'The Babysitter: Killer Queen' A Review

The Babysitter: Killer Queen is a horror/comedy a sequel to 2017's The Babysitter. Two years after the events of the previous film Cole(Judah Lewis) is struggling to acclimate to high school and is still traumatized from his run-in with the satanic cult led by his babysitter Bee(Samara Weaving) although no one believes him and his parents fear for his mental health. His best friend, beautiful and popular Melanie(Emily Alyn Lind) invites him to a party/getaway at a nearby lake. Once isolated things take a familiar turn for Cole.

Lewis once gain channels a naive charm, walking a tightrope of what could be a transparent archtype and infusing it with some real emotion and humor. Lind gives a fun turn as a sultry psycho and the supporting cast all show up and provide comedy and menace in equal measure. Jenna Ortega as Phoebe, the new student who is thrown together with Cole, provides much needed edge and heart and pairs well with Lewis. Overall there's not a lot of strenuous acting going on here but it's a difficult genre blend to pull off especially with young actors so that they're able to do it, with relative ease, makes for an engaging if not particularly inspiring cast. But in this type of movie that's not really the point.

Vibrantly shot(in writer/director McG's signature saturated style) with a couple sequences of real creative flourish- a Mortal Combat inspired fight, a hallucinatory dance sequence- the film feels both fresh and retro, harkening back to the Scream franchise but having more fun. With a solid story, dynamic editing/sequencing, enough action and gore to satisfy but enough laughs to make it not oppressive this unpretentious piece of genre fair is surprisingly satisfying.

Currently streaming on Netflix along with the 2017 predecessor.

Rent It.