The Night Sitter

A babysitter, with intentions of robbing her clients home, has to fight three witches to save the life of the child left in her care.

This is not an awful film. While it's low budget, it is filmed well and I enjoyed the use of colorful lighting. The story was interesting, albeit lacking in depth.

The acting was not bad considering I've seen worse in other low-budget films. Got to give credit where credit is due in that regard. There was a lack of character building that kept me from fully investing in any of the characters. I also had an issue with the children not seeming age appropriate for their characters and the pace was a bit slow.

Overall, it's not a blockbuster but it was a good watch for a lazy night on the couch.

Ouch! Some of the reviews are brutal for this movie.

OK, so it's not going to be a classic of all time, but it is watchable.

The thing that lets it down is the lack of really suspenseful build up in some places that are quite pivotal to the story. - it tens to move predictably smoothly from one scene to the next.

Apart from that, the acting is OK and the visuals are fine.

It's as if 2016's Better Watch Out met 2017's The Babysitter and had an average child the following year as 2018's The Night Sitter.

Think Die Hard's the only "Is It a Christmas Movie?" debate out there? You haven't seen this. They practically shove Christmas down our throats with Christmas lights and lighting everywhere along with one throwaway "Merry Christmas" and a theory only Kirk Cameron would like to rebut, but that's it. If it were minor, like you see a Christmas Tree in the unfocused background or the opposite: it had everything to do with Christmas, I could see it relevant. Instead, it's just distracting.

Okay, so this movie's trying to be funny, and it is...occasionally. This movie is trying to be edgy and it isn't...ever. And it's trying to be just as cool as it's parents, the aforementioned Better Watch Out and The Babysitter, and...it's sorta. It's just way too complex for its own good. In fact, so many of the subplots either wither away, or they literally cut away from them to get to another subplot. Or the main plot? There's so many of those circling around. At least the neighbor's super cute and the best character in the movie.

Hard to break down the synopsis, but I guess the very basic story is: the title character takes on two boys for a babysitting gig and while there's more about her than we'd like to know, the kid's being terrorized by "three mothers" after his own mother's passing. These could be part of his imagination when he's trying to sleep, but the idea sure wreaks havoc on the Title's own plan.

I did my best to not spoil anything there and be warned: I only gave maybe a tenth of the plots involved here. It's almost like they had 10 writers all trying to one-up the other. And all stoned, of course.

Now, it doesn't seem like I'm giving this movie a positive review. I liked it. I really didn't have too much of a problem except, as stated, the jokes MOSTLY fell flat and when the plots deflated like an untied balloon does, I kind of cringed. It was a well-worth it horror and REALLY stepped it up in the final act. Especially with a lot of gore and good special effects. Definitely a recommendation.

***

Final thoughts: And now, for the next reboot of The Addams Family, I give you the next Pugsley! The kid who played Ronnie: spitting image and while his screen time here was short, it does look like he has a future. I hope he pursues it.

Nothing groundbreaking here, but somehow the cast and production make for a fun film. Somewhat standard plotting is abound with typical tropes for the genre. But, the connection between the "sitter" and her "charge" somehow give this film just a little bit more to enjoy. Again, nothing new or overly special, but it does hit the right notes for this type of film that I did enjoy watching it.

Not a classic, but it's an enjoyable fun film. I enjoyed the nods to Dario Argento with the 'Three Mothers' and the use of different coloured lighting. As a horror film it perhaps lack real scares, and as a comedy it's not really full-on belly-laugh funny, but it kept me interested and I enjoyed it.