10 Most Iconic Horror Movie Villains Of The 21st Century

The Babadook is a terrifying humanoid entity that serves as an embodiment of protagonist Amelia's (Essie Davis) grief, anxiety, and depression following the sudden death of her husband as she struggles to raise her young son (Noah Wiseman) solo.

Though the last decade of horror has well and truly worn out the "monster = trauma" trope, The Babadook was certainly ahead of the curve, and with its scant $2 million budget, had to get scrappy with its presentation of the creature, relying on handmade practical effects and clever in-camera tricks to terrify the audience.

What's perhaps most surprising about The Babadook is how he's stuck around in the cultural conversation for so long, becoming an Internet meme and, even more unexpectedly, an icon for the LGBTQ+ community after Netflix accidentally mislabelled the film as a work of queer cinema.

That The Babadook is still talked about 10 years later is even more impressive considering that it's a one-and-done movie with no sequels, spin-offs, or much of a wider media empire.