Saturday, October 28, 2017

The Babysitter (2017)

My favorite genre is horror-comedy. Movies like Tucker and Dale vs Evil are a staple in our home. We have found yet another film to add to our list of absolute faves with The Babysitter. Brian Duffield, writer of The Babysitter, caught the innocence of childhood, the manipulation of naughty teens, and the comedy of accidental murder in his screenplay.

The Premise

It's parental date night and Cole is stuck at home with his babysitter Bee. Not that he minds. Bee is smoking hot and they always have a blast. This time is different, though. Cole stays up to find out what happens after bedtime and finds out Bee and her friends are Satan worshipers and they need his blood to complete their ritual! Cole spends all night evading Bee and her friends, accidentally killing a few along the way.

My Take

I sympathize with Cole in more than one way. I always thought I had a babysitter for way too long. Then I was the babysitter for my little sister and all our neighbors. Now as a parent I feel for my kids. My mother-in-law lives with us - we have a built-in babysitter 24/7. Poor guys! So, I see a bit of Cole in myself and my kids. Except I was never as hot or half as fun as Bee.

Judah Lewis and Samara Weaving portray Cole and Bee, respectively. This is where the combination of writing, direction, and acting collide to make the chemistry of these two characters work perfectly. Cole is discovering girls and thus discovering Bee as an older woman. The awkward and tender moments between them are beautiful. It makes everything that happens later all the more tragic and emotional.

To be fair, Bee does try to protect Cole from all her evil doings. But, kids being kids, his curiosity ruins all her plans which leaves her Satan worshiping friends with no choice but to hunt him down. Bee's friends include Robbie Amell - the jock, Hana Mae Lee - the Goth, Bella Thorne - the cheerleader, Andrew Bachelor - the best friend, and Doug Haley - the nerd. Each friend, sadly, meets a tragic, and hilarious, end.

The Verdict

Now, I am biased because I love these kinds of movies. But given the combination of writing, McG's direction, and everyone’s acting, I personally recommend The Babysitter to anyone with a dark sense of humor and a twisted funny bone. I give The Babysitter 6/6 Satanists or was it 666??? I can never remember.

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