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The Babysitter
USA 2017
produced by McG, Zack Schiller, Mary Viola, Steven Bello (executive), Alexander Boies (executive), Brian Duffield (executive), James McGough (executive), David Siegel (executive) for Boies Schiller Film Group, New Line, Wonderland Sound and Vision/Netflix
directed by McG
starring Judah Lewis, Samara Weaving, Robbie Amell, Hana Mae Lee, Bella Thorne, Emily Alyn Lind, Andrew Bachelor, Doug Haley, Leslie Bibb, Ken Marino, Samuel Gilbert, Zachary Alexander Rice, Doc Duhame, Jean Claude Leuyer, Miles J. Harvey, Chris Wylde, Carl McDowell, Jonathan Bray, Jimmy Warden
written by Brian Duffield, music by Douglas Pipes
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Cole (Judah Lewis) is 12, a bit of a nerd, and thus the target of many
a bully. He feels neglected by his parents (Leslie Bibb, Ken Marino) and
misunderstood by the world, pretty much like every 12-year old. The only
person - besides maybe his cute classmate and neighbour Melanie (Emily
Alyn Lind) - who he really has a connectionto is his babysitter Bee
(Samara Weaving), who every now and again saves him from bullies, teaches
him to fight, likes the same movies and the same music - and is pretty
much every 12-year old's dream, as she's hot. So when his parents
leave for the weekend and invite Bee over, he couldn't be happier, and the
two have tons of fun together. But later that night, when he's supposed to
be asleep, Cole hears Bee having a few people over - jocks Max (Robbie
Amell) and John (Andrew Bachelor), goth Sonya (Hana Mae Lee), cheerleader
Allison (Bella Thorne) and nerd Samuel (Doug Haley). Cole spies on them
and witnesses them play truth or dare - so really harmless fun ... until
Bee sticks two knives into Samuel's head, and the others, far from being
shocked, try to catch dying Samuel's blood in two goblets. Of course, Cole
is shocked, and he's quick to call the police, then makes an escape plan -
which is cut short because Bee and company need some of his blood. Before
they can get rid of Cole too though, the cops arrive - and are brutally
slaughtered by Bee and friends, but that gives Cole just enough time to
make good his escape. Of course, Bee's friends go after him, but he
manages to bump them off one by one - much more by mistake than design
though -, until it's only him and Bee left. Thing is, Bee's cleverer and
more capable of all her friends combined, and knowing Cole as well as she
does, she also knows his book of tricks. And she really wants his blood
for a Satanic ritual ... The Babysitter is really one of
these films that's much better than it ought to be: Basically the story is
stale, as is its coming-of-age undercurrent, and blatantly quoting Home
Alone of all films shouldn't help either ... and yet, The
Babysitter is great fun in its own right, for one because while it
plays it straight, it doesn't take itself seriously at all - and that
said, the film doesn't at all shy away from gruesomeness and gore. And
McG's very dynamic direction really serves the story rather than drawing
attention onto itself, making this one a pretty breathless ride. And of
course, a very solid cast doesn't hurt either to make this pretty cool
entertainment.
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