Babysitter must die

Covering a festival like the British Frighfest often means discovering more than twenty films of more or less questionable quality. In the case of Kohl Glass' second film after DragonFyre (2013), this is one of the small disappointments of the selection. There are so many horror films featuring a babysitter that home invasion films featuring a babysitter must be of sufficient quality to make their way into the audience's attention. Unfortunately, Kohl Glass' overly static staging and the uninspired performance of leading actors Kristen Marie Jensen, Nathan Stevens, Scarlett Hazen and Riley Scott leave us doubtful.

Yet Dallin Cerva's script could have been a landmark film in which we witnessed a violent confrontation between a babysitter and members of a cult. Josie Jane (Riley Scott), a normal babysitter, finds herself confronted by members of a cult who have stormed the house where she worked. The family home is invaded for a very special reason: the cult is looking for an apocalyptic secret hidden within its walls. The family home is invaded for a very particular reason: this sect is looking for an apocalyptic secret hidden within its walls. The result is a confrontation between this babysitter and this sect ready for anything. Violent but hardly original, this film would have deserved the presence of a better director and director of actors. This mixture of Home Alone and Die Hard could have led to a muscular and effective film, unfortunately the result is not very convincing.

The other major concern of Babysitter must die is also its lack of rhythm, unlike other home invasions that are much more successful and effective. A better editing could have corrected this problem if it had been done with more conviction and a will to want to revolutionize the home invasion genre and not to complain about the easy way out.

Babysitter must die
Directed by Kohl Glass
Produced by Dallin Cerva
Written by Julie Auerbach, Kohl Glass, Kevin Tavolaro
Starring Kristen Marie Jensen, Nathan Stevens, Scarlett Hazen, Riley Scott
Cinematography: Neil Fernandez
Edited by Kohl Glass
Running time: 90 minutes

Viewed on October 20, 2020 (screener press)

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