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How Aussie horror film The Babadook became a gay meme

Broede Carmody

Move over Madonna and Lady Gaga, an Australian horror film has become the new beacon for queer visibility.

Confused? You're not the only one.

Netflix users in the United States were left scratching their heads late last year after they found The Babadook placed in the streaming service's LGBT film section, alongside titles such as Other People and GBF.

But as always with the internet, the tiny mishap didn't go unnoticed. Jokes about The Babadook being a 'gay film' spread across social media like a wildfire.

With June being national pride month in the US, the memes have gone into overdrive.

So how could the monster at the centre of Jennifer Kent's directorial debut transform from a manifestation of the protagonist's grief into a gay icon? The ridiculousness of it is, undoubtedly, part of the joke.

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But if you dig deeper into the corners of the internet, you find people justifying the memes on the grounds that the Babadook intrudes into heteronormative spaces and loves drama (not to mention hats and androgynous capes). Yes, really.

The Babadook was released in 2014. While it had a limited release in Australian cinemas, it went on to earn critical acclaim and a healthy $9.9 million at the box office (off the back of a budget of just $2.6 million).

Kent has said the film's success is, in part, due to the fact she focused heavily on storyline and characterisation to set it apart from your typical Hollywood horror. Her sophomore film, The Nightingale, began shooting in Australia earlier this year and is tipped to be an even more intense experience for viewers.