The sound is associated with The Babadook, the Australian horror film released in 2014. Online, clips tied to the title spread through horror meme pages, Halloween edits and short-form videos where creators use its eerie voice to signal dread or parody over-the-top scares. Its staying power comes from how quickly it communicates a specific horror mood: one short cue can turn a normal scene into something unsettling. Even outside horror fandom, the name is widely recognized as a shorthand for creepy, cursed energy.