Hereditary
2018USA★ 7.36 pt match
Like The Babadook, this one is rooted in grief, guilt, and paranoia. Both circle the same ground: family wounds passed down and family duty. Both move the same way too, bleak, haunting, slow burn, and escalating.
The Babadook
2014AustraliaLanguage: EnglishDirected by Jennifer Kent★ 6.5
Available in English: subtitled
A grieving single mother and her child fall into a deep well of paranoia when an eerie children's book manifests in their home.
Themes and style
Tone
bleakhauntingtensemelancholicsurreal
Pacing
slow burnescalating
Story
unravelingsurvivalsiege
Emotion
griefparanoiafeeling powerlessguiltloss of innocence
Themes
men and women navigating expectationsfamily wounds passed downfamily dutypoverty
Feel
quietly hauntingexhaustinggut punchdiscussion starteremotionally wreckingcerebral
Violence
moderateWhere to watch
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Hollywood films like The Babadook
If The Babadook hit you the right way, here are Hollywood films that share its DNA. Same emotional weight, same kind of stories, same kind of payoff.
The Shining
1980USA★ 8.24 pt match
What ties these together is paranoia, feeling powerless, and loss of innocence. The world both films live in revolves around family duty and family wounds passed down. Same energy: haunting, bleak, and slow burn.
The Exorcist
1973USA★ 7.73.5 pt match
Like The Babadook, this one is rooted in feeling powerless, grief, and guilt. They share the same lens on men and women navigating expectations. Both move the same way too, bleak, haunting, slow burn, and escalating.
Rosemary's Baby
1968USA★ 7.83.5 pt match
Both films sit with paranoia, feeling powerless, and loss of innocence. Both circle the same ground: men and women navigating expectations and family duty. Both move the same way too, haunting, tense, slow burn, and escalating.
The Witch
2015USA★ 73 pt match
What ties these together is paranoia, guilt, and loss of innocence. They share the same lens on family wounds passed down, men and women navigating expectations, and family duty. The feel is the same: bleak, haunting, slow burn, and escalating.
Sinister
2012USA★ 6.93 pt match
What ties these together is guilt, paranoia, and feeling powerless. They share the same lens on family duty and family wounds passed down. Both move the same way too, bleak, tense, slow burn, and escalating.
Smile
2022USA★ 6.73 pt match
What ties these together is grief, paranoia, and feeling powerless. They share the same lens on family wounds passed down. The feel is the same: bleak, haunting, slow burn, and escalating.