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Netflix’s The Babysitter found an impressive online audience with its mix of teen comedy and bloody horror.
Combine that with Samara Weaving’s Bee doing a Michael Myers at the end and a sequel seemed inevitable.
'You. Me. Party.'
Although online rumour quickly suggested that Samara Weaving would not be returning for The Babysitter: Killer Queen,
leaving the film with a problem because the best thing about The Babysitter
– a film I enjoyed even if I didn’t think it anything special –
was the relationship between Bee and Judah Lewis’s Cole.
‘I miss her’
Good stuff first, right at the top I loved this image,
I liked what I interpret as a reference to The Omen.
I did not like some of the stereotypes,
‘That’s some post-Jordan Peele-era horror movie progress’
but the lead characters remain strong, if broadly drawn.
‘Believe it or not this is not the worst night of my life’
The winning formula of liberal amounts of blood
and medium octane action remains.
If you liked the first film, there’s no real reason you wouldn’t like this...
But that’s because, it’s the same film.
We say that a lot about sequels and there’s usually a degree of hyperbole but,
this is the same film and it’s not shy about it.
‘We’re back!’
So okay so you can make a joke about that,
but there’s a difference between callbacks to the first film
and wholesale recycling of the plot.
‘Update me on the psycho breakfast club?’
By the end of the first film, Cole had overcome his insecurities
but now he’s regressed so he can have the same character arc over again.
‘You don’t have to babysit me’
Without wanting to spoil anything it has similar reveals,
it repeats scenes and key moments.
‘Thank you for believing in me’
The Bee replacement changes costume mid-hunt to more closely echo Weaving’s character.
It also jettisons stuff that worked from the first film,
the central emotional hook can’t match that unlikely friendship between Cole and Bee
and the slick 80 minute runtime which allowed the original to rattle along like a fairground ride
has been padded by half an hour,
much of which is to be humour-free scenes of parents getting stoned.
'My God, going on tour?'
Towards the end, the film does hint at a different direction it could have taken which potentially would have been more interesting,
but by then...
‘I’m so sick of this shit’
Okay, obviously this has got under my skin so, conclusions;
if you didn’t like the first film you won’t like this and why would you even watch? You’ve only yourself to blame.
‘I told everybody what happened.’
If you did like it, I’m sure some will share my disappointment,
but will probably still enjoy it.
‘Could this night get any more erotic’
And, yes, some people will love it
and I’m sure I’ll hear about it in the comments and the truth is,
it’s not that this is a bad film but I’m honestly too angry to judge it as a standalone film on its own merits.
They had an opportunity, they clearly had a larger budget,
and this just feels lazy –
a sequel for its own sake.
How I felt watching this can be summed up by yet another repeated moment.
Thanks for watching. This was a much-anticipated sequel so I’m sure many of you have watched by now,
share your feelings in the comments below.