BABYSITTER MUST DIE (2020) Reviews of home invasion horror

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‘Worst. Job. Ever.’

Babysitter Must Die is a 2020 American horror film about a young woman battling a home invasion by a trio of brutal cultists.

Directed by Kohl Glass (You May Now Kill the Bride; Dragonfyre) from a screenplay co-written with Julie Auerbach and Kevin Tavolaro, the Top Dead Center Films production stars Riley Scott (Witch Hunt), Nathan Stevens, Scarlett Hazen and Melinda Yeaman. Produced by Gary Auerbach and Julie Auerbach.

Plot:

Josie Jane (Riley Scott), the young babysitter for a wealthy family, just found the perfect hiding spot for a game of hide-and-seek with the child in her care. Seconds later, the family’s home is invaded by a pack of brutal cultists, hunting down an apocalyptic secret hidden within its walls. They terrorise the family. But they don’t know about Josie…

Trapped inside a dark, sprawling, secluded home and confronted with next-level evil, Josie has two choices: Stay hidden and hope to survive the night… or strike back from the shadows, defeat the cult, and save the family. Armed with a handful of useful skills she learned in childhood, Josie fights the cult–and her own fears–through a long night of terror and a world-shattering twist…

Reviews:

Babysitter Must Die is a lot of fun and as it’s so short, it breezes by very quickly. I really enjoyed watching Josie’s unexpected adventures and the character is one that could easily come back for a sequel, should the filmmakers choose to write more films for her. The film ticks of some well-loved tropes but it handles them differently enough to stand out.” Entertainment Focus

“The action and gore are well done, but it’s not nearly gnarly or brutal enough […] The story nips forward at a healthy pace, and the villains’ Maguffin does whip up some intrigue. This low-fi, low-key babysitter-sploitation movie may not be up there with the greats, but it gets the job done.” Horror DNA

“There were times when the dialogue didn’t necessarily work for me or moments when I knew where the story was going, but it didn’t once detract from the film. It was a fast-paced and fun ride, with some awesome kills and moments that were so tense they had me holding my breath. The humour was dark and the story was full of heart.” Killer Horror Critic

“It’s cartoonish, of course, but antagonists Scott and Yeaman bring a little depth to the roles of women who realise they’re much tougher and smarter than the folks on their side who consistently foul up or hold them back.” The Kim Newman Web Site

” …the home invaders, intent on cruelly harming others for their own gain, are unquestionably wicked people and utterly beyond the pale. Yet what makes Babysitter Must Die more interesting is the way that it questions the solid moral foundations of its other characters who, as in any game of hide and seek, so readily switch from prey to predator.” Projected Figures

Babysitter Must Die takes the horror-thriller side of the film, revolving around the home invasion, and mixes it with another aspect, one we don’t get enough time to see, limiting the effect of just how dangerous the intruders could be. There are strong moments of tension though that will see Josie needing to sneak around the home, creating the pure silence needed.” Ready Steady Cut!

“With its low budget and small cast Babysitter Must Die has to lean on suspense rather than action and body count through the second act. And it does a fairly good job of that as Josie constantly finds herself inches away from being caught. Thankfully, with the film running a fast seventy-six minutes, this isn’t dragged out to the point of disbelief or repetitiveness…” Voices from the Balcony

Release:

Babysitter Must Die had its world premiere at the virtual Arrow Video FrightFest on October 23rd 2020.

Cast and characters:

Nathan Stevens … The Intruder
Scarlett Hazen … Sophia
Kristen Marie Jensen … Jen
Riley Scott … Josie Jane
Kalli Therinae … Sadie
Melinda Yeaman … The Woman
Shawn Francis Saunders … Pizza Guy
Robert Scott Smith … Rick
Alexander Woods … Patch
Nic Fitzgerald … The Brute

Technical details:

75 minutes

Original title:

Josie Jane: Kill the Babysitter

Related:

More babysitters

Trailer:

MOVIES and MANIA says:

Well-filmed and tautly edited, Babysitter Must Die has some disturbing moments and there is genuine tension for about an hour. Unfortunately, the creepy elements are undermined by some late entry comedic cutaways and Home Alone style fightback scenes that just seem at odds with the darker elements that have gone before.

MOVIES and MANIA rating:

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