The Babysitter
by McG
My first experience regarding the work of McG was in regard to him producing The O.C.. I love that show. It was one of the few teen dramas that I genuinely thought was a quality piece of work growing up. Years later, I saw his terminator movie and while I liked it more than most, I soon forgot about it. Now I can say I've experienced a new project from the man. I'm referring to The Babysitter. Am I glad I stuck with McG and checked this film out? 100% yes. Absolutely, no second thought required, yes. Here's why.
The Babysitter follows Cole (Judah Lewis), an adolescent with more than a few issues going on in his life. Cole is often picked on and is concerned about being seen as weak. The two friends he has in his life are a girl around his age named Melanie (Emily Alyn Lind) who lives nearby and his longtime babysitter Bee (Samara Weaving). Bee is the perfect companion. She's beautiful, fun, protective, and treats Cole more like a peer than a little kid she looks after for money. Their connection is clear and instantly it's made evident they've been a regular fixture in each other's lives. It's obvious that Cole is beginning to notice her in new ways, which is understandable given her looks and personality. Melanie tells him that it's pretty much babysitting 101 knowledge that babysitters bring guys over to screw around with when their charge is asleep. Intrigued, Cole decides to stay awake when Bee thinks he's tucked in and see for himself. He gets the opportunity when his parents (played by Leslie Bibb and Ken Marino) go away for a bit and he gets to spend some time with his beloved sitter.
So the night comes and Cole anxiously awaits to see what happens when Bee thinks he's asleep. Sure enough, people stop by, but it's not for any reason Cole could have ever imagined. To spoil what happens next or reveal any further plot elements would be unforgivable, so I won't. What I will say is that what follows is a phenomenal blast of comedy, gore, action, and heart. It jumps in headfirst and right away lays down its style, tone, and characters. Instantly, I felt connected to the story and players and it all came across as authentic and skillfully accomplished.
While I won't reveal anything about the later acts I will say that there is plenty of creative bloodshed. The gore is handled wonderfully and the violence moves at a brisk pace along with the film, making it that much more exciting and enticing. Even with various reveals, the characters all stay true to their core concept and it's impressive how smoothly the film goes from sweet to deadly and all around the spectrum while keeping its mood consistent.
The acting is phenomenal. Judah Lewis won my respect instantly as he plays his role with care and honesty. I also must add that I absolutely adored Samara Weaving's performance. She made me love her just as Cole does and so the journey that follows, the emotions that Cole has to face, ring true at every beat. I felt it, I cared about what was going on. Weaving brilliantly pulls off the kinder and more dark moments of her character with equal success. Even the smaller roles are spot on with Lind being the perfect choice for Cole's neighbor friend and Bibb and Marino nailing the role of Cole's parents. The same goes for everyone involved, they all commit fully and completely understand what they're in for.
The music is perfectly utilized and everything is shot beautifully, showing a seasoned hand at the helm. I also appreciated how the film was so wacky and over the top often, but remained simple overall at the same time. It's a contained story that plays out neatly, however, so much attention is put into making every moment as fun and interesting as possible. Rather than wear out its tires grabbing for ideas, the film knows what it's about and everything it does serves the plot. Director McG and writer Brian Duffield went in with a tight handle on what they were doing and it shows in every shot.
I've spoken on several occasions about my love for the coming of age drama horror film. I won't call The Babysitter an example of this straight out because it's more horror/comedy than drama, but even saying that, it still manages to have emotional touches that reached me the same way as the previously mentioned genre. Because of this mixture, I will call The Babysitter its own thing completely. It combined genres that I didn't know could even be combined and it's all so impressive. There is so much I want to praise about this film, but I'd advise every reader to just do yourself a favor and check it out. Like, right now, if possible.
PJ Griffin, HMS