THE BABYSITTER
US, 2017, 85 minutes, Colour.
Judah Lewis, Samara Weaving, Robbie Amell, Hana Mae Lee, Bella Thorne, Emily Alyn Lind, Andrew Bachelor, Doug Haley, Leslie Bibb, Ken Marino.
Directed by Mc G.
The main reason for watching this comedy/thriller is that it is something of a cult film for those who enjoy slasher/comedies which do not take themselves too seriously. It has all the popular ingredients. In fact, it starts quite well and ordinarily, a 12-year-old, Cole, Judah Lewis, who is bullied at school, is loving parents, his being defended by his babysitter, Bee, Samara Weaving. She also shows him some aggressive moves – which he later uses when the going gets very tough. His parents go out for the night, he enjoys the evening with Bee, dancing, chatting, resisting the alcohol dare, going to bed. He is attracted by the girl across the street, Melanie (Emily Alyn Lind), friends at school, phoning…
When Bee has friends over, Cole goes out onto the staircase and the film changes tone. Bee seems to be in charge of a devil-worship ritual, playing the game of truth or dare, with her kissing everyone, then suddenly plunging knives in the head on unsuspecting participant, blood being caught in chalices for a ritual, her having a book of spells, but everything played for corny laughs, as people are spattered with blood and complain. It seems that the other members of the group all signed on for this ritual.
Cole is horrified, pretends to be asleep when Bee checks on him, phones the police, Bee catching him – and then a saga of horrors. When the police arrive, they are killed. One of the girls is wounded in her artificial breast, one of the men pursues Cole but falls over the banister to his death, Cole hides under the house and is pursued by another girl but he causes an explosion with fireworks. Which leaves only 2 to pursue him, Max who appears throughout the film without his shirt, pursues Coal to his tree house, climbing a rope, but gets tangled and hangs. Which leaves Bee.
Cole goes across the street, gets Melanie’s help, they hide as Bee searches the house. Cole has had driving lessons from his father and gets the key to Melanie’s father’s car, crashes it into the house, the car somersaulting and everything crashing on Bee.
His parents come home and he reassures them that he doesn’t need a babysitter anymore.
Samara Weaving is beguiling the glamorous as the babysitter. The other members given very broad performances, not having a religious or devilish thought in their heads and the audience puzzled as to why they made the contract to come. But, it was for the action!
Two years later, Mc G, music video director as well as of a number of feature films including Charlie’s Angels, gathered the cast together for The Babysitter, Killer Queen, even further over the top, but rather preposterously silly.
