The Babadook

1

(WHISTLING)

CHILD:
(MUFFLED) Mum!

(CREAKING)

(GROANING)

CHILD:
Mum!

(SCREECH OF METAL,

GLASS SHATTERING)

Mummy!

Mum!

(CLEARER) Mum!

I had the dream again.

(READS) "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,

Mum?

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."

(GRINDS TEETH, MURMURS)

(ALARM BEEPS)

(ALARM BEEPS)

(THUD!)

(THUD!)

MOTHER:
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!

BOY:
Nothing in my hands.

- Nothing in my hands.

- Stand still, please.

Look at me, Mum!

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?

Mmm.

Don't do that!

Ready?

Come on.

Quick. You're late already.

(BAG RATTLES)

What have you got in there?

See you later, alligator.

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.

Hmm. Get to work, woman.

(LAUGHS)

Do you want a cuppa?

Nah. I'm heading for

the dementia ward.

Aw.

It's a few years before

you end up there, isn't it?

(LAUGHS)

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 going to have a serious talk

with him.

Mrs Fanning,

we've had the talks.

We've had the sessions

with the counsellor.

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 talk...

Mrs Fanning,

the boy has significant

behavioural 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.

Mrs Fanning, you can't just

take the boy out of school.

You look after your business

and I'll go and find a school

that sees my son

as a human being

and not just as another problem

to be gotten rid of.

That is 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

Aunty Claire at the park today.

You can play

on that swing you like

for as long as you like, OK?

Mrs Bruen hates me.

No, she doesn't.

Just need a break, that's all.

Don't tell Aunty Claire

what happened.

I'll tell her later.

(BEEP! BEEP!)

- Mum, come and look at this!

- I can do it again.

Sam, don't bother the lady.

No, no, no. That's alright.

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 Mum

to the hospital to have me.

Samuel.

I'm sorry. He just...

No, that's alright.

I shouldn't have...

Well, your mum is very lucky

to have you, then, isn't she?

We have to go.

- Say, "See you later," Katie.

- Bye.

WOMAN:
The artist was so drunk,

he vomited.

Right in front of

his own installation.

Lost all these sales.

You're not listening.

I am. I am.

So you lost all these sales

and then what happened?

Ruby! Don't play there.

It's wet.

Mum! Mum!

I'm gonna smash its head!

- Be careful.

- Mum, Mum! 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.

- Mum! Mum!

She wants to have

a princess party.

Mum! Mum!

That's OK.

We don't have to come.

You can still come.

SAMUEL:
Mum!

She just doesn't want to share

the day with Sam anymore.

- I understand. I understand.

- Mum!

Mum, I can go really high!

Watch.

Maybe you want to celebrate

his birthday properly

this year, anyway.

- On the day.

- Yeah, we'll see.

(GROANS)

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.

We'll be fine.

We'll be absolutely fine.

Mum! Look at me!

(CRIES)

Mama!

- Who do we have here?

- Hello, Mrs Roach.

You look tired, little one.

Have 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.

Bugsy-

Come here, little girl. Hello.

You look tired too, love.

You OK?

Nothing five years of sleep

wouldn't fix.

(LAUGHS)

I'll put your rubbish out

for you, Grace.

No, no, no.

You've just got in, pet.

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

(SCRATCHING)

You can choose one tonight.

Where did you get this?

On the shelf.

(READS) "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."

(LAUGHS)

"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, hey?

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..."

Mum? Does it hurt the boy?

Mum?

Does it live under the bed? Mum?

Mummy?

Mummy?!

(CRIES)

"How sweetly they sung,

"telling of the happiness

and loveliness

"that lay at the bottom of

the ocean

and entreating the sirens

not to be afraid."

(SAM GROANS)

(LOUNGE MUSIC PLAYS)

WOMAN:
It's that time of

night again.

Time...

WOMAN:
if that's what

the doctor ordered, I...

Oh, yeah. Yeah.

That's what the doctor ordered.

(ROMANTIC MUSIC PLAYS)

- MAN:
Do you...

- (SWITCHES OFF TV)

(BUZZING)

(BUZZING)

(BUZZING)

(BREATH ES HEAVILY)

(MOANS)

Mum!

- 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.

It can't hurt you.

You've had a big day.

You're just exhausted.

I don't want anything bad

to happen to you, Mum.

Nothing bad's going to happen,

Sam.

I'm gonna protect you.

(CLOCK TICKS)

(DISTANT THUMPING)

(FOOTSTEPS, CREAKING)

(TRAIN RATTLES ON TRACKS)

SAMUEL:
Mum, it's 9:00.

He's not running a fever

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