Back in 2017, a little Netflix movie called The Babysitter came out that I really dug for it's crazy sense of humor and the way it loved to subvert expectations as it's plot unfolded. Three years later, we got the follow-up, The Babysitter: Killer Queen. If anything, it's even more bonkers, goofy and over the top than the original film. It is also a film that proved to be even more divisive than the original film.
We catch up again with Cole (played by Judah Lewis) two years after the events of the first film. He regularly sees the school counselor, Dr. Big Carl McManus (played by Carl McDowell) and no one believes his claims about his babysitter Bee (played by Samara Weaving) and her cult of Satanic worshippers. Meanwhile, his parents (played by Leslie Bibb and Ken Marino) fear he has had a psychotic break. The fact that he is plagued by nightmares of that's night's events aren't helping. He really freaks out when he finds a brochure for a psychiatric hospital and realizes his parents intend to take him there after school. His friend Melanie (played by Emily Alyn Lind) offers an alternative option, accompany her on her lakeside weekend getaway. He eventually agrees only to discover also joining them on this adventure are Melanie's friends Jimmy (played by Maximillian Acevedo), Diego (played by Juliocesar Chavez) and Boom-Boom (played by Jennifer Foster). Upon their arrival at the lake, Cole is also suprised to see the new girl in school, Phoebe (played by Jenna Ortega), show up as well after apparently hitchhiking. That night, while staying on a nearby docked houseboat, Cole discovers to his horror that not only has Melanie restarted the same cult Bee headed up, but he is once again intended as the sacrifice. To make matters even worse, he also discovers that the previous members of the cult, Max (played by Robbie Amell), Sonya (played by Hana Mae Lee), John (played by Andrew Bachelor) and Allison (played by Bella Thorne), have returned from the dead looking for revenge as well as to make their resurrection permanent. When Phoebe turns up looking to borrow some gas for her Jet-ski, Cole uses the distraction to escape from the cult's clutches and flees with Phoebe on her Jet-ski. He explains everything that has been going on and to his astonishment, she believes him. Still, they have a bigger problem as all the cultists are in hot pursuit so they have to beat feet if they want to stay alive.
The film was directed by McG from a script he co-wrote with Dan Lagana, Brad Morris and Jimmy Warden. This outing is even more over the top than the first film. The filmmakers fling so many jokes at the screen over it's 100 minute runtime, along with quick witted snarkiness and so many movie references I actually lost count, this movie almost plays like a satire of the first one. Now, that is not necessarily a bad thing as Gremlins 2 had a similar approach and I may love that one more than the first. But like that film, this one isn't even really trying to be scary. Rather, it excels at going even more over the top than the first movie. The death scenes are completely ridiculous, whether it be by flamethrower, boat motor or even more outrageous means, with assorted characters being sprayed in the face with absurd amounts of gore at one point or another. Still, some of the humor can come across as a bit smug obnoxious at times as well as all the majority of the characters being overly snarky can rub some viewers the wrong way. These aspects are only amplified in this film, so it is easy to see why some viewers were turned off. Still, as a film geek who definitely got the multitude of film references McG was shoehorning in alongside all the mayhem, I did find myself enjoying the movie. The film does have some curious choices within it though, primarily the shooting locations for much of the movie. Based on the license plates on all the cars, the film takes place in Illinois, but the film looks like it takes place in Arizona, based on the southwestern scenery. It certainly does add a unique backdrop to the film, even if it's completely incongruous. Adding to the fun is a really eclectic soundtrack that includes needle drops from the Sugar Hill Gang and some of Tangerine Dream's score for Risky Business.
Much of the cast of the original film returned for the sequel. Judah Lewis slips back into the role of Cole rather well, once again capturing his characters insecurities and anxieties which have only been exacerbated with everything that has followed the events of the first film. He does repeat a fair amount of the story arc from the first film and beyond as he goes from scared kid to more brave as he not only fights back against his attackers but also finds a first romance of sorts with Phoebe. Emily Alyn Lind returns as Melanie and handles her character's 180 turn from ally to Cole to main villain pretty well. She certainly does make for a reasonably effective villain this time around. Robbie Amell continues to steal the show as Max whose character has the interesting dynamic where on one hand he still wants to kill Cole yet can't help but cheer him on when he bests not only the others but him as well. It's such an amusing contradiction for a character and I love it. Hana Mae Lee is clearly also having a blast playing the demented and crazy Sonya and is a lot of fun to watch, even wielding a flamethrower at one point. Jenna Ortega is a great addition to the cast as Phoebe who gets thrown into Cole's new adventure and proves to be a good partner for him and just as capable in a crisis. Samara Weaving does may a welcome return for the sequel, showing up in a series of flashbacks showing how the original cult members got involved before turning up in the climax to round out her character of Bee. It was a thrill to see her come back since she was such a memorable part of the original film.
Overall, if you enjoyed the original film, The Babysitter: Killer Queen serves up more of the same, dialed up to eleven. It is an even more comedic film than the first one and so far over the top it's impossible to take seriously. It's probably one where the viewers mileage is going to vary if the other reviews are indication. It's definitely going to be a love it or hate it for sure. I, for one, loved it for all it's absurd mayhem and quick witted dialogue.
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