The Babysitter: Killer Queen (Horror Movie Review)

Last Updated on April 4, 2023

PLOT: Set two years after the Satanic-cult massacre, Cole tries to survive as a junior in high school while being labeled crazy by his schoolmates and even his parents. As the killer-cult magically returns, Cole must defeat them once and for all, and send them permanently back to hell where they belong.

LOWDOWN: THE BABYSITTER came out of the gate with good word-of-mouth and still surprised the hell out of me by being one of the best times I’ve had in years. It was a gory, over-the-top horror comedy that was witty and stylish with just the right amount of meta to keep it fresh. The relationship/chemistry between Cole (Judah Lewis) and Bee, the babysitter (Samara Weaving), was not only sweet and believable but the heart of the whole movie. There isn’t a guy out there that didn’t have a crush on one of his babysitters, and I’ll always give credit to director Mc G and writer Brian Duffield for using this type of “unattainable crush” angle in a horror-comedy.

As a man who grew up on sequels, my tastes have changed over the years, and I’d be lying if I denied that a strong sense of cynicism has seeped in. I get more excited by the possibility of a one-and-done type of story than anything that breeds a franchise or a f*cking universe. When I heard about a sequel to THE BABYSITTER, I was cautious about getting excited, as I consider the first to be a perfect one-off. I didn’t love the trailer for THE BABYSITTER: KILLER QUEEN (WATCH IT HERE), but with almost everybody returning, It seemed to have the best chance at recapturing the magic of the first. Does THE BABYSITTER: KILLER QUEEN outdo the original and justify its own existence? Eh, not really. Expect some minor spoilers below.

I’m fully aware that I’m probably alone on this, but just because a movie is a good time doesn’t mean it needs to exist. This is my biggest takeaway from Killer Queen; in the end, It adds nothing of real value to THE BABYSITTER, and though fun and gory (like the first), I can’t see why this even got made outside of the original being a financial success. There doesn’t seem to be any character growth or action that would necessitate a second chapter, and though that hasn’t stopped other great sequels from being made (look at Freddy or Jason), I don’t get why we’re following an older Cole. That being said, let’s get into what works first, as this employs some of the same techniques that made the original so enjoyable.

Judah Lewis returns as Cole and still has that sweet and innocent charm. Judah does a great job of growing the character without changing him at his core. Emily Alyn Lind’s Melanie is back with a more prominent role opposite Cole, and though I can’t say much, I liked her “promotion” here and enjoyed the character’s growth. The cult is back and is just as lively and goofy as before, with shirtless Max (Robbie Amell ) and quip heavy John (Andrew Bachelor) stealing the show this time around. Everyone from Allison to Sonya has a few good moments with no one phoning it in. This doesn’t feel like a cheap cash-in, and that deserves some credit as the cast brings back the same fun energy from the first. The gore excels in this one as well. Crafty Apes VFX studio does a great job of upping the violence in the most over-the-top ways. I chuckled a few times at some of the intricate kills, and I love nothing more than an old fashioned blood cannon to the face, and Killer Queen does not disappoint.

My biggest issue is that everything here is just… fine. The witty banter is back; the gore is hyper-violent, and Cole must survive the night once again. Nothing is inherently wrong, but I’ve seen it done better before when it was called THE BABYSITTER! This is essentially the same movie with a few plot points changed to show a progression from the first movie. Do we have wacky characters that make meta remarks on their current predicament? Yes. Do we kill said characters off in violent and comedic ways? Yes. Does an awkward kid need to find his inner strength and rise to the occasion? Also yes. Nothing here is wrong, per se, but just lesser than what has come before. I predicted the real villain, and the plot beats within the first ten minutes. I’m not saying that THE BABYSITTER: KILLER QUEEN needs to re-invent the wheel, but when your first movie is a creative take with an exciting story, you best bring a sequel that justifies its own existence because this did not. All I ended up with were some strong HANGOVER PART II vibes.

GORE: The gore is fantastic, and the gallons upon gallons of blood used will make even the grumpiest of folks crack a smile. Like the original, this sequel knows its audience and goes all-in with the red stuff.

BOTTOM LINE: Everyone is excellent in this, with Jenna Ortega’s cute and tough Phoebe being a great addition to the cast. Ken Marino’s Archie is by far Killer Queen’s most outstanding character, and his beefed-up role is much appreciated in the laugh department. The directing and hyper-stylized tone holds up as well as it did in the first movie. Add in some great gore, and on paper, this looks like a home run. But the one thing THE BABYSITTER: KILLER QUEEN needed the most is the one thing it’s missing; purpose. It adds almost nothing to the original and is essentially a soft reboot. I hear a lot of people say that this “Is the type of film we need right now,” but why? Are times kinda sh**y? No doubt, but If we’re going down the only fun movies for dark times route, give me something original! Why not try and produce new and exciting content as they did in 2017 with THE BABYSITTER? Who knows, but I’m sure this will work for a lot of folks, and if so, then godspeed, my friends. But I’m going to drink my Whiskey and hope for something that wasn’t done better two years prior. I’ll hold out hope that we will eventually get another unique and original tale that’s gory, witty, and exciting. Like Andy Dufresne giving Red the courage to commit a crime for the second time in his life (as he heads towards the Pacific), I hope.

aith

BELOW AVERAGE

5