The Babadook ending explained: Is the monster alive at the end of the film?

The Babadook, a supernatural psychological thriller released in 2014, has gained a cult following over the years. The movie is written and directed by Jennifer Kent and is based on the 2005 short film Monster, also written and directed by Kent.

The movie's official synopsis reads:

"A troubled widow (Essie Davis) discovers that her son is telling the truth about a monster that entered their home through the pages of a children's book."

At the end of the film, the mother-son duo realize that they cannot kill the monster, and that it is alive. They successfully manage to relegate it to the basement and carry on with their lives uninterrupted by the monster's presence.

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What happens to the monster at the end of The Babadook?

Amelia Vanek as seen in the movie (Image via X/ TheBabadook)

At the end of the horror film, Amelia (portrayed by Essie Davis) and Sam (portrayed by Noah Wiseman) are seen collecting earthworms in their garden to feed the monster locked in their basement. Amelia goes to feed the monster and, for a moment, appears overpowered by it. Soon enough, she soothes the monster and it retreats into submission, taking the bowl of earthworms with it.

Amelia returns to her son's birthday party happier than she has been in the entire film. This shows that although the monster is alive, it no longer holds any power over Amelia and Sam. The two have learned to banish the monster to a corner and go on with their lives happily.

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Is the Babadook monster a metaphor?

A still from the 2014 psychological thriller (Image via X/ TheBabadook)

On the surface, The Babadook may seem like a straightforward story about a scary monster, but upon closer inspection, it is revealed that the film contains several metaphors that add a rich complexity to the story.

The top hat-wearing monster appears to be a personification of Amelia's past traumas, including her unprocessed grief at Oskar's (her husband) death and subsequent depression. It also represents her suppressed violent tendencies towards Sam, brought on by her post-partum depression, since her husband died while driving her to the hospital to give birth to Sam. It manifests as the monster wanting Amelia to kill Sam and herself.

Later in the film, Sam informs her the Babadook cannot be killed, meaning that her trauma and grief may never leave her completely. Amelia realizes that she can learn to vanquish her inner demons enough to live a happy life with Sam. The final moments in the movie point to it, as Amelia tells her sister that tending to the monster on some days is easier, alluding to the fact that healing is a constant work in progress.

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Plot summary

The film focuses on the widowed mother Amelia Vanek's struggle to raise her son Samuel, following the death of her husband, Oskar Vanek. After reading her son a pop-up book called Mister Babadook one night, the mother-son duo is shocked to find the monster has come to life. Named Babadook, it wreaks havoc in their lives and the two must figure out a way to vanquish it before it's too late.

The movie's cast features Essie Davis as Amelia Vanek, Noah Wiseman as Samuel Vanek, Ben Winspear as Oskar Vanek, and Tim Purcell as the Babadook. Other notable cast members include Hayley McElhinney as Claire, Daniel Henshall as Robbie, Barbara West as Gracie Roach, Cathy Adamek as Prue Flannery, and Hachi as Bugsy, amongst others.