Let’s be honest, most horror enthusiasts would agree that the 2017 film ‘The Babysitter’ didn’t need a sequel. It got one anyway, with pretty much the same cast. The makers need to be applauded for their over-confidence.
The new 2020 horror comedy ‘The Babysitter: Killer Queen” picks up two years after where the last film ended. Cole (played by the Cole Sprouse lookalike Judah Lewis) is in high-school and everybody thinks he is a psycho, since he claims to have killed a bloodthirsty cult of five people. Even his parents think he is a nut-job.
Cole’s best-friend Melanie (Emily Alyn Lind) convinces him to go away with her friends for a weekend by the beach and shit hits the roof. All the crazy cult folks he had killed 2 years ago are back. They want Cole’s blood and are as idiotic as ever. Here’s the thing – I saw the prequel (The Babysitter) last month, after watching the trailer to Killer Queen, since it seemed fun. The prequel was mediocre, so I had my hopes very low for this one. And that helped me enjoy it a lot more than under regular circumstances. I mean people gotta enjoy a horror comedy once in a while and put logic aside.
In fact, this sequel is definitely better than the last film and has its high points. The background score is damn good, never sounds jarring and some hip retro numbers are blended brilliantly with what’s happening onscreen. Also, the director seems to have learnt a little from his past mistakes and didn’t have characters dropping excessive pop-culture references that only a niche set of viewers would understand. Not a lot of time is wasted in setting up the conflict points either. However, just like the predecessor, ‘Killer Queen’ too is a little to long and could’ve been chopped off by a good 15 minutes. Also, they throw in some unbelievable romantic bullshit.
As far as the sets are concerned, since a lot of scenes are outdoor this time, there are some pretty cool looking shots. There is also a lot of old school exaggerated slasher scenes that are bloody gory and hilarious. Just like any horror comedy films, they don’t make sense and that’s how it’s supposed to be.
The climax was a total dud. It’s when Cole’s old babysitter and cult leader Bee (Samara Weaving) finally shows up and a BIG TWIST is revealed. I feel like the scriptwriters did not re-read what they wrote, because their gigantic surprise didn’t make any freaking sense. It’s so brainless that I cannot even begin to write the myriad questions that were bubbling in my head when the film closes. “What the fuck?!” is the only question that matters amid all of them.
The makers have an 16+ rating for this film (21+ in some countries like Korea) but they give you an ending befitting a toddler. Only a 10-year-old would be happy with how this one ends. Anyway, if you just want to see some mindless horror comedy film, this one makes a pretty good pick. Non-horror enthusiasts will not be able to sit through it.
Also Read: Ghost Stories – A review