The kid is too old for a babysitter. Were that not clear from his high school status, we could figure it out from the fact that Judah Lewis was at least 14 when The Babysitter was filmed. But the film knows he’s too old; it wants us to play along so there can be sexual tension between the naïf and the vixen.
Did they consider that title? The Naïf and the Vixen? It’s like The Squid and the Whale, only … evil.
This is a film that turns on a dime. It completely caught me off-guard which is noteworthy as I watch films in between watching films. I could have given The Babysitter thumbs up for that one moment alone. The fact that this turned out to be an entertaining horror overall (from Netflix, no less) made me as pleased as Jason Vorhees on Friday the 13th.
The problem is … it is wrong of me to give away the surprise, so all I can do is set the film up and let it do the rest. Cole (Lewis) is a dweeb. Actually, I’m just guessing; the nomenclature is not 100% clear on this point, but he’s definitely a member of the nerd, dork, geek, poindexter, Melv, propellerhead, and Urkel family. Hollywood is so weird. Symmetrical features, kind face, decent hair. You put that guy in an $800 suit and he’s BMOC. In a movie, however, Cole gets repeatedly hit in the head with projectiles.
And The Babysitter rescues him from bullies. Oh, we love Bee (Samara Weaving). What’s not to love? She’s intelligent, fierce, loyal, supportive,
and totally hot. And who else is going to mold Cole into a gentleman but the sexy woman who will kick his ass if he is anything but? In fact the relationship between the two is the highlight of Act I.
Cole is bullied at school both in and out of class. It could be his aversion to pain, his lack of assertiveness, or just his general anti-social demeanor. Bee is the opposite side of that coin, energetic and combatively attractive; she’s Cole’s reward for swallowing the bile that life has to offer. Oh, we should all have a Bee. But there’s something wrong here … first off, meek, geek, or anti-chic, Cole IS too old to continue to have a babysitter, and Bee is too old to want a relationship with a kid at the age of uncontrollable boners. So while we love the relationship, there lingers in your brain a “what’s wrong with this picture?”
I love being surprised by film. You get that way when you’ve seen thousands. The Babysitter definitely surprised me. It also struck me as a film that enjoyed both its heroes and its villains. Aside from a school bully and possibly Cole’s parents, I really enjoyed everyone in the cast; that’s a rarity for horror film. And even rarer for Netflix film. Kudos to you, McG; now I can’t wait to see the sequel.
The ‘rents look outside for support
For their boy who in years is not short
Although Cole doesn’t thrive
By the time he can drive
That’s not a sitter; that’s a low-paid escort
Rated TV-MA, 85 Minutes
Director: McG
Writer: Brian Duffield
Genre: Well that changed in a hurry
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: People who like being surprised
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Those with weak stomachs
