<description>&lt;h2&gt;🎙️ Episode Description: &lt;em&gt;The Babadook&lt;/em&gt; — Grief, Monsters &amp;amp; Parenting Nightmares&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;p&gt;The season finale dives into one of the most haunting indie horror films of the 2010s — &lt;em&gt;The Babadook&lt;/em&gt;. We unpack how Jennifer Kent’s small, scrappy production turned a simple monster story into a psychological gut-punch about grief, trauma, and the brutal realities of parenting.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We get real about why this movie hits so hard emotionally, why Essie Davis delivers a powerhouse performance, and how a film made for just $2M became a cultural lightning rod. Plus: jump scares, stress scares, and why sometimes the scariest thing isn’t the monster — it’s the mirror.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This episode has everything: film history, behind-the-scenes “randos,” rapid-fire War Zone categories, and a big season-ending announcement.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;🧠 Episode Highlights&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;The &lt;em&gt;Babadook&lt;/em&gt; as a metaphor for unresolved grief and single parenthood.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Why Essie Davis’ performance is one of the best in modern horror.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How Jennifer Kent turned a short film into a cult classic with a $2M budget.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The moment Guillermo del Toro “spilled his popcorn” — and why minimal monster = max terror.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How the film’s restrained production style makes it unforgettable.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;h2&gt;📝 Show Notes&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;🎬 &lt;strong&gt;Film:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;em&gt;The Babadook&lt;/em&gt; (2014)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;👩 Director: Jennifer Kent&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;🌍 Country: Australia&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;💰 Budget: $2M | Box Office: $10.8M&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;🕰 Runtime: 94 minutes&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;👑 Notable: Stephen King and William Friedkin called it one of the scariest films of the 21st century.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;🧟 Fun Fact: The Babadook pop-up book sold 6,200 copies and goes for $500+ on eBay today.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;h2&gt;🪦 Final Take&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;p&gt;This isn’t just a horror movie — it’s a brutal, beautiful portrait of grief, isolation, and the monsters we feed in the dark. If you’ve ever loved or lost, &lt;em&gt;The Babadook&lt;/em&gt; will crawl under your skin and stay there.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;🎧 Stick around to the end for our big &lt;strong&gt;season finale announcement&lt;/strong&gt; — and maybe a few bad Australian accent attempts.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br/&gt;</description>

Movie Wars

2-Vices Media

The Babadook with comedian Marianna Barksdale

OCT 21, 202557 MIN
Movie Wars

The Babadook with comedian Marianna Barksdale

OCT 21, 202557 MIN

Description

🎙️ Episode Description: The Babadook — Grief, Monsters & Parenting Nightmares

The season finale dives into one of the most haunting indie horror films of the 2010s — The Babadook. We unpack how Jennifer Kent’s small, scrappy production turned a simple monster story into a psychological gut-punch about grief, trauma, and the brutal realities of parenting.

We get real about why this movie hits so hard emotionally, why Essie Davis delivers a powerhouse performance, and how a film made for just $2M became a cultural lightning rod. Plus: jump scares, stress scares, and why sometimes the scariest thing isn’t the monster — it’s the mirror.


This episode has everything: film history, behind-the-scenes “randos,” rapid-fire War Zone categories, and a big season-ending announcement.


🧠 Episode Highlights

  • The Babadook as a metaphor for unresolved grief and single parenthood.
  • Why Essie Davis’ performance is one of the best in modern horror.
  • How Jennifer Kent turned a short film into a cult classic with a $2M budget.
  • The moment Guillermo del Toro “spilled his popcorn” — and why minimal monster = max terror.
  • How the film’s restrained production style makes it unforgettable.

đź“ť Show Notes

  • 🎬 Film: The Babadook (2014)
  • đź‘© Director: Jennifer Kent
  • 🌍 Country: Australia
  • đź’° Budget: $2M | Box Office: $10.8M
  • đź•° Runtime: 94 minutes
  • đź‘‘ Notable: Stephen King and William Friedkin called it one of the scariest films of the 21st century.
  • 🧟 Fun Fact: The Babadook pop-up book sold 6,200 copies and goes for $500+ on eBay today.

🪦 Final Take

This isn’t just a horror movie — it’s a brutal, beautiful portrait of grief, isolation, and the monsters we feed in the dark. If you’ve ever loved or lost, The Babadook will crawl under your skin and stay there.


  • 🎧 Stick around to the end for our big season finale announcement — and maybe a few bad Australian accent attempts.