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The Babadook script analysis

The Babadook script - Save the Cat beat sheet analysis

Widow Amelia struggles to protect her troubled son Samuel and herself from a sinister presence unleashed by a mysterious pop-up book. As everyday routines fracture under insomnia and fear, mother and child descend into paranoia, culminating in a brutal confrontation with their shared trauma. In the aftermath they forge an uneasy peace by acknowledging the entity rather than denying it.

80 Save the Cat fit score 12% analysis confidence / 120 parsed scenes

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1

Opening Image

Scene 1 / Page 1 / 1% target

15%

Opens on Amelia’s traumatic flashback and nighttime terror, setting the film’s mood of grief and fear.

I had the dream again.
2

Theme Stated

Scene 2 / Page 1 / 5% target

14%

Samuel’s insistence on checking for monsters under the bed hints at the film’s theme of confronting inner demons.

Can we check under the bed?
3

Set-Up

Scenes 3-11 / Pages 1-2 / 10% target

13%

Amelia’s daily routine—reading to Samuel, driving him to school, working at the nursing home—establishes their bond and her anxiety.

4

Catalyst

Scene 27 / Page 3 / 12% target

14%

Amelia discovers and reads the ominous Babadook book to Samuel, unleashing the supernatural threat.

Where’d you get this?
5

Debate

Scenes 28-32 / Pages 3-4 / 20% target

13%

Amelia wrestles with whether to keep or discard the book as nightmares and Samuel’s fears escalate.

The closet doors were closed and now they’re wide open!
6

Break into Two

Scene 32 / Page 4 / 25% target

12%

The boundary between normalcy and horror breaks when Samuel’s nightmare forces him into Amelia’s room, the closet ominously ajar.

Oh no no no. This is not going to happen!
7

B Story

Scene 21 / Page 2 / 30% target

11%

Amelia reconnects with Claire, her supportive sister, introducing the subplot of familial support outside her immediate struggle.

No no I am listening, you lost all these sales. What happened then?
8

Fun and Games

Scenes 43-45 / Pages 4-5 / 40% target

12%

Samuel’s eccentric magic shows and weapon-building in the basement provide darkly playful sequences illustrating his coping mechanisms.

Laayydees and gentlemehhhn! Mum and dad!
9

Midpoint

Scene 59 / Page 6 / 50% target

12%

Samuel’s seizure and Amelia’s denial (“There is no BABADOOK!”) mark the story’s tragic pivot, heightening stakes.

There is no BABADOOK!
10

Bad Guys Close In

Scenes 65-66 / Page 7 / 65% target

13%

The book mysteriously returns and reveals violent images of Amelia, intensifying the haunting and eroding her sanity.

11

All Is Lost

Scene 82 / Page 8 / 75% target

14%

Amelia’s hallucination-induced car crash represents her lowest point, feeling unable to protect herself or Samuel.

I just wanna drive for a while..
12

Dark Night of the Soul

Scenes 90-92 / Pages 8-9 / 80% target

13%

Amelia’s terror and guilt culminate as she hallucinates violence and locks herself away, doubting all hope of escape.

13

Break into Three

Scene 113 / Page 10 / 85% target

12%

Confronting the Babadook directly, Amelia demands answers and finds the strength to face her grief.

TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT!!
14

Finale

Scenes 114-118 / Pages 10-11 / 95% target

12%

Amelia secures the entity in the basement and rebuilds her relationship with Samuel, establishing new boundaries.

15

Final Image

Scene 120 / Page 11 / 99% target

12%

Mother and son share a calm birthday meal in the garden, showing they’ve integrated their trauma into daily life.

It’s much better mummy..