The Babysitter (2017)
Horror comedy is such a good genre. It often takes things that we take for granted in the genre and twists them in a way that we can laugh at their admitted ridiculousness. This is especially the case in the post-Scream world, where self-referential, self-aware commentary is much more acceptable. While the humor it uses may not be for everyone, The Babysitter is a horror comedy about growing up and realizing that maturity ain’t what it’s cracked up to be sometimes.
Directed by famous music video creator McG and starring Samara Weaving as the titular babysitter Bee, The Babysitter follows Cole (played by Judah Lewis), a 15-year-old “loser” type whose parents are still so overbearing that he has a babysitter at 15. Bee is one of only two friends that Cole has, though, so his nights spent with her are filled with fun, rule-breaking, and copious amounts of stylish editing and writing. One night, though, Cole is egged on by his other friend Melanie to stay up after bedtime and see what Bee gets up to when he’s not awake. When he does, he accidentally stumbles upon a blood cult ceremony, one that requires his innocent blood to pay off the Devil and win the participants their greatest desires.
What follows is a goofy, gory, and witty fight for survival, as Cole tries his damnedest to make it through the night. Meanwhile, he’s hunted by a cast of weirdos, many of which are played by social media stars who quip their way through the entire movie. This sets a tone, one that I’ll admit isn’t my favorite tone, but a fun one nonetheless.
What this movie does best, believe it or not, is the emotional weight of what Cole’s going through. He’s developmentally stunted because of his worrying mother and completely lax father. He’s socially awkward to the point where any kind of interaction with others can be a nightmare scenario for him, but when he’s with Bee, he’s able to be himself and relax. That means that the betrayal at the center of the film is actually pretty heartbreaking for him, and the meaning of that isn’t lost in all of the banter and bizarre events.
For what it’s worth, Bee doesn’t start the night trying to kill Cole. In fact, there’s not really a point where she is trying to kill him. She only needs his blood, and early on, that meant trying to drug him so that he sleeps his full eight hours without a care in the world. She was perfectly willing to simply tap a vein, draw some crimson, and go about her life as if nothing had happened. With Cole knowing the truth, though, she knows that’s not going to happen, but even then, she just wants to get his blood, finish the ritual, and skip town.
While the cast of characters surrounding Bee are larger-than-life sociopaths that just want their wishes fulfilled, they’re only there for laughs and fodder. The kills in this movie are all really good, honestly. As a horror fan, you have to admit to yourself that part of the reason you’re here is because of the creativity put into designing the most gruesome of deaths, and this movie doesn’t disappoint. What’s funny is that the cast of victims and the cast of killers is flipped in this movie, with a single kid surviving a whole host of villains. That means that a large chunk of the deaths in this movie are Home Alone deaths, and I love it oh so much.
Meanwhile, Bee and Cole’s story is emotionally engaging. The movie is basically a coming-of-age comedy with a blood cult horror movie backdrop, but that coming-of-age part isn’t sacrificed for the sake of laughs and kills. Cole is legitimately in love with Bee, as one would be when their hot, older babysitter is played by Samara Weaving. He’s too young to understand what that really means yet, but that doesn’t make those feelings any less powerful, and the movie lets you feel it.
“Why is he shirtless??”
Even with some cute puppy love between Melanie and Cole, the real heart of the film is Cole and Bee’s relationship. They spent the first act of the movie showing just how good of friends they are. Bee doesn’t look down on Cole, and she’s into the same nerdy kinds of things that he is. She respects him, and even her want for his blood is simply a byproduct of her genuine attachment to him. Samara does an excellent job at making it clear that Bee didn’t want any of this to happen, and that she simply wanted things to remain the same between the two.
When it’s all said and done, Cole and Bee both change for the better, and both admit that the other is the one that did it. Cole grows up quite a bit, especially after some pep talks from honestly the funniest character in the film, Max, who not only is trying to kill Cole, but also is pumping him up the whole time, because he’s just THAT aggro about everything. Bee learns something about herself and about the nature of personal connections, and she genuinely connects with Cole, even after it’s all said and done.
The comedy in The Babysitter isn’t for everyone. Hell, I don’t even really think it was for me, though I did find a fair amount of it pretty funny. What The Babysitter does that IS appealing to all is tell a shockingly-heartfelt story of a boy who loves a girl, and how that love can be broken by betrayal.
It also has some kickass music and killer gore along the way.
