All language subtitles for The.Last.Drive-In.With.Joe.Bob.Briggs.S20E07.The.Babadook.720p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H.264-BFM_track3_[eng]

♪ I've been thinking
about our cradle ♪

[Glass squeaking]

♪ And the way it used to sway

♪ When the matches springs
were squealing high ♪

♪ And the roaches ran away

♪ But now you've gone
to Memphis ♪

You know what I would do
if I was a drag queen?

I'd take the Tennessee flag
and cut it up

and make it
into a sexy costume.

♪♪

And then I'd post it somewhere

where insane elected officials
might see it.

♪♪

♪ Hey, everybody,
have you heard the news? ♪

♪ Joe Bob is back in town

♪ He's over at the drive-in,
hanging around ♪

♪ Watching crazy movies,
so come on down ♪

♪ To Joe Bob's
"Last Drive-In" show ♪

♪ Blood, beasties,
boobies, and more ♪

♪ Joe Bob's
"Last Drive-In" show ♪

♪ It's a spooky good time
with monsters and ghosts ♪

♪ Crazy, kooky fun with
the world's greatest host ♪

♪ Joe Bob's
"Last Drive-In" show ♪

♪ It's gonna be legendary

♪ Joe Bob's
"Last Drive-In" show ♪

♪ It's gonna be very scary

♪ Joe Bob's
"Last Drive-In" show ♪

♪ Let's go

♪♪

[Static]

♪ Mama told me
there'd be days like this ♪

We really do need the Shirelles
here to sing us into our special

Mother's Day edition
of "The Last Drive-In,"

because...

[Laughter]

This is a hint of
what we're going to do tonight.

Because "Mama Said,"
is that the classic mom song?

That's a classic
mom song, right?

Are the Shirelles
still around?

The Shirelles are from Passaic,
New Jersey,

right down Highway 46
from where we are tonight.

I think there are at least
two Shirelles

still out there singing
that classic Motown style.

Tonight's show
is actually dedicated,

though, to Mariam Nabatanzi.

I want this to be known as
the Mariam Nabatanzi episode

because I was looking
for a super mom to honor

and I found Miriam.

Miriam is the mother
of 44 children.

Whoa.

Is that true?

That is a mom, right?Wow.

That is some serious
mom credentials.

And is that somebody
that you know?

No. Miriam lives in Uganda
and she's from a culture

where your family
can marry you off to whoever.

And so she was married off
at the age of 12,

which is totally not okay.

And then she had
six sets of twins

and four sets of triplets
and five sets of quadruplets.

Wow, I'm impressed.

Now, if that happens
in the U.S.,

it's readily identified
as this rare medical condition

called hyper ovulation.

It's actually dangerous
to the mother.

So they give you drugs
to slow down the number of eggs

that your ovaries
are turning out.

But she lives in this town
where they don't have that,

so -- but it gets worse.

Her husband grabbed
all the savings and ran off

and left her
with 38 kids still at home.

So she is a single mom
responsible for 39 people

and she's working multiple jobs

to keep everything
under control.

So let's have a toast.
To Miriam.

Yeah. Wow.I mean, so can you have
a toast in your outfit?

I can have a toast.

Alright, somebody help
this amazing lady, you know?

Oh, wait. Toast.

No, we're toasting
to Mariam Nabatanzi.

We think mom is --

we think Mother's Day
is taking Mom out to dinner.

Take those 38 kids
out to dinner.

You know, that's what she needs.

And a toast to you, Darcy.

You're a mom.Ah, yes, I know

Mm.

Well, the woman in our
first movie tonight

has some serious
mom issues,

meaning issues
about her relationship

with her six-year-old.

And at times she turns
a little homicidal.

Does that ever
happen to you?

[Laughing] Oh, yeah.

You're not supposed
to put that in a movie.

Yeah,
the kid was so annoying

that she wanted to actually
murder the kid, you know?

It gets that real.

We should toast your mom, too.
You're proud of your mom.

Okay, we'll toast my mom.Yeah.

To the moms?Your mom, my mom,
Yuki's mom.

Yeah.
John Brennan's mom.

[Chuckles]
Does anyone
not like your mom?

Let's show. --
Show of hands.
[Laughs]

Alright. Okay, we're mom people
here at "The Last Drive-In."

Not all moms are good
at it, though.

I know, right?
I mentioned that last year.

Philip Wylie wrote that book
about "Momism" in the U.S.,

"Generation of Vipers,"
how we're the only country

in the world
that worships motherhood,

which is obviously
a little dangerous

when we all hear
these stories about moms

that that do kill their children
or, you know,

or moms that just seem
to be indifferent.

But there's too much judgment on
that stuff, like the Octomom.

Right?
Those kids are --

How old
are those kids now?

14, I think,
and she's hanging in there.

She's got six other kids
besides them.

I don't care what
people say about her.

She didn't run off. She didn't
put him up for adoption.

She's still there.
She's doing her job.

So, you know, where does
the Octomom hate come from?

Let's -- let's toast
the Octomom.

Yeah, Octomom.
You know?

I started toasting stuff
on Cinco de Mayo,

and now I can't stop.
Alright.

[Laughter]

Anyway, Mama told me
there'd be days like this.

That's the best
mama song, right?

What? What what other choices
are there for the --

for Mother's Day?

Well, the first one that pops
in my head is the song by Queen.

Which song?
"Tie Your Mother Down?"

No, but that would work.

You know, he has a song
about mother love,

but I'm not sure
it's directly about Mama's.

The one that goes,
Mama mia, Mama mia

Mama mia, let me go.

Okay, great.
Great song.

But -- but -- [Laughs]

But doesn't
that song start out,

mama, I killed a man?

Yeah.Isn't that how that starts?

"Bohemian Rhapsody"
That's it.

Okay. Yes, I guess that is
a good mama song.

Yeah.Anyway, I was planning on

talking about
Mom TV tonight.

For years, the TV networks
would do daytime programing

exclusively for
the stay-at-home mom,

hence soap operas.

And then one by one,
the soap operas got canceled.

I mean, there's still
a few of them out there.

I know "General Hospital"
is still going strong.

"The Young
and the Restless."

"The
Bold and the Beautiful."

Are you
a soap opera person?

No, but I know
some actors.

Okay.
What about "Days of Our Lives?"

They're not still
making that.

Oh, wait, no,
they are still making it

but it's not
an NBC anymore.

Really?
Yeah.

Where is it?I think it's on Peacock.

There's a streaming soap?

"One Life to Live."
Is that --

That one's been gone
for a long time.

Really? That's the only one
I really know about

because I was
on the set one time.

Anyway, I don't want
to talk about soaps.

My point was,
they got rid of the soaps

and they went
to daytime talk

where they solve the problems
of ordinary people

and, you know, issue shows,
pregnancy shows,

cheating shows,
mental illness shows.

And I guess the biggest dudes
in that world

were Phil Donahue
originally,

and then Jerry Springer
and then Dr. Phil.

But now Dr. Phil
is being canceled, I think.

But if he is,
then it's a mistake.

So are we going to get
to the movie soon?

Yes, but can't you see

how I'm heading towards
"The Babadook?"

No, not at all.

But thank you
for finally at least

explaining the title.
Okay.

I mean, you're
a very interesting Babadook.

Yes.
But anyway,
what's "The Babadook" about?

It's a mom going crazy,
right?

So, you know, last week
was Cinco de Mayo,

so I got deep into
Aztec history and...

Wait, you've gone
from the Shirelles to Uganda

to the Octomom
to soap operas,

and now you're
going to the Aztecs.

Yes. so...[Laughter]

Any chance of
talking you out of that?

No. So there used
to be these guys

who would stand up
on the steps of Aztec pyramids

and they would scream
all day long.

They were
professional mourners.

You give them money
and they mourn for you.

Let's say your baby, you know,
gets his hand bit off

by a Jaguar or something.
You can't deal with that.

So, you know, you can't go
talk to the Jaguar,

but you think you must have
done something wrong or else

the baby wouldn't
have gotten bit.

So you go down
to the Aztec temple,

you give the mourner
some money

and he kind of becomes
depressed for you

and he kind of lets your
depression sink into his skin

and he screams
to the gods.

And then you feel better
because you figure the gods

got the message

that you were a little depressed
by this thing with the Jaguar.

So my point is that's why
we need daytime talk shows.

So that people can deal
with medical emergencies.

No, no, no.

Here's --
here's how it works.

Somebody comes on the show
who needs to mourn.

You know, maybe the show
is about, you know,

ex-wives who got dumped
for teenage girls.

Alright,
and that's a specific thing

that they're going
to mourn about.

But it's not
the important thing.

What's important
is they want to mourn

because think about
what would happen

if you found an ex-wife
who got dumped

but she said, you know what?
It's really okay

if he really wants
a young girl,

I'm happy he found
what he wanted

and I'm happy that I found
that out about him

at this time of my life.

The show would fall apart,
you know?

The person
has no desire to mourn,

so you got to want
to wail a little bit.

Otherwise, all these talk shows
would be over in five minutes.

In fact, I saw a Donahue
show one time

where a woman clearly had
no malice towards her daughter

who had taken
her husband away.

And the audience
was outraged, you know?

They suggested
there was something wrong

with any woman
who could continue to have

a friendly relationship with
a daughter who would do that.

But who knows?

I mean, maybe the woman,
you know,

didn't like her daughter
or her husband.

You know, maybe that
was freedom for her.

So rule number one
is you must be upset.

You must mourn.
So what's next?

The mourner tells his
or her story.

Well, Jerry,
I thought I had everything.

A lot of them
start out this way,

and what they're doing
is they're setting us up

just exactly the way
a comic sets up a joke.

Because first you have
to have everything

and then you have
to lose everything.

And only then will you
be able to mourn properly.

Well, Jerry,
I thought I had everything,

but there was something
gnawing away inside me.

I had my suspicions
when he started buying

all the Justin Bieber
merchandise.[Laughter]

You know, I knew
it wasn't for me

and I knew it
wasn't for him,

but I never dreamed it was for
our our babysitter, you know?

And so this is rule number two.
I was blindsided.

You know, you can't
really start mourning

unless something is taken away
suddenly and unfairly.

Alright, rule number three.
I was naive, Jerry.

You know, you can't
really start mourning

unless the world is a big,
complicated place

that you didn't really
understand until this happened.

So now the host is going to
ask you a bunch of questions,

and the questions are just
to make the set up better.

And they're all versions of you
had everything, didn't you?

And you have nothing now,
don't you?

And finally, we get to
the big moment in the show.

Audience,
what do you think?

And the audience
starts mourning,

and they usually mourn
for the person

that just told the story
and here's how they do it.

They say, you know,
I was just wondering

if you ever spoke
to the babysitter

directly after
you found out,

because I know that
in my experience

and the experience
of other women

who have had to deal
with infidelity,

it sometimes helps
to vent that hostility.

Alright,
two things here.

Not really a question.[Laughter]

And I mean, it looks
and sounds like a question,

but it's actually
a form of mourning.

The lady is saying, here, let me
wail with you for just a minute.

And then number two,
and it takes this lady's story

and it makes it universal.

She's doing
the same thing

that the wailer
on the Aztec temple did,

just -- just like he said.

I'll ask Quetzalcoatl,
the God, why this happened.

You know, this lady
in the audience is saying,

why did this happen?
How can this happen?

Isn't it terrible that this
happens over and over again?

You know, we know
Quetzalcoatl is the Aztec god

because we all watched
the Larry Cohen masterpiece.

"Q the Winged Serpent,"
right?

Heck yeah, we did.[Laughter]

Alright. But now --
now the feeding frenzy begins.

You can tell how successful
the mourning --

the mourning
is in the studio

by how much applause
the speaker gets.

You know, I think any man
who would do

that should be
taken out and shot!

[Laughter]

That'll always get a big hand
because it's like clear,

precise, expresses what
the more bashful mourners

are afraid to say.

And then if you really want
to keep things moving,

you put a paid
professional mourner

on the panel
with the first mourner.

These are called
psychologists.[Laughter]

They're usually
selling books

with the titles of specific
things we can mourn about.

Like, "How To Get Out Of
an Abusive Relationship"

or "Living With an Alcoholic" or
"Learning to Deal With Obesity."

And these are all
just ways of saying, here,

I'll show you how to pick
something out of your life

that you're doing wrong

and then mourn about it all day
long until you feel better.

Watch these shows.
Study the rhythm of them.

Watch how the worst
the story is

the louder the morning and the
more excited the audience gets.

And they only really come alive
when the group mourning begins.

So let me make
this simple, folks.

You're not doing
anything wrong.

And if you are doing
anything wrong,

you're not doing anything
more than the rest of us.

So wonder why you're
a little depressed

after watching several
of these shows in a row

Because all they do
is stir up

that part of you
that stares at your navel

and makes you realize
how lousy your life is.

These are not
talk show hosts.

They're quacks, and we need them
to maintain cultural sanity.

Are you done?
Yes.

I realize that was
complicated, but thank you.

Honestly,
it made no sense.[Laughter]

It will make sense
after we watch "The Babadook,"

because if the woman in this
movie had just gone on

"Dr. Phil," she would not be
terrorized day and night

by ghosts and demons
and zombies and social workers.

But of course,
we wouldn't have a movie either.

So I'm glad they don't have
Dr. Phil in Australia.

I'm sure that they have
an Australian. Dr. Phil.

Then she should have gone down
to the studio

and spilled her guts,
and...

Introduce the movie,
maybe?

Alright.

"The Babadook."Yeah!

This is the sensitive story
of what happens

when a single mom reads
a weird pop up picture book...

[Laughter]

...to her six-year-old son
one night

and a strange man
named Mr. Babadook

starts tormenting the
two of them

with reminders
of the violent death

of the woman's husband
on the night

that the boy was born.

Meanwhile,
the kid is becoming

increasingly out of control
at school

and the social services people
think maybe he's dangerous.

And the noises in the old
gothic house they live in

are becoming louder
and stranger.

Sure, we've seen it before,
but have we seen it

with a five minute
rope bondage scene,

a hallucinatory cockroach
infestation and orgasm

interruptus leading
to a worm-eating conclusion?

I think not.

Let's look at those
Drive-in totals and get started.

We have two dead bodies,
one monster,

one motor vehicle --
motor vehicle crash,

one violent treehouse
plunge,

One febrile convulsion
with tantrum,

neck snapping, leg stabbing,
head slicing,

window bashing,
darts to the arm,

stones to the head,
violin cuddling,

or that may be a ukulele,
I'm not sure.

Nasty creaking
floorboards,

multiple anti-gravity
flotation visuals,

firecracker popper
jump scares,

the old glass-in-the-oatmeal
trick,

phone-cord cutting,
cockroach wall-infestation,

book ripping,
fetishistic bath tub

maternal bonding,
zombie makeout session,

child choking, black vomit,
meat cleaver fu.

Three little pigs fu,
oedipal -- Oedipal touching fu,

silent film Fu, sedative fu,

Babadook fu.

Drive-In Academy
Award Nominations for

Noah Wiseman as a six-year-old
magician who says,

"I'll kill the monster
when it comes.

I'll smash its head in."

Essie Davis as the frazzled mom
who says,

"I'll go find a school that sees
my son as a human being."

And Jennifer Kent,
the writer/director,

for telling a Gothic ghost story
with mostly in-camera effects

that people can't stop
talking about.

Four stars.
Joe Bob says check it out.

Alright.

Cool.

You didn't like my rant.

It was great.

[Laughter]

You were on one of those

spill your guts talk shows,
right?

I was on "Tyra Banks."

Is that still on?
"Tyra Banks?"

No, it just lasted
a few years.

So did you spill your guts
on "Tyra Banks?"

Well, I was on twice,
actually.

The first time I was there

just to give a
40-year-old virgin

his first kiss.

Really?
You were his first kiss.

I was. [Laughs]

How did that go?

I mean, I feel like
he was into it.

Okay.

Um...

But then didn't they --
didn't you go on there

one time
and they talked about you?

[Chuckles] Yeah.

So I was doing
softcore films

for like the Playboy Channel
and Penthouse

and Skinemax
and whatever.

And the premise of the show
was that we'll watch her

as she's introduced
to the hardcore porn world

and see if she wants
to go further

than what she's
doing now.

So you -- they showed you,
like, meeting some porn stars

and they got
your reaction to it.

Yeah.

They took me to the place

where you get
your blood test done,

and Sharon Mitchell
from "Maniac"

told me some stories
about, like,

horrible diseases
that you can get doing porn,

stuff like that.
Really?

Mm-hmm.

And what happened?

I became a porn star.
Shut up.

[Laughter]

I got to watch
that episode.

That's what caused you
to become a...?

I mean, it's what -- it
pushed me over the edge.

I was like, maybe.

Oh, wow.
Did you go off script?

You went off script on them.I went way off script.

It was not the way
that episode was supposed to go.

[Laughs]

Well, and what do you mean
supposed to go?

Well, I was naive
at the time,

and I didn't understand
that reality TV

meant like...

I thought it was supposed
to be honest.

I thought it's supposed
to be real, but not so much.

In other words, they wanted
you to listen to Tyra's advice

and not do porn.

Exactly.

And you screwed
up their show. [Laughs]

I did, yes.

Tyra was so pissed.

Oh, Darcy.
You're such a rebel.

I mean, I was
just being honest.

Oh, I guess we won't be having
Tyra on this show.

Oh, no, we won't.

Is was that bad, Huh?It was bad.

Why am I so not surprised
that you did that?

Whoo!
[Laughs]

♪♪

[Static]

[Film projector clicking]

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

[Shrill note plays]

♪♪

[Muffled, distorted screaming]

♪♪

Boy: [Muffled] Mom!

[Knocks on roof]

[Pounding, rattling]

[Distorted screaming]

♪♪

Mom!

[Brakes grind, glass shatters]

Mommy!

♪♪

Mom!

[Normal voice] Mom!

I had the dream again.

Amelia: "And he climbed down
that chimney,

straight into the huge
black pot.

And that was the end
of the big bad wolf."

Did they really kill
the wolf, mom?

I'm sure they did.

I'll kill the monster
when it comes.

I'll smash its head in.

It's time to go
to sleep now, sweetie.

It's very late.

Can we read it again?

"A long time ago --
just yesterday, in fact --

there were three little pigs
and one nasty, big wolf."

[Sighs]

[Grinding teeth]

[Moans softly]

[Sighs]

[Hinges creak]

[Alarm beeping]

[Beeping continues]

[Beeping stops]

[Beeping resumes]

[Mutters]

[Beeping stops]

[Loud bang]

[Loud bang, glass shatters][Gasps]

What have you done?

It's not broken.
It just slipped.

I don't want you firing
things off in the house anymore.

Wait, wait, wait!
Watch this.

When the monster comes,
I'm gonna do this.

Please don't!

[Glass shatters]

Nothing in my hands.
Nothing in my hands.

Stand still please.

Look at me, mom.

Come on, Samuel.Look at me.

Stand still please.Nothing in my hands.
Nothing in my hands.

I don't want you making
weapons anymore.

It doesn't work
if you don't look at me!

This monster thing
has got to stop, alright?

Mm.

Mm!

Don't do that.

[Sweetly] Ready?

Come on.

Quick.
You're late already.

What have you got in there?

See you later,
alligator!

[Hurried footsteps]

Here's one for you, norma.
It's got milk in it.

What?

One with your milk
in it.

I don't want milk.

No worries.
I'll make you another one.

Ah, just where
a woman should be --

in the kitchen.[Chuckles]

"Get to work, woman!"

[Chuckles]

Do you want a cuppa?Nah.

I'm heading
for the dementia Ward.

Ah. It's a few years before
you end up there, isn't it?

[Chuckles]
Right?

♪♪

Amelia.

Your son's school
is on the phone.

Oh, my God.
Did he hurt anyone?

A dart could have gone into a
child's eye or even worse.

I'm gonna have
a serious talk with him.

Mrs. Vanek,
we've had the talks.

We've had the sessions
with the counselor.

We're going to have
to employ

a monitor for him.

Monitor?

He'll be separated
from the other children.

The monitor will supervise
him one-on-one.

Samuel won't cope
with this.

He already feels
so different.

I'll have
a talk with him.

I'll have a serious --Mrs. Vanek, the boy has

significant
behavioral problems.

You know,
Samuel doesn't need

a full-time monitor.

What he needs
is some understanding.

I have 24 other
first-graders in that class!

Do you want me to put them all
at risk because of your son?

I think I'll just find
another school.
Oh.

Mrs. Vanek, you can't just
take the boy out of school.

You look after
your business,

and I'll go find a school that

sees my son as a human being

and not just as another problem
to be gotten rid of.

That's very unfair.

We're only trying
to help the boy.

Please stop calling
him "the boy."

His name is Samuel.

We can see Ruby
and Auntie Claire

at the park today.

You can play
on that swing you like

for as long
as you like, okay?

Mrs. Bowen hates me.

No, she doesn't.

Just need a break.
That's all.

Don't tell Auntie Claire
what happened.

I'll tell her later.

[Cash register beeping]

Mom, come
and look at this.

I can do it again.

Sam,
don't bother the lady.

Oh, no, no,
that's all right.

We have to go home and see daddy
though, haven't we?

My dad's in the cemetery.

Oh, that's --He got killed driving mom
to the hospital to have me.

Samuel!

I'm sorry, he just --No, that's all right.

I shouldn't have...

Well, your mom's very lucky
to have you then, isn't she?

We have to go.

Say, see you later, Katie.
-Bye.

Claire: The artist was so drunk
he vomited --

right in front
of his own installation.

Lost all these sales.

You're not listening.

Oh, I am. I am.

So, you l-- you lost all these
sales and then what happened?

Ruby.
Don't play there.

It's wet.

Mom! Mom!

I'm gonna smash it's head!

Be careful.

Mom, Mom!
I'm gonna smash it!

[Sighs]

What would you like me
to do for Wednesday?

I can get
their birthday cakes.

That's easy.

I was hoping Ruby would
change her mind.

She doesn't want a joint party
with Sam this year.

Oh.Mom, Mom!

She wants to have
a princess party.

Mom! Mom!

That's okay.

We don't have to come.

You can still come.

Mom!

She just doesn't want
to share the day

with Sam anymore.

I understand.

Mom!I understand.

Mom, I can go really high!

Watch!

Oh.

Maybe you want to celebrate
his birthday properly this year

anyway -- on the day.

Yeah, we'll see.

[Grunting]

You know, Amelia,
I just want

you to be happy,
and then this

birthday thing rolls around,
and I end up feeling awful.

I don't want you
to feel awful, Claire.

[Grunting]

We'll be fine.

We'll be absolutely fine.

Mom! Look at me!

-[Gasps]
-[Crying]

Mommy!

♪♪

Mrs. Roach:
Who do we have here?

Hello, Mrs. Roach.

You look tired,
little one.

You been in
the wars today?

A few wars.

He's had a big day.

That's all.
He's just exhausted.

Poor little sweetheart.

[Singsong voice] Bugsy.

Hello, darling.
Hello.

You look tired too, love.

You okay?
[Sighs]

Nothing five years
of sleep wouldn't fix.

[Chuckles]

I'll put your rubbish
out for you, Gracie.

No, no, no.
You just got in, pet.

I'll do it now.
Then it's done.

[Insects buzzing]

You can choose one tonight.

Where'd you get this?

Samuel: On the shelf.

"If it's in a word
or it's in a look,

you can't get rid
of the Babadook.

If you're a really
clever one,

and you know what
it is to see,

then you can make friends
with a special one --

a friend of you and me."

[Giggles]

"His name
is Mister Babadook.

And this is his book.

A rumbling sound then

three sharp knocks --
Ba-ba-ba dook!

Dook! Dook!

That's when
you'll know he's around.

You'll see him
if you look.

"Ba-ba-Ba Dook!
Dook! Dook!"

We might read another one
tonight, eh?

But you said
I could choose.

"This is what
he wears on top.

He's funny,
don't you think?

See him in your room
at night..."

[Gasps]

Mom, does it hurt the boy?

Mom?

Does it live
under the bed?!

Mom?

Mommy.

Mommy!

[Crying]"How sweetly they sung,

telling of their happiness
and lovingness way

at the bottom of the ocean
and entreating

the sirens
not to be afraid."

[Moans]

♪♪

[Pages rustling]

[Eerie music plays]

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

[Music stops]

[Cool jazz plays]

♪♪

It's that time
of the night again.

Time --

If that's what
the doctor ordered, I --

Ooh, yeah, yeah.

That's...what
the doctor ordered.

[ Romantic music plays]

♪♪

♪♪

[Button clicks, music stops]

[Floor creaking]

[Vibrator buzzing]

♪♪

♪♪

[Vibrator buzzing]

♪♪

♪♪

[Vibrator buzzing]

[Breathing heavily]

♪♪

♪♪

[Moaning]

♪♪

Aah!
[Gasps]

It's in my room!

What is?
The Babadook!

Oh, no.
No, no, no.

This is not
going to happen.

The closet doors
were closed,

and now they're
wide open.

It's just a book.[Sighs]

You've had a big day.

You're just exhausted.

[Breathing heavily]

I don't want anything
bad to happen to you, Mom.

Nothing bad's
gonna happen, Sam.

I'm gonna protect you.[Sighs]

[Chuckles softly]

[Soft rumbling]

[Knocking, floorboards creak]

[Warbling, insects buzzing]

Samuel: Mom, it's 9:00.

[Sighs] He's not running
a fever anymore.

No, no, no,
my sister's going to take him.

Put it back.

Put it back,
or it goes in the bin.

Aw!

Sorry.
What was that?

Oh, no, no, I couldn't
get to the phone.

He was vomiting.

Yeah, yeah, no worries.
I'll see you soon.

Samuel. No monster talk
at Auntie Claire's, okay?

Samuel?

No Babadook, no nothing.

Alright?

[Balls clattering,
big band music plays]

♪♪

88.
Number 88.

Two fat ladies?

Good, Elaine.

Another few days, and someone
could call out "bingo."

Number 11.
Who has number 11?

Legs? 11?

Right.

Let's see what else we've got.

Five billion.
Anyone got five billion?

[Door opens]

Beverly's not very impressed
with your bingo skills.

[Chuckles]

Are you all right?

Yeah, yeah.
No, I'm fine.

How are you?
How's "G" wing?

Fine, yeah.
Just a bunch of old people.

[Both chuckle]

You don't have to be fine,
you know?

just a bit stressed
at the moment.

Why don't you go home?

Old cranky bitch --
she goes after lunch.

I can cover for you.

You'd do that?

Yeah.

I'll give you my pay.

Aw, don't --
don't be ridiculous.

[Chuckles]

You've got a sick boy.

Life's too short.

You're so sweet, Robbie.

[Sighs]

You should go.

Yeah.[Both chuckle]

Say hi to Sam for me.I-I will.

[Ethereal music plays]

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

[Music stops]

[Cellphone beeps]

[Static]

Are these two miserable
people or what?

Mom is miserable.
Her son is miserable.

The people who come
in contact with him,

school and family are miserable

as they try to separate
themselves from Amelia

and Sam's miserableness.

You know, I have heard people
say that they hate this movie

because Sam is so annoying
with his, you know,

homemade trebuchet
and his darts

and his endless screaming
and his moaning

and his magic tricks.

He's just another way
of seeking attention.

You know, I'm calling
that medieval weapon of his --

I'm calling it a trebuchet.

I don't really know what it is.

Sam is obviously a very
talented woodshop six-year-old.

But anyway, to the people
who want to compare Sam

to the unbearable Bob
in "House By the Cemetery,"

I say apples and oranges,
you know.

Hello.

It's part of this story
that he's that way.

I'm sure the kid is not
really annoying in real life.

This is some kind of hyperactive
ADD diagnosis.

You know,
he probably needs Adderall.

He's supposed to be that way.
Part of the story.

I know sometimes people confuse
an actor's personality

with the character personality,
but not a six-year-old boy.

He's doing exactly
what he's supposed to be

doing in the movie.

I don't want to give away
any spoilers,

but I actually disagree

with almost all the analyzes
of this movie

that have been offered
over the past nine years.

But I can't talk about that
until the movie's over.

"The Babadook" burst onto
the scene in January of 2014

at the Sundance
Film Festival.

It was one of the very
first films that were tagged

with that elevated horror label,
you know, a term that I hate.

Elevated horror,
I've said this before

and I'll say it again,
it's a term that's only used

by people who hate horror.

Anyway, what's odd
about it is that

"The Babadook" had not attracted

that much interest back
in Australia where it was made.

It was shot in Adelaide,

the capital of the state
of South Australia,

and nothing
has ever shot there.

I mean normally the Australian
movies that make it over here

are shot in either Melbourne,
Sydney or the Outback,

but Adelaide.

They chose it
because they wanted

a sort of middle
of the road locale,

what we would call a
stultifying suburban atmosphere.

In America, it would be like
deciding to shoot

in a slower paced
Midwestern city,

Indianapolis, you know, instead
of shooting in New York or LA.

But the rollout of the movie

is something that
I'm told happens a lot.

The Australians did not get
excited about "The Babadook"

until the people at Sundance
and the people in London

got excited about it.

But anyway, it became a cult hit
almost immediately

after that Sundance screening

and it continued to play
festivals all year long.

And it's been a horror fan
favorite ever since.

It's also a gay meme.

You'll see people
at Pride parades

dressed up like Mr. Babadook,

even though, as far
as I can ascertain,

the movie has nothing to do
with any gay themes.

And the reason for that,
the way that story is told,

is that Netflix mistakenly
listed "The Babadook"

under LGBTQ Films back in 2017,

and ever since then
it's been considered gay.

No idea.
I mean, it doesn't seem like

that would be enough
to launch a cult,

but apparently it did.

Anyway,
the movie attracted

a lot of academic attention,

a lot of social media attention.

People love to argue
about the ending.

So anyway, I'm just
going to give background.

I'm not going to go into
what may

or may not be happening
in the actual movie

because as I said,
people don't agree

and they especially
don't agree with me.

Alright, back to the movie.

Roll the film.

And I should point out that
if you are an Adelaidean

and you're watching this,
I don't mean to imply

that there's anything wrong
with Adelaide.

I mean, we do have people
who watch the show in real time,

and right now in Adelaide

it's like 2:00
in the afternoon, you know?

Actually Adelaide is one of
those weirdbeard time zones

where it's half
of a regular time zone.

You know how they do that?

Like, the time zone
to the East is 9:00

and time zone to the West
is 8:00 and Adelaide is 8:30.

Why do people do that?

Are you trying to be ridiculous?

I mean, anyway,
Adelaide is great.

You know, Adelaide has like...

Adelaide has pretty
churches and...

football teams,
Australian rules football.

They have that
and other stuff.

I mean, you know the problem
with Adelaide?

No criminals.

[Laughter]

See most of Australia
was settled by criminals,

but Adelaide had
no convict settlers.

Everybody moved there by choice.

And so knowing that the entire
city consists of people

who moved there by choice
had to assume it's great.

Got to be great, you know?

I gonna go party
with Adelaideans

at the earliest possible date.

[Laughter]

♪♪

[Static]

Claire:
Where have you been?!

You weren't at work.

I rung you a million times.What happened?

He scared the crap
out of Ruby. That's all.

He insisted on talking to this
bloody Babadook thing.

All day, just talking
to the air.

It even freaked me out.I'm so sorry.

You need to get him
to see someone, Amelia.

It's not normal for a kid
to carry on with this rubbish.

It's not rubbish!
It's real!

Don't you talk to your
Auntie Claire like that!

[Firecracker explodes]

Where did you get
those firecrackers?

You got them for me
on the Internet.

Well, that's the end
of the Internet.

If the Babadook was real,

we'd see it right now,
wouldn't we?

It wants
to scare you first.

Then you'll see it.

Well, I'm not scared.

You will be when it creeps

into your room at night.

That's enough.

You will be when it
eats your insides!

I've decided you're not
having your birthday

with Ruby this week.

No cake, no games.
That's the end of it.

[Woman speaking
indistinctly on TV]

Samuel!

[Dishes clatter]

Samuel: Ladies and gentlemen!

Mom and Dad!

Life is not always as it seems.

It can be a wondrous thing!

But it can also be
very treacherous.

[Bugsy yelps,
firecracker bangs]

[Woman speaking
indistinctly on TV]

Don't worry, Dad.
I'll save mom.

I'm gonna trap the Babadook
like this!

When he's trapped,
I'm gonna kill it!

[Bolt fires]Amelia: Samuel?

[Grunts]

I was just putting
something back.

All your father's things
are down there.

He's my father!
You don't own him!

[Knock on door]

Just thought I'd see how
you're going.

Can I come in?

Hi, matey.
This is for you.

My mom always got me
a model plane

when I was sick.
[Chuckles]

I'm not sick.

Oh. I-I th-- I thought...

No, he's not,
actually.

The truth is, he's so
disobedient he can't go

to school anymore.You said that's not true!

How many six-year-old boys
do you know, Robbie,

who still believe
in monsters?
I hate you!

She won't let me have
a birthday party,

and she won't let me
have a dad!

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

[Rustling][Gasps]

♪♪

♪♪

Ow.
[Inhales sharply]

Don't eat it.

[Sighs]

The Babadook did it, Mom.

Go and watch a DVD, and I'll
make something else.

The Babadook did it!

Just go and watch
a DVD, Samuel.

[Stove hissing]Man: Ladies and gentlemen,

girls and boys,
welcome to

"The Great Martin's
DVD School of Magic."

Life is not always as it seems.

It can be a wondrous thing.

But it can also be
very treacherous.

On this DVD, you will learn

magic tricks to surprise,

to delight and perhaps
even shock

your family and friends.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

Do you think this is funny?

Oh, no. No. No.

[Grunting]

Give it to me!

[Roars]

Do you want to die?!

[Water dripping]

♪♪

[Electricity crackles]

♪♪

[Breathing heavily]

[Metal clinking]

♪♪

[Breathing shakily]

♪♪

♪♪

[Loud bang, Samuel screams]

[Breathing heavily]

♪♪

♪♪

[Breathing shakily]

♪♪

Don't let it in!

Don't let it in!

Don't let it in!

Don't let it in!
Don't let it in!

Don't let it in!

[Eerie music plays]

♪♪

♪♪

[Music stops]

[Rustling]

[Electricity crackles]

[Knocking]

[Gasps][Knocking stops]

♪♪

Samuel: Mom, do we have
to go to Ruby's party?

[Paper crinkling]

I've already got
this doll, Mom.

Now she's got a twin.

They can go shopping together.

[Nervous laughter]

Come on.

[Whining]Off you go.

[Continues whining]

He's just really tired.

[Door closes][Whining loudly]

Go and play right now.

[Door opens, closes]

Claire tells me
you're a writer.

Oh.
No, not really.

Not anymore.

What kind of writing
did you do?

I wrote some articles
for some magazines

and did some kids' stuff.

You just need
to get back into it.

That's all.It must be difficult.

I do volunteer work
with some

disadvantaged women,
and a few

of them have lost
their husbands,

and they find it
very hard.

How's Richard's
merger going?

Ah. Good.

I-I mean,
his workload's just ballooned.

[Chuckles] I've got the kids
24/7 it feels like.

[Chuckles]
Tell me about it.

I don't even have time
to go to the gym anymore.

It's ridiculous!That's a real tragedy.

Not having time to go
to the gym anymore --

how do you cope?

You must have so much to talk
about with those poor

disadvantaged women.

[Children laughing]

[Footsteps]

This is my tree house.

You're not allowed
in here.

I'm not hurting anybody.

Thank you.

Bye.

Thanks.

Thanks.

[Sighs]

[Children shouting
indistinctly]

How would your mom know
if it's real or not?

She never comes
to our house.

Mom told Dad
she didn't want

to go to your house
'cause it's too depressing.

The Babadook would eat
your mom for breakfast.

It'd rip her arms off!shut up!

Amelia: They feel sorry
for me, Claire.

There's a big difference.Claire: God, Amelia.

As soon as anyone mentions

Oskar, you can't cope.That's not true.

It'll be seven years.

Isn't it time you moved on?

I have moved on.

I don't mention him.
I don't talk about him.

What strain is that
on you, Claire?

Ruby: You're not even good
enough to have a dad.

Everyone else has one,
and you don't.

I do have a dad!

I listen to your life,
day in,

day out, and you
never stop

to ask me anything
about mine.

I do.

I want to know how you are!

You don't come around
to our house anymore.

Because I can't stand
being around your son.

I can't believe
you just said that.

You can't stand being
around him yourself.

Your dad died so he didn't
have to be with you.

That's not true!

And your mom
doesn't want you.

No one wants you.

[Grunts]

[Thud]

-[Crying]
-[Gasps]

[Both gasp]

♪♪

What did you do?!

She said I didn't
have a dad!

She kept saying it!

Is she all right?

Stay here
and look after the children!

Do you want another one
to get hurt?

Samuel: Mommy!

She wouldn't believe me!

Mommy!

Mommy! Mommy!

Mommy!
Mommy!

Why can't you
just be normal?!

[Shrieking]

There is no Babadook!

Get out!

Get out!
Samuel.

Mommy![Crying] Stop this now.

Get out!
Get out! Get out!

[Screams]

[Horror music plays]

[Grunting]

[Crying]

♪♪

♪♪

Please help me!

There's something
wrong with my son!

[Button clicks,
machinery whirring]

[Button clicks,
machinery whirring]

[Heartbeat]

I think it may have been
a febrile convulsion.

That's when
the brain overheats.

It always looks
worse than it is.

I've never seen
anything like this.

We'll have to wait
until the tests come back.

All his other results
are normal.

He's obviously suffering
a high level of anxiety,

very committed
to the monster theory.

That's an understatement.

All children
see monsters.

Not like this.

And it's getting worse.

He's becoming aggressive.

He could see
a psychiatrist.

I can refer you.

Takes a few weeks to get in.

That'd be great.

But can you...just give me
something for now just...

to make him sleep?

And just until...

Just until we can get
an appointment.

Please.

I haven't slept in weeks, and --
and neither has Samuel.

And when we go home tonight,
this whole nightmare will start

up again,
and I'm really...

I'm really not coping.

I can give you a short course
of sedatives,

just until
the tests come back.

Most mothers aren't
too keen on them

unless it's really bad.

It's really bad.

These can make
children feel...

foggy, perhaps some
temporary nausea.

They'll certainly help him
sleep, though.

That's for one week.Thank you.

[Static]

This movie is relentless.

You can feel the fatigue
of that mom from scene to scene

because she never gets a break.

And something tells me
that sedatives

are not really going
to be the answer here.

The Babadook was written
and directed by Jennifer Kent.

It's her debut film, actually.

And Jennifer Kent has what
I would call a restless resume.

I'm a big fan
of restless resumes.

I have one myself.

And by that I mean
that she's someone

who tried many different things

before she found the place
that she wanted to be.

And I think all talented artists
are like that.

Jennifer Kent grew up
in Brisbane,

which is the third largest city
in Australia after Sydney

and Melbourne, capital
of the state of Queensland.

That big, big old state
in the northeast

where the Great Barrier Reef is.

And she was one of those
precocious kids

who starts writing little plays
at the age of six.

And she was determined
to be an actress

and she did become an actress

and apparently a really good one
because she went to NIDA,

the famous acting school
in Sydney,

Very hard to get
in that place.

Stands for National Institute
of Dramatic Art.

And she was one year
ahead of Essie Davis,

the actress playing Amelia
in "The Babadook."

And Essie Davis says
she looked up to Jennifer Kent.

She aspired to be as good
an actress as she was.

So Jennifer Kent
graduates in 1991.

She does some television.

She does a lot of theater,
as you tend to do in Australia,

still very much
the British style system there.

She was in "Babe,"
the pig movie.

She became disillusioned
with acting for the reason

that most people who try it
become disillusioned with it,

namely that no matter
how good you are,

somebody has to give you
a script

that lets you show your depth.

So the life of an actor
has taken a lot of jobs

that are very poorly written.

So she actually got bored
with acting.

She wanted to be more involved
as a filmmaker,

and she happened to see
a Lars Von Trier film.

And at its conclusion,
she said, okay,

that's what I want to do.

Now...

Do I need to explain
Lars Von Trier?

I, you know, we have
a fairly hip audience

here at the "Last Drive-In,"

but we may not have
many Lars Von Trier fans.

Lars Von Trier is like
the hyperactive

Samuel of European film.

He's a Danish filmmaker
who makes avant garde movies

that kind of spit in the eye

of any kind of
traditional storytelling.

People love him or hate him.

He's also very outspoken,

and he frequently gets censored
for saying one thing or another.

He says he was inspired,
in fact,

by the film
"The Night Porter,"

which is not a good thing
to say in Europe.

That's the ultimate
Nazisploitation film back

when that was a genre
in the '70s.

So he's kind of
a deranged genius.

People will form opinions
about you

depending on whether you
love him or hate him.

I like him because he's Danish,
and the Danes, in my opinion,

are always ahead of the curve

in anything involving the arts
or culture in general,

for that matter.

Anyway, way off topic,

Jennifer Kent sees
this Lars Von Trier film

and she writes this long
pleading letter to Lars,

begging him to let her
come to Copenhagen

and apprentice on one
of his films because she said,

"I would rather
stick pins in my eyes

than go to film school."

And so Lars says,
"Okay, come on over.

I like that attitude."

And she goes to Copenhagen

and she works
as a production assistant.

On what has become one of his
most famous films, "Dogville,"

the one with Nicole Kidman.

And of course, Lars was hammered

for apparently being mean
to Nicole on the set.

That movie also stars
Chloe Sevigny, Lauren Bacall,

James Caan, Ben Gazzara,

a lot of Lars Von Trier
regulars like Udo Kier.

Anyway, I'm not going
to try to describe "Dogville."

It's a love it or hate it.
Go watch it.

Very avant garde, very arty.

But Jennifer Kent has this life
transforming experience,

watching Lars Von Trier direct,
and she says,

Okay, I got it now.
I know how to do this now.

And she makes a little
short film called "Monster"

about a mother
who's at the end of her rope

because her son thinks
there's a monster in the closet.

And that idea eventually
becomes "The Babadook,"

but not right away.

She submitted many other
projects to film Australia,

but they were considered
too ambitious

for a first time director.

She couldn't get arrested
as a director,

so she decided, okay, I'm going
to figure out how to make

"Monster" into a feature.

And she found this place
in Amsterdam.

This is why I say
her resume is restless.

This place called
Binger Filmlab.

This is a place where they have
professional tutors

from all over the world.
They match you --

They match the tutor up
with your project

to try to get it into shape
so it can be made.

And she goes through
several drafts

of the script at Binger Filmlab

and then she goes back
to Australia

and she says, okay, this is it.

This horror film
is what I want to make.

It was in Amsterdam, in fact,

that she came up
with the name Babadook.

She had a roommate
who was Serbian, and she asked,

how do you say boogeyman
in Serbian?

And the word that he said
was not quite right,

but she used the Baba
part of the word.

And then she added Dook
to make it silly and childish.

And it was simple enough
to be made low budget.

It's basically
a two-hander.

And she got most of the money
from the film commission,

and then she did
a very small

Kickstarter to get the rest
of the money.

And all of this
takes a long time,

but like most
successful directors,

she had that stick-to-it-iveness
to get the job done.

Okay.

Back to the movie.

Roll the film.

Does anybody
remember Nazisploitation?

I don't think they do.

They passed laws
in Italy and Germany.

You cannot even
make those anymore.

You can be arrested.
Your film can be banned.

We're in this international
censorship period now

where films are supposed
to avoid certain topics.

And actually the one
we're watching tonight

is going into
a forbidden zone.

A woman who's not sure whether
she loves her own son or not.

You know, a woman
who thinks maybe her life

would be better without him.

You know, we're not supposed to
see that on the screen, are we?

I actually interviewed
Liliana Cavani,

the director
of "The Night Porter,"

shortly after it came out,
and tough woman.

And Roger Ebert told Lili--

Liliana Cavani
that her movie was disgusting.

He told that to her face.

He gave it one star.

And so now the Roger Ebert
school of censored topics

has become the norm.

Alright, sorry to get so
serious, but...

[Laughter]

How 'bout them Bears?

[Laughter]

Of course, if you've
been watching

"The Last Drive-In"
for very long,

then you know
that the correct answer

to that question
is spoken by Henry,

the serial killer who says,
"Fuck the Bears."

[Laughter]

♪♪

[Static]

Samuel: Why don't people
like me?

Amelia: Why do you say that?

Ruby said people don't like
me because I'm weird.

Sometimes people say things
that aren't true.

You just need to take your
medicine,

have a big sleep,
and not worry.

[Sighs]

I don't want you to die.

I'm not gonna die
for a long time yet.

Did you think that about
my dad before he died?

Just take your pill so you
can go to sleep.

I've got the day
off tomorrow.

Maybe we can do something,
hmm?

Will these make
the Babadook go away?

I think so, but you have
to promise me

not to mention it again.

I promise to protect you
if you promise to protect me.

Then I won't mention it.

I promise to protect you.

Come on.

Come on.

Can you stay here with me?

Yes.

I love you, mom.

Me too.

[Eerie music plays]

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

[Music fades out,
chimes chiming]

[Knock on door]

[Chimes chiming]

[Pounding on door]

[Chimes chiming]

♪♪

[Ominous music plays]

♪♪

[Door closes]

[Breathing heavily]

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

[Paper crinkling]

[Gasps]

♪♪

[Metal scrapes,
music continues]

[Gasps]

♪♪

[Music stops]

Claire: Her nose is broken
in two places.

She's gonna need surgery.

I'll pay for everything.

You can't even pay
your own bills.

Look, I really have to go.

Claire, I think someone
is stalking me and Samuel.

What?

A book turned up
at our place.

I threw it away, but somebody

glued it back together
and put it on our doorstep.

Amelia.
[ Sighs]

I just can't help you
right now.

I don't expect you to help.
I-I just wanted --

If you're that worried,
you should go to the police.

I have to go.
[Line clicks, dial tone]

[Receiver clicks]

[Footsteps depart]

[Telephone rings]

[Footsteps approach]

Claire.

[Clicking]

Hello?

Ba-ba dook!

Dook! Dook!

[Gasps]

[Door bangs open,
footsteps approach]

Hi.

I want to report someone
stalking me and my child.

Can you tell us
what happened?

Somebody sent me...
a children's book.

[Chuckles]

And...?

And it contained violent
and graphic images

of my child and me
being murdered.

Can we have a look
at the book please?

I burnt it.

You burnt it?

Yes.

Well, unfortunately, there's
nothing we can do about it.

He's been making phone calls
to me, as well.

What's he been saying?

Nothing. Just is making
these...noises.

How do you know
it's the same person?

Because of what
he wrote in the book!

The book you burnt.

Yes.

[Pen scratching,
eerie music plays]

♪♪

♪♪

Okay.

Don't worry about it.

♪♪

♪♪

Mrs. Roach: Did you get
your things done?

Mrs. Roach has Parkinson's.

That's why
she shakes like this.

Samuel,
you don't have to say

everything that goes
through your head.

Oh, it's alright, love.

He wanted to know,
so we talked about it.

He sees things as they are,
that one.

Oskar was the same.

He always spoke his mind.

Do you have to keep
on bringing him up?

[Bugsy growling, barking]

[Singsong voice]
Hey, Bugsy.

[Continues growling, barking]

Hey.

Hey.
[Bugsy growls]

[Scampers]

[Sighs]

[Dishes clinking]

Aah! [Gasps]

[Gasps]

♪♪

[Cockroach chittering]

♪♪

[Gasps]

♪♪

Don't come in here!

[Knock on door]

I don't want
to buy anything.

Are you Amelia Vanek?

Yes.

I'm Warren Newton, and this
is Prue Flannery.

From the Department
of Community Services.

My son's only been
away for two days.

He's not actually
registered

at Babbage Bay anymore.

If I could just come in
and meet Samuel

and get you
to look at these papers,

that'd be great.

[Door closes]

I'm just in the middle

of cleaning up
the house at the moment.

I'm sorry.
There's, um, stuff everywhere.

[Sighs]

Hello, Samuel.

I'm Prue,
and this is Warren.

How are you?

I'm a bit tired
from the drugs mom gave me.

Not drugs --
tranquilizers.

From the doctor.

Oh, he had a-a fit yesterday.

I'm really tired actually.

Prue: That's no good.

May I have a glass
of water please?

Yes, of course.

I'll...get you one.

It's a real mess.

I-I just found
this cockroach infestation.

I normally have
the house sprayed.

I did actually already
have it sprayed,

but [sighs] there's
this hole in the wall

behind the fridge,
and that's why I...

I didn't
mean a hole in the wall.

Uh, there was a hole
in the wallpaper.

That's where they were
laying their eggs, I think.

Warren: We've caught you
at a bad time.

I'll leave you with this.

We're required to come
back in a week

to talk through
your options.

Here's my card.

Mom.

I think I'm gonna vomit.

[Breathing heavily]

♪♪

[Romantic music plays]

♪♪

Woman #1: What was that noise
I heard?

Woman #2: I didn't hear any
noise.

Yeah, howling,
doors slamming.

Why, I declare, Bonnie thinks
this house is haunted.

-[Gasps]
-Mom.

[Gasps]

I'm gonna go to bed.

Are you sick?

[ Speaking indistinctly]

It's only 6:00.

Don't you want to stay up
with your mom for a while?

No.

If you go to bed now,
the pills won't work properly.

You have to stay up
for a while, sweetheart.

[Sighs]

[Pleasant music plays]

[Animals calling]

♪♪

Where's it's mother, skip?

[Volume increases] Koalas don't leave
their babies about.

Hey, you're still there.

Man: Yep, soon as
I've fueled up.

Tell Jerry I'll keep
in touch on the radio,

and I'll be back
before breakfast

the day after tomorrow.

Amelia: "And the Prince
and the Princess

lived happily together
in a beautiful palace

for the rest of their days."

[Snoring softly]

[Electricity crackles]

[Wind howling]

[Metal scraping]

[Scraping stops]

[Bugsy barks][Gasps]

[Sighs]

[Metal scraping]

[Scraping stops]

[Doorknob turns,
hinges squeaking]

[Breathing heavily]

[Chittering, scratching]

[Gasps]

[Rustling]

Ba-ba dook!
Dook! Dook!

[Panting]

[Chittering]

♪♪

[Metal scrapes][Groaning]

♪♪♪

[Growling,
chittering intensifies]

[Metal scrapes]

[Shrieks][Muffled scream]

[Gasps]

[Muttering]

Where are we going?

We're going downstairs.

Why?

Because we are.

[Static]

And so she sinks further into
the clutches

of the Babadook.

And thank you for coming back,
Darcy Babadook,

because I want to talk
about Mr. Babadook.

We only get glimpses of him
in the movie,

and we mostly know him from the
drawings in the children's book.

But top hat, skinny, long,
black swallowtail coat,

bony hands, maybe knife fingers.
Did I see that?

Did I see the knife
fingers in the in the movie?

I'm not sure about that.

And there's one drawing
of him

with a joker grin plastered
across his devilish face.

So what is he?

He's Jack the Ripper.

He's Nosferatu.
He's the Tall Man in Phantasm.

He's the preacher played by
Julian Beck in "Poltergeist II."

He's Lon Chaney in
"London After Midnight,"

which is 1927.

Tod Browning silent film
about a man in a beaver hat

who can manifest anywhere
like a ghost and a demon.

That film is lost,
but the talkie version

is Tod Browning's
"Mark of the Vampire,"

starring Bela Lugosi.

He's the man who comes
to get you, you know?

Jennifer Kent used stills
from "London After Midnight"

to get the gist
of what she wanted

Mr. Babadook to look like.

But she also wanted him
to be ephemeral and mysterious

and for reasons
that we will talk about later.

[Laughter]

And then there's
Darcy Babadook.

[Laughter]

Darcy,
what are you exactly?

Which Babadook are you?

I'm Pride Babadook.

Oh, Pride Babadook.

Explain the whole
Pride Babadook thing to me.

Honestly,
I'm not really sure.

He just dresses well
and he's cool,

so I think that's it.[Laughter]

Alright.

Well, Darcy Babadook
doesn't look that scary.

What? I'm so scary?

Actually, I think
I'm pronouncing it wrong

because doesn't it have
to be Baba-dook?

So it will rhyme with words
like look and book

when they read the actual
Babadook -- Babadook book?

Oh, my gosh, you're right.

It does, but I always
call it Baba-duke.

I hear it both ways.

Well, Baba-dook
is goofier.

Let's go with Baba-duke,

because that's how
I've always been saying it.

Would you agree with me, though,
that any man

in a long black trench coat
with a top hat

is basically
the messenger of death

coming to carry you away?

I would, and I love every.
One of them.

Yeah, they're
all established in film.

Chaney did it.
Lugosi did it.

Max Schreck did it.

Angus Scrimm did it.
Julian Beck did it.

Jennifer Kent could have
gotten a tall, skinny actor

and made the Babadook
a lot more menacing.

I mean, not as menacing
as your version, Darcy,

Thank you.[Laughter]

But she chose to be coy
about the monster.

Which is a really
big disappointment to me.

I wanted more monster.

Well, you always
want more monster.

I do.
You want Godzilla
to be bigger?

True.

Let's go back to the movie

and find out why
she made that choice.

Because Amelia has now turned
on every light in the house.

But will that matter?

Of course not.

Roll the film.

♪♪

As a mother, Darcy,
would -- would you say

that Amelia
is reacting appropriately

to the menace
of the Babadook?

How do you think
she's reacting?

She's freaking the fuck out.

Well, then yeah,
that's appropriate.

I mean, even though
it's likely to scare Sam?

It's the Babadook.

I mean, she keeps telling
Sam to drop it.

You know,
there's no monster.

Should you lie
to your kid like that?

He is a behavioral
nightmare, so yeah.

Alright.
Pride month is next month.

Are you -- are you going to wear
this in a parade somewhere?

Well, I hadn't really thought
of that, but maybe.

Where's the biggest
Pride parade?

Who has the biggest
Pride parade?

San Francisco.

Okay.
Be there, Darcy.

San Francisco,
represent us.

Be the Babadook
for "The Last Drive-In."

Well, I think
the Babadook thing

was more like
five years ago.

And now somebody is finally
going to do it right.

Darcy's in the house.

Alright,
I am so there.

Okay.

♪♪

[Static]

[Eerie music plays]

♪♪

Iris, Iris, Iris.

No.

[Ethereal music plays]

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

[Shrieks]

[Music distorts, slows down]

♪♪

[Bugsy barking]Woman: Glass and mirror
attachment.

Clean and polish shower doors

or mirrors
for a streak-free shine.

As part of this
steaming special,

we'll even include
the garment and upholst...

I don't want to give it
to anyone at work.

Alright,
give all my shifts away.

That's just what I need.

I can't help it if I'm sick.
What do you expect me to do?

You do that!

[Telephone beeps]

[Sighs]

[Footsteps approach]

Mom.

I took the pills,
but I feel sick again.

I need to eat something.

[Sighs]

I couldn't find
any food in the fridge.

[Sighs]

You said to have
them with food.

I'm really hungry, mom.

Why do you have to keep

Talk -- talk -- talking?

Don't you ever stop?

I was just --I need to sleep!

I'm sorry, mommy.
I was just really hungry.

if you're that hungry,
why don't you go and eat shit!

[Breathing heavily]

I'm so sorry.

I don't know why
I said that.

That was terrible.

I've had absolutely
no sleep.

I didn't know
what I was saying.

I'll cook you something,
eh?

What would you like?

I'm not hungry anymore.

We really need
to get out of this house.

We've been cooped up
here too long.

That's the problem.

Do you want
to go to Wally's?

You can have anything you want,
alright?

Even ice cream for breakfast
if you like.

-[Shouts]
-Give it back now.

-It's mine!
-Give it back.

Stop it. Sit down.

Sit down now.[Indistinct chatter]

-No. Give my drink back.
-Now.

Go sit down, please.

[Children shouting]

Where are we going?

I just want to drive
for a little while.

[Cockroach chittering]

[Chittering intensifies]

♪♪

[Gasping]

[Groaning]

Hey! Mommy![Screaming]

[Both screaming]

Ba-ba dook! Dook! Dook!

[Tires screech,
glass shatters]

[Door opens, dog barking]

You ran straight into me!

I just bought this bloody car!
What were you thinking?

Oh! Driving on the wrong
side of the road,

with a kid in the back!

You could've
killed someone!

[Gears click, engine revs]

Hey!
Hey, what are you doing?

Hey!
Crazy bitch!

Hi, sweetheart.

Mom?

I can call Auntie Claire.

I can call
and she can come over.

Mom?

Auntie Claire doesn't
want to talk to us anymore.

Mom?

Mom, look at me.

[Moans]

it's nice and warm
in here.

I don't want you
to go away.

I'm not going anywhere.

[Grunts]

Mom?

Mom.

I don't think we should
stay here tonight.

I can call Mrs. Roach.

I don't want you
to call anyone.

I just need to sleep.

Mom.
Leave it!

[Breathing heavily]

[Raspy breathing]

[Indistinct ghostly whispering]

♪♪

Something in the house.

[Whispering stops]

[Raspy breathing]

[Indistinct ghostly whispering]

♪♪

There's someone in the house!

[Gasps]

[Indistinct ghostly whispering]

[Whispering stops]

[Whispering resumes]

[Raspy breathing][Breathing, whispering stops]

[Whispering resumes]

[Harsh whispering]

[Whispering] Mrs. Roach.

Can we come
and stay the night?

[Sighs]

Gracie, I'm so sorry.

Mrs. Roach: Has someone
broken into the house?

Sam said that --No, no. We're fine.

Samuel's just being very

disobedient again.

Oh, I was so worried.

I told him
not to call anyone.

He asked if you
could stay the night.

No, no. We're fine.

I just had a headache.
That's all.

I really have to go, though,
now, Gracie.

[ Stammering]

I'm so sorry
for troubling you.

Yes. Talk soon?

No worries. Talk soon.

I told you
not to call anyone,

and you deliberately
disobeyed me.

Do you want to frighten
Mrs. Roach --

an old lady
who can hardly walk?

Do you want
to make her sick?

Get that bloody thing off!

Is this the only way
I can trust you

not to embarrass me
in front of our neighbors?

Is this what I have to do?

I'm sorry, Mommy.

It's just that the Babadook made
you crash the car and then --

What did you say?

I said the Babadook --

The Babadook
isn't real, Samuel.

It's just something
you've made made up

in your stupid
little head.

I just didn't want you
to let it in!

I'll make sure nothing gets
in tonight, alright, Samuel?

Nothing is coming
in here tonight.

Nothing!

♪♪

♪♪

[Lock engages]

[Window shuts]

[Lock engages]

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

I feel sick.

if you don't take the pill,

you'll feel worse.

Mom, I don't think
I need --

[Sternly] I am the parent,
and you are the child,

so take the pill.

Good boy.

["The Hearse Song" plays]

[ Raspy breathing]

♪♪

[ Laughs cruelly]

[Gasps, screams]

[Breathing shakily]

Mom!

♪♪

♪♪

[Paws scratching floor]

Hey, Bugsy.

Hey, sweetie.

Come here, sweetie.
Hey.

Hey.

Hee-hee.

[Bugsy yelps, growls]

[Bugsy barking, growling]

[Mid-tempo music plays,
man speaking indistinctly]

Here we go.

♪♪

There's more where
that came from.

♪♪

♪♪

[Gasps]

Decide, or we all die.

[War cries][Grunting]

What's the secret --

[ Scary organ music plays]

-Letter of max's, didn't you?
-No, not for a minute.

Woman: Don't lie.
You called me a jezebel.

Why?
-The North --

Man: ...natural corset.

Woman: With fresh meat --[Insects chittering]

Woman: Only five in --[Machinery whirring]

You don't want to go in there
all by yourself, do you?

Man: Police say the woman used a
kitchen knife to stab her son.

His body was found
in their basement.

The woman later attacked
officers with the knife.

They drew their guns
and shot her to death.

Little is known about
the tragedy, but neighbors

say the boy was celebrating
his birthday today.

He had just turned seven.

[Electricity crackles,
glass shatters]

Samuel.

[Muffled]
Wake up, mommy.

But you're the one who's
asleep, sweetheart.

♪♪

Don't go down there.

It's not safe.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

[Sighs]

[Sighs]

[Crying]
I thought you were dead.

I thought you were dead.

[Breathing heavily]

Oh.

We can be together.

You just need
to bring me the boy.

[Buzzing]

you mean Samuel?

[Distorted] You can
bring me the boy.

You can bring me the boy.

You can bring me the boy.

Stop calling him "the boy."

I think it's going to rain.

No.

[Crying] No. No.

[Static]

Okay.

Whatever else you can say
about this movie,

can we all agree
that Essie Davis, as Amelia,

is pretty much nailing
every emotional moment?

And there are dozens of those
as she cycles through confusion,

anger, catatonia,
rage, hopelessness,

wishful thinking,
longing, regret, guilt.

This has to be a wild ride
as an actress.

And it's not so much
what she's saying and doing.

It's her face.

You can read
every change on her face.

Essie Davis,
as I pointed out before,

was one year behind
Jennifer Kent at NIDA,

the Australian drama school.

She had grown up in Hobart,
the capital of Tasmania.

It's interesting to me

that everybody connected
to this project

is sort of outside the usual
Sydney-Melbourne nexus.

But before this,
Essie Davis was best known

for starring in a series

called "Miss Fisher's
Murder Mysteries,"

and her character
of Phryne Fisher in that show

was the utmost in glamour.

She was coiffed, manicured,

dressed in the highest
of high fashion.

Very popular show,

and she was known for being
a beautiful heroine type.

So kind of the opposite
of this role.

But she was known
to be very versatile.

She had played Stella
in "A Streetcar Named Desire"

at the National Theatre
in London.

She got a lot of attention

for doing a Tom Stoppard play
on Broadway in 2003.

She'd done a huge amount
of theater in Sydney,

tends to be classics.

She played Juliet.

She starred
in "School for Scandal."

But I love this particular
section of the movie

because she must be crazy.

She has taken a bath
with her clothes on.

She's cuddling with a ukulele
or a violin or something.

She's telling her kid
to eat shit.

She's brandishing
that giant kitchen knife.

She's yelling at him for calling
the old lady next door.

And yet we're following her
through all of that,

and we're not thinking, "Okay,
she's stark raving mad."

We're thinking, "Wow,
the influence of the Babadook

is making this house
very spooky."

And then there's Noah Wiseman
as the 6-year-old Samuel.

He really was 6 years old
when this movie was made.

Jennifer Kent looked at about
500 child actors on tape.

She was originally going to use
a 9- or a 10-year old

because there's a big difference
in acting, training,

and sophistication
between 6 and 9.

But she had this nagging feeling

that the older kids were
just not innocent enough.

They would be subconsciously
winking at the camera.

If you're annoyed by Noah,
you're -- you're thinking,

"Innocent? What the fuck?"[Laughter]

But I think there is something
underneath that busybody nature

that is pure
and undisturbed.

So anyway, she narrowed down
the applicants from 500 to 100.

She worked with those hundred
in small groups

and she ended up with Noah.

This is Noah's only
feature film,

but he also nails it.

He plays the hyperactivity
very well.

He nails
the child abuse scenes.

I was very interested
to find out that Jennifer Kent

decided to spare his feelings
in some of those abusive scenes.

They would take him off set

and they they would have
an adult actor come in

and get on his knees
and stand in for him

as his movie mom
unloaded on him.

And then when they brought
Noah on to do the reverse shot,

she would say something like,

"I'm going to throw all your
Lego blocks into the river,"

you know, to get
a facial reaction out of him.

You know, last week we watched
"Tigers Are Not Afraid"

and we talked about
that six-week workshop

that the child actors
went through

so that they could feel
the abuse

and the sadness and the pain.

So, two very different theories

of the way
to work with children.

Both Jennifer Kent
and Essie Davis

were very proud that they,
quote, "protected" Noah.

But if you talk to Issa López,

she's still close
to all those kids

that she worked with
in "Tigers Are Not Afraid."

And she told them, "Okay, this
is -- this really bad feeling

is going to happen to you
in this scene,

and then it's gonna be over
and we're gonna talk about it."

I don't think
anybody in Mexico said,

"You're abusing
all those children."

[Laughter]

Anyway, this movie has
a lot of gothic elements --

not just the haunted house

and the ghost and the secrets
and the creaking floors,

but everything bad originates
in the basement,

where the dead husband and
the father is sort of kept alive

because all his belongings
are down there.

And I guess in Babadook land,
he is down there, too.

But he has an agenda.

He -- He isThe Babadook,
I think,

or The Babadook can
impersonate him or something.

Okay. Back to the film.

When you play a ghost in a --
in a play or in a movie,

the ghost has to want
something, right?

You want something
or you wouldn't be there.

You'd be resting quietly
in the afterlife, you know.

But something is
burning you up inside.

Unfinished business.
Suspended animation.

So those are always
really good roles.

Ghost roles.

Um, what's the most famous
ghost role?

Banquo?

What does Banquo want?

He wants Macbeth to suffer,
and suffer a lot.

So all his spooky stuff
is just a way

to make Macbeth cower and hide
and look back over his shoulder

and make speeches
about how sad he is.

And so the ghost
in this movie --

Oskar is the name of the ghost.

He wants to blame somebody.

And I probably shouldn't
say anything more.

But, handsome ghost, by the way.[Laughter]

One of the better-looking ghosts
in movie history.

You know, Benjamin Winspear
is that -- is that actor's name.

Does a lot of Australian TV.
So, let's give him credit.

Great ghosting, Ben.

[Laughter]

♪♪

[Static]

[Gasps]

[Electricity crackling]

[Glass shatters]

[Breathing shakily]

♪♪

[Insects buzzing]

[Buzzing intensifies]

[Eerie music plays][Gasps]

♪♪

[Whimpering]

[Groaning]

[Whimpering]

[Insects buzzing, chittering]

[Gasps]

[Crying]

[Monstrous groaning]

Aah!

[Sobbing]

[Growling]

[Breathing heavily]

[Growling loudly]

[Panting]

It isn't real,
it isn't real, it isn't real.

[Shrieks]

[Growling]

[Flesh rending]

[Shrieks]

Woman on TV:
Aah! Ohh!

[Crying] Oh, no. Oh, no.

[Eerie organ music plays]

No...[Breathes shakily]

[Door creaks]

[Organ music continues]

[Breathing shakily, moans]

No! No!

[Bugsy barks]
Bugsy!

[Bugsy barks]

[Barking]

[Breathing heavily]

[Barking continues]

[Breathing intensifies]

[Barking continues]

[Woman moaning]

[TV clicks off]

[Inhales sharply]

[Bugsy yelping]

[Bugsy growling, snarling]

[Bugsy yelping]

[Screams][Neck snaps]

[Wind blowing]

[Breathing shakily]

[Groaning]

[Screams]

[Breathing heavily]

[Tooth clatters]

[Gasps]

[Rapid footsteps]

[Door slams]

[Mutters]

[Doorknob jiggling]Samuel!

Samuel.

[Breathing heavily]

Bugsy's hurt,
and we need to get help.

You don't want him to die,
do you?

Samuel.

Are you listening to me?

[Doorknob jiggling]

Let me in,
you little shit!

Let me in!

[Distorted voice]
Let me in!

Let me in!
Let me in!

[Roaring]

[Grunts]

[Grunts]

[Roaring]

[Shrieking]

♪♪

[Breathing heavily]

You little pig!

Six years old, and you're still
wetting yourself!

[Breathing heavily]

You don't know
how many times

I wished it was you,
not him, that died.

I just want you
to be happy.

[Mockingly]
"I just want you to be happy."

[Chuckling]

[Sighs]
Sometimes...

I just want to smash your head
against a brick wall

until your fucking brains
pop out!

You're not my mother.

What did you say?

I said
you're not my mother!

[Distorted voice]
I am your mother!

[Poppers snapping][Shouts]

Run, run, run,
as fast as you can!

♪♪

Get away!

Didn't I tell you not to play
with weapons?!

[Grunting]

[Sighs]

[Both screaming]

[Breathing heavily]

♪♪

♪♪

[Knock on door]

♪♪

♪♪

[Gasps]

[Hisses]

I'm sorry, love.
I-I know it's late.

I just wanted to make sure
you were okay.

I'm okay.

I-I know...

this time of year is
terribly hard for you.

And I know you don't
want me to go on about it,

so I won't.

I just wanted you
to know

that I'd do anything
for you and Sam.

I love you both.

Samuel.

I'm sorry.

I understand
you're scared.

I haven't been good
since your dad died.

I haven't been good
at all.

[Breathes heavily]

I'm sick, Sam.

I need help.

I just spoke with
Mrs. Roach.

We're gonna stay there
tonight.

Do you want that?

I want to make it up
to you, Sam.

[Breathing shakily]

I want you to meet
your dad.

It's beautiful there.

You'll be happy.

Aah!
Unh!

[Gasping]

Sorry, Mommy!

♪♪

[Screaming]

[Rope creaks]

[Shouts]

[Grunts]

[Breathing heavily]

[High-pitched whirring]

Aah!

Unh!

♪♪

[Breathing shakily]

♪♪

[Grunts]

[Ropes creaking]

[Breathing heavily]

[Grunting, screaming]

Mom! Mom!

[Breathing heavily]

I'm not leaving you!

Mom?

Mom?

[Shrieking]

[Laughing evilly]

We said we'd protect
each other!

[Breathing heavily]

I know
you don't love me.

The Babadook
won't let you.

But I love you, Mom.

And I always will.

[Screaming]

[Breathing heavily]

You let it in!
You have to get it out!

[Screaming]

[Breathing heavily]

I don't want you
to go away.

[Shouts]

No! No! Mommy!

[Choking]

[Grunting]

[Sobbing]

[Breathing heavily]

[Grunts]

[Moaning]

[Shrieking]

♪♪

♪♪

[Thud]

Mommy!

Mommy! Mommy!

Mommy! Mommy!

Mommy!

Mommy!
[Gasping]

[Crying]

[Coughs]

[Breathing heavily]

[Static]

This movie has three
or four endings,

and that is the first one,
but it's not nearly over.

And I know what
all you parents out there

are thinking
at this very moment.

You're thinking about that time
you looked at your child

and you thought,
"I want to smash your head

against a brick wall until
your fucking brains pop out."

But you're also thinking,

"I wonder if my child loves me
enough to tie me to the floor

with about 40 yards
of nautical rope

wound tightly around
my arms and legs?

And if so, would he or she
still love me

if I managed to wrap my hands
around the child's neck

prior to puking up
some black Baba vomit?"

[Laughter]

But these are
biblical questions.

We will not be able
to answer them here.

And by the way,
the elderly actress who plays

the kind next-door neighbor,
Mrs. Roach, that's Barbara West,

whose credits go back
to the '50s.

She was in that groundbreaking
medical series "Medic"

starring Richard Boone,
and she was also in the great

Bruce Beresford movie
"Breaker Morant"

in 1980, during
the Australian New Wave.

She was semi-retired
ever since she developed

Parkinson's disease
at the age of 40.

But Jennifer Kent specifically
requested an actress

who really had Parkinson's
disease for this role,

partly because her own mother
was suffering from it.

We should do a poll.

Who is the worst mother
in film history?

'Cause we had that movie
"The Baby."

That mom might qualify.[Laughter]

We had "Butcher, Baker,
Nightmare Maker."

She was pretty awesome
in the bad mother department.

We showed "Mother's Day,"
mom as an outright killer.

And of course,
there's always "Mommie Dearest."

"Mommie Dearest" has had
a comeback in recent years.

People are watching that again.

Oh, what am I thinking?

Carrie's mom -- Piper Laurie.

There's actually a lot
of competition for this.

If you included Lifetime movies,

you would have
thousands of candidates.

They have -- They have
a whole "evil mom" subgenre

that they go back to again
and again and again.

You know, "Don't Wake Mommy."
Remember that one?

They call those psycho moms.

Give me another psycho mom
this season.

We don't have
any psycho mom fare

on the schedule for the fall.

But Essie Davis, as Amelia,

she is a psycho mom
that we kind of like.

And we keep expecting her
to change

and become something else,
and she does not.

So spooky.

All right.
Back to the movie.

Back to the exceedingly strange
conclusion of "The Babadook."

You know, the Japanese,

they understand this
better than we do.

They have a genre called
the "uncanny mother film."

And the word "uncanny,"

when you hear that
in film criticism,

it usually means somebody
who has weirded out,

they've gone into a zone,
they've turned zombie on you.

And when it's the mother,
chaos ensues.

The mother is not allowed
to go into the crazy zone

in Japanese culture,

or else the whole
civilization falls apart.

This is an uncanny mother,
but it's made in Australia now,

which I've got to assume
based on

just its geographical location,

they're better acquainted
with Japanese horror

than we are over here.

Uncanny, though, is a good word
because it's not batshit crazy.

It's short of batshit crazy,
but it's also somebody...

They're putting mustard
on their Popsicle,

you know, if you know
what I mean, and I think you do.

I mean,
you don't pipe up and say,

"Hey, why are you putting
mustard on your Popsicle?"

You just kind of look
the other way.

You kind of side-eye the person

and you go, "Okay,
that's a choice."

[Laughter]

Uncanny.

Right?

[Laughter]

♪♪

[Static]

[Breathing heavily]

[Breathing heavily]

What is it?

You can't get rid
of the Babadook.

[Grunts]

[Screaming]

[Gasps][Screaming continues]

[Breathing heavily]

[Footsteps pattering]

Unh![Gasps]

Ugh!

[Breathing heavily]

[Rattling]

What do you want?

[Rattling continues]

What do you want?!

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

[Whispering] No.

[Sighs]

Keep breathing.

♪♪

Put your seat back,
sweetheart.

10 more minutes,
and we're there.

[Breathing shakily]

♪♪

No. No.

♪♪

I think it's gonna rain.

Stop!

[Tires screeching]

♪♪

♪♪

[Gasping]

[Moaning, sobbing]

♪♪

[Babadook snarling]

[Babadook shrieks]

[Babadook hisses]

[Babadook hisses]

[Gasps]

[Babadook hisses]

[Babadook hissing, pattering]

You are nothing.

[Babadook growling]

[Rattling]

[Babadook hisses]

[Rattling continues]

[Babadook hisses]

You're nothing!

[Babadook hissing]

[Rattling continues]

This is my house!

[Babadook hisses]

[Rattling continues]

You are trespassing
in my house!

[Babadook shrieks, growls]

[Babadook growling]

[Wood cracks]

If you touch my son again,
I'll fucking kill you!

[Babadook roaring]

[Samuel screaming]

[Babadook shrieks]

[Screaming continues]

[Babadook growling]

[Screaming]

[Screaming continues]

[Babadook growling]

[Growling quietens]

[Groaning]

Mommy, don't!

[Groaning]

Don't!

[Groaning]

[Gasps]

[Babadook shrieking]

[Babadook breathing heavily]

[Babadook shrieking]

[Breathing heavily]

[Lock clicks]

[Breathing heavily]

[Sniffs]

[Birds chirping in distance]

[Both laughing]

Watch out for your mom's leg,
little one.

He's fine.
I've had the stitches out.

What time's the party?

Oh, anytime
after 3:00 is fine.

I'll see you
in a few hours, then.

Bye.

Bye, Sam.

Prue: That school's
a good choice.

Amelia: I've been doing
a lot of reading about it,

so I think Sam
will be happy there.

Warren:
He's been out of school
over two weeks now.

It's time to get back.

We needed some time
to sort a few things out.

Are you having a party?

It's Sam's birthday today.

My first birthday
I've ever celebrated.

That's not true.

Yes, it is.

My first party
on the day.

That's unusual.

My husband died
the day that Sam was born.

He got killed driving mom
to the hospital to have me.

Sam's just like his dad was.

Always speaks his mind.

Well, parties are
lots of fun,

especially
when they're yours.

My cousin's not coming

because I broke her nose
in two places.

I'll take that for you.

[Scraping]

Good shot!

Look, there's another one!

Where's your bowl?

Wow, you've got a lot today!

[Lock clicks]

Am I ever
gonna see it?

One day,
when you're bigger.

You go outside.

And you don't come in
until I tell you.

[Babadook hisses]

[Babadook growls]

[Shouting]

[Babadook growling]

[Shouts]

[Babadook hisses, growling]

It's all right!
[Breathing heavily]

It's all right.
It's all right.

[Babadook moaning]Shh!

Shh, shh.

Shh, shh.

[Breathes heavily]

Shh, shh, shh, shh.

Shh, shh, shh.

How was it?

It's pretty quiet today.

Come here.

It's getting much
better, Mom.

Wait!

I have a new trick.

Life is not always
as it seems.

Nothing in my hands,
nothing in my hands.

[Laughs]
That's great!

I haven't finished.

[Coin clatters]

Abracadabra!

[Dove cooing]

[Laughing]
How did you do that?!

[Giggling]

[Both laughing]

Come here, you.
Come here.

[Both laughing]

[Birds chirping]

[Chuckles]

Happy birthday, sweetheart.

[Sighs]

[Chirping continues]

[Eerie music playing]

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

[Static]

Okay, rarely do we see
that much visual energy,

and actually audio energy
as well, in a film.

Jennifer Kent says, "I'm in love
with sound design,"

and you can tell that from the
whispering to The Babadook voice

to all the sounds
that the house makes.

They built the interior
of that house on a soundstage

so that they could get
all those dizzying shots

in the action sequences.

It had to be a little roomier
than a real house

for what they wanted to do.

They just had to stay away
from the windows

'cause there was nothing
outside the window

except another wall.

And then there's that ending
with the worms and the basement

and the happy mom
and son in the garden.

Um, one reason "The Babadook"
didn't get wider distribution

is that all
the American distributors

wanted the director to go back

and shoot a scene
where The Babadook dies

instead of keeping him alive
in the basement.

And she refused to do that.

And before I go into
what I think about the movie,

what do you think, Darcy?

Well, I like it,
but I wanted more Babadook.

I think it's the first movie
we've ever shown with,

if I'm being honest,
it's a zero body count.

I mean, I didn't want to say
that in the Drive-In total,

so I counted the husband
who died seven years ago.

I counted the dog.Oh, my gosh.

How many dogs have been killed
on this show now?

Oh, I think they had
to kill the dog because...

remember that page
in The Babadook book

with the stick-figure drawings?

It showed three levels
of violence --

dead dog, dead child,
and then dead mom by suicide.

So, once you see that,
and then --

and then you see her
actually kill the dog,

the emotional stakes get much
higher

'cause you know
what number two is.

True.

I just would've liked
to see more of the monster.

Okay.

Now, here's where I disagree
with almost everybody else,

so please don't shoot me.

But I don't think
there isa monster.

Explain that.

I don't think there's anything
supernatural about the story.

I think the mom wrote
The Babadook book.

I think only she sees
The Babadook.

I think The Babadook
does not exist.

But we see it.

We see it
in dream visions.

We see it only
when she can see it.

Hmm.Remember at the beginning
of the movie,

they go searching the house
together for monsters.

You know,
so she can reassure her son.

They look under the bed.
They look inside a cabinet.

We don't actually see
under the bed, do we?

And we don't actually see
inside that cabinet, do we?

Because it's a shot
of the two of them.

They are the monsters.

Oh, my God.
You are ruining this movie.

Why?
I'm not ruining it.

Because I want there
to be a monster.

Well, there's a monster,
but it's inside Amelia's head.

No.She sees it everywhere.

I don't like that.When she goes
to the police station.

That cop, remember?

He becomes The Babadook.
His hands turn black.

When she watches late-night TV,
Babadooks pop up everywhere.

And The Babadook is a killer
and a shapeshifter,

and it's telling her
if you just hadn't got pregnant,

you'd still have your husband.

Because he died on the way
to the hospital

on the day
that Samuel was born,

and she's never
gotten over that

and she blames Samuel
for ruining her life.

"If I didn't have this kid,
everything would be fine."

She can't really even stand
to touch her kid.

You know, when they're in
the same bed, she turns her back

and moves over
to the edge of the bed.

You know, when he hugs her
too hard, she gets angry.

You know when he says,
"I love you,"

she says, "Me too."

[Laughter]

So The Babadook is
that voice inside her

saying, "Kill Samuel.
Get rid of Samuel.

You'll get your life back."

And she's going crazy
with guilt and with anger,

and she writes that Babadook
book to exorcise these demons.

Yeah, that makes sense.

Remember at one point,
Samuel says,

"She won't let me
have a birthday

and she won't let me
have a dad."

And that's true.

She's never let him celebrate
his birthday on the actual day,

because that day belongs
to her husband.

How do you know
that she wrote the book?

Well, remember the scene
at Ruby's birthday party,

where the other women
are judging her

and they talk about her writing
and she says,

"I used to write stuff
for children."

I went, "Whoa."

She's a children's book writer?

She wrote "Mister Babadook."

And look at it --
it looks homemade.

There are blank pages
at the back of that book.

It's a sketchbook.
It's a one-of-a-kind book.

She did it
to work out her demons.

Yes, she tore it up because
she felt guilty about it.

But then one night she went out
to the rubbish bin

and she pieced it back together.

And her subconscious has given
her the key line in the book,

"You can't get rid of
The Babadook,"

because it's true.

You can't get rid of trauma
like that.

You can only manage the trauma.

So at the end of the story,
that's what she's doing.

She's managing The Babadook.
She's controlling it.

She's not giving it power
by denying it's there.

She's just leaving it
in the basement.

But aren't there scenes where
they both see The Babadook?

Yes, because Sam knows
when she's in crazy mode.

All Sam wants is to have
a mother,

and to a lesser extent,
to be acknowledged

as the son
of the dead husband.

So when she's in "I have to
get rid of this kid" mode,

he knows it, and that's when
he sees The Babadook.

You know, they're crazy together
in those scenes.

He feels the separation
from his mom,

and that's The Babadook for him.

When she starts working out
her sexual frustrations,

he's all over that.

I mean, he interrupts her
when she's using the vibrator.

I mean, he's climbing up --
up on her in bed.

Um...

There's a hole in the wall
that looks like a vagina

with cockroaches
coming out of it.

Only that doesn't exist, either.

The social workers
don't see that.

Only Sam sees that.

So, the whole thing
is Freudian?

I think so.

I mean, the movie was
controversial

when it first came out because
there were some mothers

who claim that
no mother ever would do

what Amelia does to that kid,

no mother would ever
feel that way.

That there's some kind of
supernatural mother gene

that prevents you
from ever wanting to be

separated from your kid.

Not true.
We know that's not true.

I agree with that,
as a mom.

You agree with the --
with the other moms?

No, I agree with you.Oh, okay.

You can love them
and still fantasize about things

being a little different.Right.

So, do I love him
or do I hate him?

Both.

I mean, it's not even
a new idea in movies,

'cause remember that movie
"Ordinary People"

from the early '80s?

Why do we hate
Mary Tyler Moore so much?

Because ultimately we see
that she doesn't love her son

and she doesn't want her son,
played by Timothy Hutton.

Remember that?
But when you do that in a drama,

it's not as interesting
as doing it in horror.

And actually,
Amelia in this movie

is ready
to kill the kid.

She tells him, she says,
"I want you to meet your dad.

It's beautiful there.
You'll be happy."

And that's when he stabs her
in the leg.

That's when he gets aggressive.

But the kid never says,
"You wanted to kill me."

He says, "You let it in,"
meaning The Babadook.

He always recognizes
when she's off her gourd.

Okay. I think we...

I pretty much ran that
into the ground.

But most critics
don't agree with me,

so I'm sure we'll get mail,
but...

But wait, we were gonna talk
about the ending.

Okay, well, the ending
is just what I said.

They're -- They're managing
The Babadook.

She still feels the trauma.
She's still in PTSD, um...

'cause Sam, in that last
scene, he says to her,

"How was it today?"

"It" being The Babadook,
a feeling that she can't cope.

She wants Sam to die
and she wants to kill herself.

And her answer is,
"Quiet today."

Not feeling that too much,
just a twinge.

So it's like a 12-step scene,
12-step ending.

She's gonna deal with it
the rest of her life.

And actually, Sam is gonna
deal with it, too,

'cause notice, he's still
practicing with his dart gun.

Man, I'm gonna have
to rewatch it.

I thought their troubles
didn't start

until she read
the Babadook book.

Their troubles had been
buried for six years,

ever since the husband died.

And now they're gonna
get real, though,

because of the Babadook book,

which, again,
Mom wrote that book.

But that's the part
that doesn't make sense to me.

Why -- Why would she
write the book?

Well, I can think of a lot
of reasons why somebody

with post-traumatic
stress disorder

for six years
who never deals with it

would act out
in strange ways.

And "Mister Babadook"
is generic.

She -- She, um...

She stole him from
other boogeymen in the movies.

You know, it's just a symbol
of her greatest fear.

She doesn't give
the book to Sam.

Sam finds the book
in the basement.

She -- That's not intended
for him.

Reading the book to Sam

just means that now
Sam knows what to call it.

He knows
the name Babadook.

He already knew
it was there.

Again, nobody agrees with me,
so go read some other critics.

Or we could ask
Jennifer Kent.

Well, no, we can't
ask Jennifer Kent.

The writer's intentions
don't matter.

I have this argument
with people all the time.

The writer is not always aware
of her own intentions.

So, that's called
the intentional fallacy.

So we're not
gonna do that.

Man, I'm just gonna miss
the monster.

You know where
that monster belongs?Where?

At the Pride parade!Whoo! Yeah!

[Cheers and applause]Go for it.

All right.
Do we have mail?

Wait, wait, wait,
wait, wait, wait, wait.

I want to make
one more point.

[Laughter]Of course you do.

We know from the book that
the more you ignore

The Babadook,
the stronger it gets,

which is the way people
go into depression.

You know, we know that what
she wants is in the basement.

She wants her husband back.

And that's where
all Oskar's things are kept,

and she doesn't like Sam
playing down there.

She wants to keep him
away from that.

And we know that Sam has this
obsession with building weapons,

and she downplays that.

Like, he doesn't
really need those,

because she's
the potential killer.

And so,
it's a shared trauma.

And that means the only way
you can defeat The Babadook

is they have
to work together on it.

And that's why you need
that extra action sequence

where Sam is getting
bashed against the wall

because the bed
is flying around

and she has to come in
and help him out.

'Cause Amelia has two demons --
kill the kid

and kill herself
to be with the dead husband.

And she has to get rid
of both of those.

And the "kill the kid" exorcism
has to be done with the kid.

It's an odd
little movie.

True.[Laughter]

It's a small movie.

It was -- It was made
for $2.5 million

and it grossed around
$10.5 million worldwide.

And by the way,
you can buy

the "Mister Babadook"
pop-up book.

I have one.

They printed up
about 9,000 of those

when the movie came out.

People sell them on eBay.

I just hope that there's more
Babadook in "Babadook 2."

[Laughter]

Well, The Babadook

would have to escape
from the basement,

so I don't think you can do
"Babadook 2,"

because now you already know
how The Babadook works.

How?

Darcy, I just spent
the last half hour

explaining how it works![Laughter]

Besides, Jennifer Kent is not
gonna make "Babadook 2."

Her follow-up movie was
"The Nightingale" in 2018.

Dark thriller,
also very good.

All right, please,
let's do mail.

Honestly, we can't.

You used up all the time
talking about shared trauma.

We'll have to do it
after "The Muthers."

Okay.

[Laughs] Sorry.

[Laughter]

Out of the steaming
slave markets

come the ravaging
sea savages --

The Muthers.
[Laughs]

Sorry.

You know, the good thing
about showing "The Muthers"

as our second feature

is that there will be absolutely
no disagreement

about what's happening
in that movie.

Happy Mother's Day, Darcy.

Thank you.All right.

You should cosplay
The Muthers.

I'll see
what I can do.

Buxom girls with machine guns
in the jungle.

I never get tired of that.

I got something
planned for you.

Meanwhile, this is
Joe Bob Briggs

reminding you
that Jesus is coming,

so everybody look busy.

[Laughter]

And the drive-in
will never die.

Three guys are drinking
in a bar.

This drunk comes in and he
staggers up to the counter

and he points at the guy
in the middle and he says,

"Your mom's the best sex
in town."

And everybody
expects a fight.

But the guy
just kind of ignores him.

So the drunk wanders off
and he bellies up to the bar

at the far end of the bar.

Ten minutes later,
the drunk comes back

and he points at the same guy
and he says,

"I just did your mom,
and it was sweeeeet!"

[Laughter]

Again, the guy refuses
to take the bait.

The drunk goes back
to the far end of the bar.

Ten minutes later, comes back
again and he announces,

"Your mom loved it.

She was screaming
with pleasure."

And finally the guy
interrupts him and says,

"Go home, Dad, you're drunk."

[Laughter]

Toast to that.
That was good.

[Laughter]

Man: All right. Yeah.