Hi again reader, or welcome if you're new. It's been a while since I posted on here. In fact the last time was before the world turned scarier than any movie. However we probably need escapism now more than ever and sometimes good horror can do that. This isn't a political blog or social study but I have watched a few movies over the last months and want to share my thoughts here. I would have done it sooner but life got in the way; a global pandemic, the probable death of cinema, a sad bereavement and the launch of a new podcast (Hit or Miss YouTube channel, for Doctor Who talk and review). But I definitely wanted to, at least, continue my yearly tradition of reviewing my Halloween night viewing. And so, with a little free time, I decided to post reviews of the things I've seen on the run up to that annual treat (or trick) as a sort of countdown. The first movies I wanted to talk about are The Babysitter and it's sequel The Babysitter: Killer Queen.
These reviews will be as spoiler free as possible, mainly in an attempt for me to preserve some of the cooler surprises that I saw when viewing these movies. However, as always, your discretion is advised if you want to know absolutely nothing but still plan to watch someday.
The Babysitter (2017)
Okay, I know it might seem weird to review a movie that's three years old already but honestly I hadn't heard of it until I saw the trailer for this year's sequel. That trailer looked like goofy fun with a couple of younger actors I vaguely recognised. But when I headed to Netflix to check out the original I was drawn in by the leading star, playing the titular babysitter; one Samara Weaving. If you don't know who she is then where have you been? A young Australian actress (she's actually the niece of Hugo Weaving) whose star has risen exponentially over the last year or so. Small roles in various projects led to her break out role in 2019's Ready or Not, a horror film of which she is the best thing involved but which I otherwise found rather underwhelming. Then just this year she cemented her place in the Hollywood big time with a role in the long-awaited comedy sequel Bill & Ted Face the Music as one of the co-leads, playing the daughter of Alex Winter's title character Bill S. Preston. Like most of her other work (she also starred in the TV show Ash vs Evil Dead for a three episode arc) this movie blends together the genres she is arguably most known for; horror and comedy. Once again I can say that she's the best part of the movie, though I actually enjoyed it more than Ready or Not and the acting is much better all round in my opinion. In a film whose tone is completely ridiculous (and it knows it) she plays the part deadly serious (pun intended). It's a lot to do to carry a film as the literal title character but she does a fantastic job of selling the reality of this madcap nonsense and more importantly makes it believable that the male lead would be besotted with her, something which is also crucial to the overall plot.
Likewise the young newcomer Judah Lewis sells this relationship, his character and serves as the audience surrogate all whilst co-leading the film. Along with the two leads the former child actress Emily Alyn Lind does a fantastic job as the stereotypical good girl fawning over a guy who doesn't seem to notice her (the teen movie "best friend" who is secretly longing for more), transitioning effortlessly into a girl that it's clear the audience, and the male lead, clearly adore rather than just lusting after. The other actors are all good but at relatively one-note roles, serving as parodies of slasher and teen movie tropes. Bella Thorne does well as the mean-girl bitch who seems entirely shallow, though the film subverts this for one of it's better jokes. She also provides the requisite "eye candy" in a cheerleader costume that wants to be a parody whilst acknowledging that it's also drawing in young boys to watch the movie, a fortuitous case of having your cake and eating it too. Hana Mae Lee brings the deadpan brilliance and a more sinister vibe, Robbie Amell is the male "eye candy" who mocks the idea of young men with abs finding excuses to be shirtless by... being mostly shirtless (yum, cake!). Though he too brings the threat as things develop and tension increases. Andrew Bachelor is fine but entirely forgettable as an unfortunate "token black guy" though, and comedy legends Leslie Bibb and Ken Marino are wasted in what is essentially cameo roles.
Director McG, of Charlie's Angels and Terminator: Salvation "fame" walks a precarious tightrope with this film. To labour the metaphor he wobbles more than once as the tone shifts between serious, melodramatic, romantic, camp, schlock, self-aware parody and traditional slasher. If that doesn't sound like something you'd enjoy then this may not be the film for you. Obviously targeted at a younger, likely teen, audience, the movie does seem at times to have the kind of short attention span that you might expect from that demographic. And after a decent build-up it turns hyperactive relatively quickly and stays that way until the end credits roll. But, against all odds, it somehow just works. McG, a director who I come very close to hating, does a surprisingly good job, particularly in the scenes that show the bonding of young Cole and his babysitter Bee. The on-screen chemistry is there for sure but the director gets the most out of it in scenes that show them playing games, watching movies outdoors and generally making you feel like a young boy falling for his first crush. Indeed the whole end of the movie wouldn't work without this, nor would the sharply felt betrayal that opens the second act.
When the splatter-fest begins it's initially jarring, with a couple of instantly iconic shocks and images, before devolving (knowingly) into something akin to those Itchy & Scratchy cartoons in The Simpsons. But dang it, the film had me hooked into it and it was darn fun! Not exactly a cinematic masterpiece but campy fun that you can enjoy as a disposable treat. This is one of the better films you could click to Netflix and chill with, elevated by some great acting and surprisingly adept direction.
***1/2 (3.5/5)
The Babysitter: Killer Queen
After watching the original and having a pretty good time with it I actually saw this sequel on the night that it was released. Expecting to be disappointed it gave effectively the same kind of vibe as the first, with even more veering into tongue-in-cheek territory and embracing of the more outlandish parts of it's premise. This did lessen the horror a little for me although an early surprise that tried to emulate the original movie was far more shocking to me, and a little controversial as I saw it. Likewise the inventiveness of the slasher-style kills is turned up a notch, approaching Final Destination territory, with giallo style effects, whilst playing for laughs/groans as much as screams or disgust.
Without wanting to give too many spoilers I'll say that all the returning actors give a performance comparable to their previous one, if it had been let off the chain. A handful of them even get to find new depths and play totally different sides of their character, an impressive feat. The nature of several people's return means that they are tonally afforded free reign to go as crazy as they like. This leads to some really good comedic performances, though nobody will be scared of anything other than the overacting that occasionally creeps in. I will say that with no sign of Samara Weaving anywhere in the poster, marketing or trailer, and with her star firmly on the rise, I honestly expected her not to return for this movie. I was pleasantly surprised, without spoiling, at how that character was addressed, explored further and ultimately returned to focus. The movie goes back to where her character began, in more ways than one, and emphasises what made me dig the performance. Some may find it trite but I kind of loved it. Shout out too to Jenna Ortega who is given the unenviable task of being the only new actor to join this film, and then is expected to slide into a huge archetypal role that's been vacated. I was initially hostile to this but once again the film had won me over by the end.
Even more zany and OTT than it's predecessor, with a bigger shock or two and some inventive gore, though less tension. Everyone involved is having fun and McG surely knows by now that he's making films that'll be the best night of a 14 year old boy's life and for everyone else will be schlocky fun to pass a brisk, entertaining 100 minutes.
The Babysitter and The Babysitter: Killer Queen are both available to watch on Netflix right now.
***1/2 (3.5/5)
MM
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