like, stop it with all of the sappiness and the storylines. Just give me good horror.
00:10:48
Speaker 1: I get that.
00:10:48
Speaker 2: So I think that's why there was a discrepancy. And then also, people, this is so funny about expectations. People are writing, they see the 98%. They're like, oh, this has got to be great. Then they have the highest expectations. And then they watch it like, this isn't worth 98%. And so that's a lot of what you see people complaining about as well. Expectations.
00:11:08
Speaker 1: Makes sense.
00:11:08
Speaker 2: Runtime, an hour short. 33. Nice. Perfect amount of time. So when we come back, we will tell you where to watch it and, yes, why we loved it, why we believe this is a guaranteed supernatural horror hit in the countdown to Halloween. Welcome back everyone to Amy and TJ. Number three on our Saturday supernatural horror movie day, we have The Babadook. This was released back in 2014, November 28th, 2014. And it's an oldie but a goodie. And we keep watching it. We just had it on the other day. It's so good at telling a heartfelt story and scaring you at the same time. Like I genuinely felt scared at night a couple of times after I watched this movie.
00:12:02
Speaker 1: And again, the character is really the monster, or whatever we're going to call him, the main antagonist, let's say. It has a weird shape and look, and it's not that... Robes, it looks, nah, I don't want to give too much away. Anyway, they pulled this thing off in a very crude yet scary way. This isn't an elaborate monster. It looks like a kid almost could have drawn this.
00:12:25
Speaker 2: No, and look, this did well. It had a $ 2 million budget, to your point. It was not some big production. But it grossed $ 10 million because it was so good, people started talking about it, word of mouth. And at that point, it's now become a cult classic. I mean, this is a This is like a fairy tale book gone wrong. And there is something sinister and scary about it that I love. Now, again, without giving away the ending, do you remember it, right?
00:12:56
Speaker 1: Yes.
00:12:57
Speaker 2: What did you think of it?
00:12:59
Speaker 1: I don't remember being as upset about it as you are.
00:13:01
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:13:02
Speaker 1: There was a lot going on. It didn't complete. I don't know. Did it set it up for a sequel?
00:13:12
Speaker 2: Possibly because, look, in the book, in the Babadook, one of the things is that you can't get rid of the Babadook. And so what do you do with a monster that you can't get rid of? So that is the conundrum that they find themselves in. And so we'll let you watch it to see what they actually decide to do in the film and how they deal with a supernatural entity haunting their family and actually possess mom at one point. How would you handle that? a supernatural entity that you can't get rid of. Because remember, we have learned in all of our horror movies that houses aren't haunted, people are. So once a demonic spirit latches itself onto you, you're kind of screwed, basically.
00:13:57
Speaker 1: These are the rules of horror movies. Sorry, she started talking to y'all like you all watch as many horror movies as we do. Yeah.
00:14:04
Speaker 2: These are the rules.
00:14:06
Speaker 1: Yes, everybody, yes. These are the rules of horror movies. There are no haunted houses. There are haunted people. Yes.
00:14:12
Speaker 2: And so, yes, what do you do when you've got the Babadook after you or now attached to you and you've got to figure it out? So, look, it is an interesting, I think it's a thought-provoking movie. I think you'll actually relate to it. Any moms out there will absolutely feel this mom's pain. And when you connect with a character, the way you connect with this woman in this story... You're sucked in. And then, yeah, it's just damn scary and spooky. And we highly, highly recommend it. You can watch it on Fandango if you've got it. AMC Plus subscribers, you can find it, but you can always rent it. own it.
00:14:49
Speaker 1: Where was I just watching it? I think I own it, I believe.
00:14:52
Speaker 2: AMC Plus, I think, babe, we have like every streaming service possible.
00:14:55
Speaker 1: I think that might have been on Amazon Prime.
00:14:57
Speaker 2: But I have an add-on. I think I have an AMC Plus add-on to the Amazon Prime and that's why you can see almost everything on Amazon Prime because I just keep adding new subscriptions because they're often the horror movies that we want to see. But this is a good one. This is a, this is a winner of a movie. If you like creepy kids, supernatural scares with some heart to it and some phenomenal acting. So highly, highly recommend.
00:15:23
Speaker 1: The kid is good. And again, I think it's a testament to his acting that he could be so annoying. This kid was.
00:15:30
Speaker 1: You know what? I guess maybe this is good acting as well. It's almost like you felt her annoyance. He was so good.
00:15:35
Speaker 2: Yeah. When I said in the synopsis that he is a child... She was having a hard time loving. That sounds awful coming from a mom. You'll get it when you watch the movie.
00:15:45
Speaker 1: A lot of moms will listen to that going, yeah, you don't have to explain it.
00:15:49
Speaker 2: That's Tuesday for me. Yes. And with that, everyone. Oh, by the way, we will continue throughout the day. So please keep looking out on our feed. If you love supernatural horror, we're going to give you our top three recs. This was number three, but we're going to count down to number one throughout the day. And with that, everyone, we always appreciate you listening to us. I'm Amy Robach alongside TJ Holmes. We'll talk soon.
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Saturday, October 17th, and you're still looking for the perfect Halloween horror movie. Well, we got a doozy for you today as we switch things up on this Saturday, and we are going to focus on thriller, kind of supernatural-themed horror movies. And we got one word for you on this one. Babadook. And with that, welcome to this episode of Of Amy and TJ. There is a voice and a sound and just a name that might be the scariest thing in this movie.
00:00:36
Speaker 2: Yeah, the Babadook. It is so scary. And I think anytime you bring children into it or children's books into it, there's something that's extra sinister. This one has incredible creep factor. And after I watch it, I remember there are those movies that you watch And right when it gets dark and you're looking in the corners or you're looking up on the ceiling or under your bed, like this is one of those movies that makes you feel that way. You're freaked out about what might be lurking in the shadows of your bedroom. Or is that just me?
00:01:10
Speaker 1: No, this is a, there are some sounds and movements from this spooky character. And yes, some creepy stuff with the children's book. But yes, anytime, right, it's that classic tale of, mom doesn't believe child who has an imaginary friend kind of thing.
00:01:27
Speaker 2: Yes, and there's a dead parent, of course, because there's always a dead parent in these, right?
00:01:31
Speaker 1: And we have to warn you, there is a really kind of a depressing storyline for a little bit of it, and one really, really annoying kid. Now, he's playing his role, but the kid was a little annoying, but it adds to, I guess, some of the intensity and drama of this movie. The mom and the kid actually give, Hell of a performance. And the mom is pretty remarkable.
00:01:54
Speaker 2: This is all Australian actors. So they're not faces or names that you'll necessarily recognize, but the acting is beyond good. To your point, this kid is kind of like a nightmare child. Imagine being a tired kid single working mom who's dealing with the grief of losing your husband and this child's father, the father that might be able to actually get your son behaviorally in line, but he's acting out and he's a mess and nobody wants him around their kids. And so, yeah, you want to like, you're so frustrated for this mom, for the overwhelming situation she's in with her kid. And now he's telling you there's a demon, a Babadook that's coming into his room at night.
00:02:39
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:02:39
Speaker 2: Stop enough. It's it's a lot. So you feel for her. There's there's a real heart in this one and that you're just you're so fed up for her and her life and what she's trying to. She's just trying to keep like literally like just the balance in order. She's she's barely hanging on.
00:02:58
Speaker 1: It's one. I don't need this. It's one of those classics of all the things I got going on. I don't need this. And so that is kind of the backdrop. And Robes, do I have right that this was a PG-13 movie?
00:03:09
Speaker 2: Well, no. Actually, I went to go see because you asked if it was PG-13 and I thought, yeah, maybe it is. But actually, it was released unrated. So I don't know. I mean, they say they have like certain media groups that rate movies if they are released without a rating, and they said it was appropriate for 15 to 17. So, I mean, it's right... It's kind of in between PG-13 and rated R is the way folks have described it.
00:03:35
Speaker 1: And we shouldn't... Heads up. Just because it says it's unrated, it doesn't mean it's so out of control horror that there's no rating for it. No, no, no. It's not some overwhelmingly... It's not violent of a movie.
00:03:46
Speaker 2: No, it's very scary, though.
00:03:48
Speaker 1: It's spooky.
00:03:48
Speaker 2: I will say, if you... I have always felt like the scariest sub-genre of horror movies is the supernatural sub-genre, for me at least. Those are the types of movies that have kept me up at night.
00:04:01
Speaker 1: Because that stuff's real.
00:04:02
Speaker 2: Yes, where I have regretted watching, especially if I have found myself alone in a hotel room. I don't know. I always get scared. When I'm alone in a hotel room, when I was traveling for work, I would find myself in like old hotel rooms in Boston or whatever. And I would be freaked out because I watched way too many scary movies. Those are the moments I regretted watching supernatural horror movies. And yet they're my favorite.
00:04:26
Speaker 1: Boy. Alone in a hotel. Those are the moments I longed for, just to be left alone in a hotel room, not to be bothered. There's no work. There's no kids. There's no nothing.
00:04:37
Speaker 2: Did you ever have, though, like a genre or a type of movie or maybe a movie that kept you up at night or that made you nervous when you turn the lights off and you first get into bed and you think.
00:04:49
Speaker 1: Oh, that's kids' stuff. But you go back to the poltergeists of the world. That creeps you out. I still don't like clowns. for a whole host of reasons, and that movie is part of it. What was the name of that clown that was sitting in the chair? Didn't it have a name?
00:05:01
Speaker 2: Well, that was at the... Poltergeist. That's Poltergeist. Oh, yeah, I can't remember what that.
00:05:06
Speaker 1: They had a name, but that creepy clown at the end of the... It was a clown, right?
00:05:10
Speaker 2: Well, you could hear its little foot, remember?
00:05:13
Speaker 1: Oh, my gosh, okay.
00:05:14
Speaker 2: When the lightning hit and then the thunder rolled, you could hear the little footsteps, and you knew that the clown was gone.
00:05:19
Speaker 1: Oh, yeah, I didn't mess with that. But to this day, Robes, you know the thing as a kid... That terrified me most was Michael Jackson's Thriller.
00:05:30
Speaker 2: Are you kidding me right now?
00:05:32
Speaker 1: And I couldn't stop watching it.
00:05:35
Speaker 2: Wait.
00:05:35
Speaker 1: It scared the hell out of me.
00:05:36
Speaker 2: And yet you were obsessed.
00:05:37
Speaker 1: I was four or five when it came out.
00:05:39
Speaker 2: That's embarrassing.
00:05:40
Speaker 1: And I watched that thing. I would go and sneak into my parents' room and sit at the foot of their bed and watch it on their TV as they slept. And it scared you. Because I was scared. These are monsters. They're scary. It was, oh my God.
00:05:52
Speaker 2: And yet you liked the song and you didn't know why.
00:05:54
Speaker 1: Oh, I didn't know what to do. The first part of that video where he actually turns into the wolf.
00:05:58
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:05:58
Speaker 1: That was crazy. And with the eyes and the claws. Oh my God. That's so funny. But would not stop watching it. Wouldn't stop watching.
00:06:07
Speaker 2: And that's so funny because for me, that was poltergeist. I would sit there and sweat at night. I couldn't let an arm or a leg be exposed because I thought that the closet door would open and I'd be sucked out of my bed. So yes. And the Babadook, I would just say is one of those kinds of films that, so don't, I wouldn't watch it if I were alone and I wouldn't watch it if you're prone to getting scared at night. If you find yourself alone in the dark, This is not for you, but supernatural films in general, I would think, aren't for those folks.
00:06:36
Speaker 1: Would you say this is like children's bedtime, under the bed, check the closet type?
00:06:43
Speaker 2: Yes.
00:06:43
Speaker 1: Creepy monster thing.
00:06:45
Speaker 2: And those are scary.
00:06:45
Speaker 1: Can I say monster? Is that the right word?
00:06:47
Speaker 2: Well, it's a supernatural monster, yes. And actually, it's physical enough that she was able, well, I don't want to give away the ending. We'll get into that. Not a huge fan of the ending of this movie. That's my only issue with this movie. Here's the synopsis, though. Six years after the violent death of her husband, Amelia is at a loss. She struggles to discipline her out-of-control six-year-old Samuel, a son she finds impossible to love. Samuel's dreams are plagued by a monster he believes is coming to kill them both. When a disturbing storybook called The Babadook turns up at their house, Samuel is convinced that The Babadook is the creature he's been dreaming about. His hallucinations spiral out of control. He becomes more unpredictable and violent. Amelia, genuinely frightened by her son's behavior, is forced to medicate him. But when Amelia begins to see glimpses of a sinister presence all around her, it slowly dawns on her that the thing Samuel has been warning her about might be real.
00:07:58
Speaker 1: That's a good write-up.
00:07:59
Speaker 2: It's really good. It's really scary. And look, she ends up getting possessed. So there is possession in this. And then she does find a way. There is an interesting ending to this that wouldn't be the one I would have chosen. But there were all sorts of deeper thoughts to this movie about grief, about compartmentalizing grief, the manifestation of grief. I'm not so much into that. I think that's why it got such a great score. The critics gave it, what was it, 98% on Rotten Tomatoes.
00:08:32
Speaker 1: What?
00:08:33
Speaker 2: Yes, because yes, it's a horror movie. Wow. Yes, it's scary, but it had much deeper meaning, and it touched on grief, and it was poignant in a lot of ways.
00:08:42
Speaker 1: It was.
00:08:42
Speaker 2: And so they just felt like this was a story within a story that was powerful. So 98% from the critics and 72% from the audience. Dang bad. The director, Jennifer Kent, she's also known for The Nightingale.
00:08:56
Speaker 1: Okay, I'm sorry. Can I ask the scores?
00:08:58
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:08:58
Speaker 1: Did you see that the audience, the problem they had with it was that there was too much heart?
00:09:03
Speaker 2: Oh, actually, okay, let's look and see what some of the ratings... I'm sorry, I stopped you. No, but that's fine. The audience, because I am always interested in what the audience didn't like about it.
00:09:13
Speaker 1: Clearly, the audience liked it. But enough of them, there was some issue they took with it. I wonder if that was the thing that the... the actual critics actually like.
00:09:23
Speaker 2: 98%?
00:09:23
Speaker 1: We haven't reviewed a horror movie that's 98%.
00:09:26
Speaker 2: Yeah, the critics' consensus is The Babadook relies on real horror rather than cheap jump scares and boasts a heartfelt, genuinely moving story to boot. And I do think that there was this... Like I said, there was real heart to the story, but it was super scary. I mean, it was very, very, very scary. And so they appreciated both. Now, the audience... I'm going to look and see the ones who didn't like it. This movie sucks. Oh, why do producers always feel the need to kill animals? Okay, people have certain issues. Okay. Wow.
00:10:03
Speaker 1: We should have screened these ahead of time.
00:10:05
Speaker 2: This is funny. Okay. Oh, this is so funny. Found it boring and a bit slow for short attention span, but the concept is interesting. People are saying not a horror movie so much as a solid graphic depiction of severe mental illness. Okay. Then people say, this is my favorite horror movie ever because the performance is so captivating, very thought provoking. To those who might not know why she spoils the child, I found it very interesting watching the movie. And anyway, so some people love the idea that it had heart and another real story about grief intertwined with horror. And then Huge, like, major horror movie fans were like, stop it with all of the sappiness and the storylines. Just give me good horror.
00:10:48
Speaker 1: I get that.
00:10:48
Speaker 2: So I think that's why there was a discrepancy. And then also, people, this is so funny about expectations. People are writing, they see the 98%. They're like, oh, this has got to be great. Then they have the highest expectations. And then they watch it like, this isn't worth 98%. And so that's a lot of what you see people complaining about as well. Expectations.
00:11:08
Speaker 1: Makes sense.
00:11:08
Speaker 2: Runtime, an hour short. 33. Nice. Perfect amount of time. So when we come back, we will tell you where to watch it and, yes, why we loved it, why we believe this is a guaranteed supernatural horror hit in the countdown to Halloween. Welcome back everyone to Amy and TJ. Number three on our Saturday supernatural horror movie day, we have The Babadook. This was released back in 2014, November 28th, 2014. And it's an oldie but a goodie. And we keep watching it. We just had it on the other day. It's so good at telling a heartfelt story and scaring you at the same time. Like I genuinely felt scared at night a couple of times after I watched this movie.
00:12:02
Speaker 1: And again, the character is really the monster, or whatever we're going to call him, the main antagonist, let's say. It has a weird shape and look, and it's not that... Robes, it looks, nah, I don't want to give too much away. Anyway, they pulled this thing off in a very crude yet scary way. This isn't an elaborate monster. It looks like a kid almost could have drawn this.
00:12:25
Speaker 2: No, and look, this did well. It had a $ 2 million budget, to your point. It was not some big production. But it grossed $ 10 million because it was so good, people started talking about it, word of mouth. And at that point, it's now become a cult classic. I mean, this is a This is like a fairy tale book gone wrong. And there is something sinister and scary about it that I love. Now, again, without giving away the ending, do you remember it, right?
00:12:56
Speaker 1: Yes.
00:12:57
Speaker 2: What did you think of it?
00:12:59
Speaker 1: I don't remember being as upset about it as you are.
00:13:01
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:13:02
Speaker 1: There was a lot going on. It didn't complete. I don't know. Did it set it up for a sequel?
00:13:12
Speaker 2: Possibly because, look, in the book, in the Babadook, one of the things is that you can't get rid of the Babadook. And so what do you do with a monster that you can't get rid of? So that is the conundrum that they find themselves in. And so we'll let you watch it to see what they actually decide to do in the film and how they deal with a supernatural entity haunting their family and actually possess mom at one point. How would you handle that? a supernatural entity that you can't get rid of. Because remember, we have learned in all of our horror movies that houses aren't haunted, people are. So once a demonic spirit latches itself onto you, you're kind of screwed, basically.
00:13:57
Speaker 1: These are the rules of horror movies. Sorry, she started talking to y'all like you all watch as many horror movies as we do. Yeah.
00:14:04
Speaker 2: These are the rules.
00:14:06
Speaker 1: Yes, everybody, yes. These are the rules of horror movies. There are no haunted houses. There are haunted people. Yes.
00:14:12
Speaker 2: And so, yes, what do you do when you've got the Babadook after you or now attached to you and you've got to figure it out? So, look, it is an interesting, I think it's a thought-provoking movie. I think you'll actually relate to it. Any moms out there will absolutely feel this mom's pain. And when you connect with a character, the way you connect with this woman in this story... You're sucked in. And then, yeah, it's just damn scary and spooky. And we highly, highly recommend it. You can watch it on Fandango if you've got it. AMC Plus subscribers, you can find it, but you can always rent it. own it.
00:14:49
Speaker 1: Where was I just watching it? I think I own it, I believe.
00:14:52
Speaker 2: AMC Plus, I think, babe, we have like every streaming service possible.
00:14:55
Speaker 1: I think that might have been on Amazon Prime.
00:14:57
Speaker 2: But I have an add-on. I think I have an AMC Plus add-on to the Amazon Prime and that's why you can see almost everything on Amazon Prime because I just keep adding new subscriptions because they're often the horror movies that we want to see. But this is a good one. This is a, this is a winner of a movie. If you like creepy kids, supernatural scares with some heart to it and some phenomenal acting. So highly, highly recommend.
00:15:23
Speaker 1: The kid is good. And again, I think it's a testament to his acting that he could be so annoying. This kid was.
00:15:30
Speaker 1: You know what? I guess maybe this is good acting as well. It's almost like you felt her annoyance. He was so good.
00:15:35
Speaker 2: Yeah. When I said in the synopsis that he is a child... She was having a hard time loving. That sounds awful coming from a mom. You'll get it when you watch the movie.
00:15:45
Speaker 1: A lot of moms will listen to that going, yeah, you don't have to explain it.
00:15:49
Speaker 2: That's Tuesday for me. Yes. And with that, everyone. Oh, by the way, we will continue throughout the day. So please keep looking out on our feed. If you love supernatural horror, we're going to give you our top three recs. This was number three, but we're going to count down to number one throughout the day. And with that, everyone, we always appreciate you listening to us. I'm Amy Robach alongside TJ Holmes. We'll talk soon.