The Babysitter – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

Horror comedies are usually downright terrible, but The Babysitter is not only an exception but makes a blueprint to follow.

Director: McG

Summary

12-year-old Cole (Judah Lewis), mostly due to adolescent fears, still has a babysitter. Well, fears and because he loves his babysitter Bee (Samara Weaving). A hot high school girl who is more than a babysitter but also a friend. I’m talking, they watch old westerns and reenact them, have geeky conversations, and seem almost like brother and sister. All of which may sadly be a ruse. For Bee is a devil worshipper and she plans on using Cole’s blood to grant a few wishes.

Bummer.

Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. So, where did Bee get that book and what exactly led her to devil worship?
2. Outside of Allison (Bella Thorne), what was everyone else there for? We know Max (Robbie Amell) just wanted to kill people, but what about everyone else?
3. Why did Cole keep running up things? Be it upstairs or into his treehouse? After hiding in the crawl space, a smart move, I was hoping he wouldn’t be as stupid as the average lead in a horror film.
4. How did Bee move the cop car, and the bodies of the dead cops, alongside clean up the house, so fast?
5. What in the world made Cole think the best way to take out Bee would be to drive a car through the front of his house?

Highlights

Bee and Cole’s Relationship

 

You know what you rarely seen in anything within the horror genre? Quality relationships, banter, and the vibe that, before the horror starts, the movie could go a completely different way. With Bee and Cole, you get that. For until it is night time and Bee is stabbing a nerd through their skull, you can almost imagine this being a cute coming of age story. One in which Bee is the babysitter who acts like a sort of hotter Mary Poppins. Someone who helps him catch up to his age so that he no longer fears opportunity, challenges, or something as simple as being alone in his own home. For she, through one method or another, teaches him confidence, maybe how to defend himself, and be cool with who he is and his surroundings.

Which is one of the reasons I loved the setup of this movie. We get that vibe that these two are more than babysitter and kid who leads to her getting money. It is understood that this is more than Cole having a crush on this hot high school girl and that he doesn’t just want a babysitter to ogle at her. There was something really special and even during the final scenes, after all Bee and her friends do, there remains their relationship. One which is now tainted but can’t easily be gotten rid of for it truly did mean so much to both.

The Deaths

Outside of the final person who got killed, The Babysitter was on some Home Alone 2.0 kind of stuff. Even if Cole didn’t set up traps and people got killed instead of hurt. For, let me tell you, each death is gruesome but you’ll be so glad the most annoying characters seemingly die first.

Melanie and Cole

Anyone who reads my reviews should know I’m a sucker for romance. Even if it is something very innocent and just is two friends realizing they have a crush that can be something. As is seen with Melanie (Emily Alyn Lind) and Cole. She is the girl across the street who kind of teases him, though not harshly, and is pretty much his best friend. They talk to each other about life and it made their little kiss, while Bee was walking around with a shotgun, a cute moment. Especially when he tried to lock her in the bathroom so she would remain safe.

It’s Comical

For those who may not know McG, the director, he is the guy behind the first two Charlie’s Angels movies. So, if you enjoyed the comedy in those, just imagine something R rated along the lines of what the two films had. Meaning, villains being kind of comical and dying in unexpected ways. Our hero having moments which leads you to laugh because they are so weird, awkward and deserving of you verbally saying “What The F—?” And just, in general, squinting your eyes and sometimes thinking to yourself:

Criticism

Sequel Potential

During the credits, we learn Bee isn’t dead. Which sucks for it takes away from the ending.

Cole Driving a Car Through The Front of His House To Kill Bee

Outside of running upstairs and into a treehouse, thus limiting his ability to escape, Cole seemed smarter than your average horror movie lead. Him going into the crawl space, under the house, seemed quite genius. After all, whoever thinks to look in there? However, him deciding to steal Melanie’s dad’s car to drive into his house, after launching from the roof of his treehouse, is the type of nonsense which makes you roll your eyes. If only because it is just too extra.

So, Cole Isn’t Traumatized By Killing People?

Granted, when people are trying to kill you, maybe this isn’t a thought in your head. However, considering Cole accidentally killed one and intentionally killed two people, it was kind of surprising how this didn’t effect him much. Even after all was said and done.

Overall: Positive (Worth Seeing)

I can seriously imagine watching The Babysitter again. It is that funny and interesting to me. Much less, for a horror comedy, a genre blend which has been plagued by terrible movies for as long as I can remember, The Babysitter deserves to be put on a pedestal as one of the good ones. I’m talking somewhere alongside Zombieland and Bride of Chucky.

For really, even when you include Bella Thorne, who I rarely have anything nice to say about, and King Bach (aka Andrew Bachelor) into the mix, this is still a good movie. Hell, you may even think that this is probably one of the best things those two have ever been in. Which hopefully helps you see why The Babysitter is definitely something you should check out only on Netflix.