the sitter movie review

Advertisement

Supported by

Movie Review | 'The Sitter'

Don’t Bother Checking In With This Baby Sitter

• Share full article

By Manohla Dargis

• Dec. 8, 2011

Noah, the nobody’s fool played by Jonah Hill in the breezily indifferent comedy “The Sitter,” is a character in search of a movie, a setup in search of a punch line. Less directed than doodled by David Gordon Green, this on-and-off funny rehash of “Adventures in Babysitting” centers on a college dropout who, at his mother’s urging, reluctantly agrees to mind three children for pay. Somewhat of a big baby himself, Noah sets off with a pout, apparently unaware that most American excursions in comedy these days come with mandatory opportunities for growth.

One thing leads to another leads to Noah and his three charges running through the New York night in a misadventure that begins with some broken crockery and, like the sticky ball in the Katamari Damacy video game, gathers progressively larger pieces, including a drug dealer, Karl “with a K” (Sam Rockwell), whose minions include a lisping roller skater, bikinied male bodybuilders and JB Smoove from “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Despite Mr. Hill, his three young co-stars and flashes of Looney Tunes-style anarchy — bursts that bring with them the hope that the movie will spin off its axis, shattering into pure mayhem — much of this is as unfunny as it sounds.

Some of it, though, is absurdly comic, like the shot of a guy on a Segway that exists for no reason other than that someone here thought the movie could use a small laugh right then. It did. It could use more. The episodic script, credited to Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka, doesn’t take any actual risks even when it seems as if the filmmakers are trying to, as in a scene that puts the children in the same car as an exploding package of cocaine, a joke that in an earlier age would have involved a bag of flour. The coke gives an otherwise empty interlude a mild kick, but since the children don’t even sniff the air there’s nothing at stake, including the audience’s sensibilities.

The children, Slater, Blithe and Rodrigò — played by a winning Max Records, Landry Bender and Kevin Hernandez — suffer neuroses that would make Daffy Duck sputter, but they’re eventually in for some Disney-style homilies. None of the story’s squishiness come as a real surprise, though the thinness of the material and Mr. Green’s apparent willingness to settle for so little do. In the last few years he has pursued a path as a mainstream comedy director with a slightly bent take and a fine cinematographer in Tim Orr, a trajectory that has yielded diminishing returns, first with “ Pineapple Express ” and then with “ Your Highness ” and now this. The idea, as Steven Soderbergh has shown, is that you’re supposed to make one movie for you and one for them — not everything for them.

“The Sitter” is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). Violence, drugs and raunch.

Opens on Friday nationwide.

Directed by David Gordon Green; written by Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka; director of photography, Tim Orr; edited by Craig Alpert; music by David Wingo and Jeff McIlwain; production design by Richard A. Wright; produced by Michael De Luca; released by 20th Century Fox. Running time: 1 hour 21 minutes.

WITH: Jonah Hill (Noah), Max Records (Slater), Landry Bender (Blithe), Kevin Hernandez (Rodrigò), Ari Graynor (Marisa), J B Smoove (Julio) and Sam Rockwell (Karl).

Explore More in TV and Movies

Not sure what to watch next we can help..

Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig have wound in and out of each other’s lives and careers for decades. Now they are both headlining an Apple TV+ comedy of wealth and status .

Nicholas Galitzine, known for playing princes and their modern equivalents, hopes his steamy new drama, “Mary & George,” will change how Hollywood sees him .

Ewan McGregor and Mary Elizabeth met while filming “Fargo” in 2017. Now married, they have reunited onscreen in “A Gentleman in Moscow.”

A reboot of “Gladiators,” the musclebound 1990s staple, has attracted millions of viewers in Britain. Is appointment television back ?

If you are overwhelmed by the endless options, don’t despair — we put together the best offerings   on Netflix , Max , Disney+ , Amazon Prime  and Hulu  to make choosing your next binge a little easier.

Sign up for our Watching newsletter  to get recommendations on the best films and TV shows to stream and watch, delivered to your inbox.

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Get the app
• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

Explaining the News to Our Kids

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

Common sense media reviewers.

Hard-R misadventures are crazy and crass but still funny.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Despite the raunchy stuff and general craziness, t

There are basically no positive role models except

Rodrigo likes to put cherry bombs in toilets, whic

Although there's no nudity, the movie begins with

Virtually constant swearing, even in front of (or

Featured brands and products include Mercedes, Hon

A major subplot involves Noah buying some cocaine

Parents need to know that while this "babysitter gone wild" comedy may target teens -- especially those who are already Jonah Hill fans -- it has so many hard-R references to sex, drugs, and violence that it's not age appropriate for young teens. There's near-constant use of expletives (from the ubiquitous "motherf-…

Positive Messages

Despite the raunchy stuff and general craziness, there are a few positive messages in the movie: the oldest son learns to accept who he is, the adopted son realizes he doesn't have to be confrontational just to get a rise out of his new family, and the daughter sees that she doesn't need to act like a reality star (make-up, singing, provocative dancing) to be likable. Even Noah realizes that he deserves to be with someone who likes him back and doesn't take him for granted.

Positive Role Models

There are basically no positive role models except for Roxanne, who offers to help Noah even though he's done nothing to deserve her compassion and consideration. Noah's mom is also kind and thinks the best of her slacker son, but she's barely in the movie.

Violence & Scariness

Rodrigo likes to put cherry bombs in toilets, which blow up in a restaurant, a jewelry store, and then in a car, causing the driver's crotch to catch on fire. The drug dealer's goons chase after Noah and the kids, causing a car accident. Noah accepts a sucker punch to the face to give him street cred and later gets into a fight with a kickboxer who beats him up until the kids come to the rescue. The drug dealer wields a gun. There's a scene in which a character is beaten by a gang of angry onlookers.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Although there's no nudity, the movie begins with a scene of a clothed guy performing simulated oral sex on a mostly dressed girl. He then tries to get her to reciprocate, but she refuses. Later she offers to have sex if he does her a favor. Also lots of conversations about sex, pornography, adulterous sexual relationships between babysitters and their employers, and genitalia. A young girl sings the lyrics to bawdy rap songs and calls things and people "hot."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Virtually constant swearing, even in front of (or by!) the three kids, includes expletives such as "f--k," "motherf--ker," "d--k," "p---y," "t-ts," "s--t," "a--hole," "bitch," "hell," "damn," "goddamn," and more. Spanish curse words are also included via young Rodrigo: "puta," "pendejo," "carajo," "púdrete," etc.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Featured brands and products include Mercedes, Honda Odyssey, Apple computer, iPod.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

A major subplot involves Noah buying some cocaine from an eccentric drug dealer who snorts it and offers some to him. Noah's pseudo-girlfriend is drunk at a party and asks him to buy her the cocaine. Adults at a few different venues -- a bat mitzvah, a pool hall, the drug dealer's place, a house party -- drink alcohol.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that while this "babysitter gone wild" comedy may target teens -- especially those who are already Jonah Hill fans -- it has so many hard-R references to sex, drugs, and violence that it's not age appropriate for young teens. There's near-constant use of expletives (from the ubiquitous "motherf--ker" to "bitch" and everything in between), jokes about sex, a guy-on-girl oral sex scene, overt cocaine buying and use, references to a young teen's homosexuality, and plenty of sketchy and/or criminal behavior. Adoptive families may not appreciate the way the subject of adoption is depicted. It's all intended for laughs (what kind of college-aged student would really take three kids to a drug dealer's lair?), but that doesn't mean it's OK for younger viewers, so be prepared to stick to your guns if you have tweens and young teens who want to see it. Note: The unrated version (available on DVD) includes additional content not included in the theatrical release, including a topless woman. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (10)
• Kids say (15)

Based on 10 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Noah Griffith ( Jonah Hill ) is a slacker college dropout living with his divorced mom (Jessica Hecht) in the New York suburbs. When not engaged in his one-sided pseudo relationship with the manipulative Marisa (Ari Graynor), he usually lazes about and watches TV. But when his mom's blind date falls through because her friend's sitter cancels, Noah begrudgingly accepts the job. His charges include Slater ( Max Records ), a 13-year-old with severe anxiety issues; Blithe (Landry Bender), a first grader who fancies herself a "celebutante" reality star in the making; and Rodrigo (Kevin Hernandez), a tween Central American adoptee who lashes out without warning. When Marisa calls promising Noah sex if he buys cocaine and brings it to a house party, he agrees -- and takes the kids on a crazy, dangerous trip through Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Is It Any Good?

If you crossed Adventures in Babysitting and Uncle Buck and added a healthy wallop of Superbad humor, the end result would be this simultaneously cringe-worthy and entertaining comedy. THE SITTER's plot is definitely, as the kids say, "off the hook." Between a dangerous misunderstanding with the eccentric coke dealer Karl (played by Sam Rockwell , who seems to be having the time of his life), an ill-fated attempt to secure $10,000 cash from a pile of bat mitzvah gifts, and a heartbreaking confrontation with Noah's rich but uncaring father, the movie's adventures are illegal and immoral ... but also life-altering for both the sitter and the kids.

Through all the antics, Hill reminds viewers how even the least improbable protagonists can win over audiences. It's not an easy movie to watch, particularly when you've left your own children in the care of babysitters time and time again, but with its old-school hip-hop soundtrack, some brilliant one-liners, and -- as strange as it may seem -- a positive message about the staying true to yourself and finding your place in a family, The Sitter is a surprisingly amusing, albeit quite naughty, cautionary tale about what happens when parents are away for the night.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about whether The Sitter is intended to have positive take-aways, or if it's just meant to be funny. Does learning life lessons justify the craziness?

Bullying is mentioned as a part of both Noah's background and Slater's future. Teens: What's the best way to handle bullying ?

What's the appeal of "raunchy" comedies? Do they cross the line? Who determines where that line falls?

Movie Details

• In theaters : December 9, 2011
• On DVD or streaming : March 20, 2012
• Cast : Jonah Hill , Max Records , Sam Rockwell
• Director : David Gordon Green
• Studio : Twentieth Century Fox
• Genre : Comedy
• Run time : 81 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : crude and sexual content, pervasive language, drug material and some violence
• Last updated : June 20, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

Adventures in Babysitting

Best Classic Comedy Films

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Screen Rant

'the sitter' review, movie fans that are expecting the sitter to deliver an especially memorable trip to the theater may just want to give their own babysitter the night off, and stay home with the kids..

Despite a couple of memorable dramatic performances (see:  Moneyball and  Cyrus ), Jonah Hill remains, largely (no pun), a go-to raunch-comedy player. Ever since his 2004 big screen introduction in David O. Russell's  I Heart Huckabees , Hill has built a high-profile career out of one awkward underdog character after another.

We've seen the actor portray an everyman in a variety of situations - high school student ( Superbad ), lazy slacker ( Knocked Up ), as well as record company intern ( Get Him to the Greek ). However, in The Sitter , Hill engages in one of his most over-the-top adventures yet - a night of babysitting that includes impressionable children, cherry bombs, cocaine dealers, gang-bangers, and an ill-fated "shart." But do all of the irreverent hijinks add-up to a good time at the movies? Or just an excuse for Hill to engage in another awkward comedy scenario?

Unfortunately, the answer is somewhere in the middle, as The Sitter  relies heavily on absurd, and often unfunny, set-piece moments. That said, for a film about the world's worst babysitter, Hill and his underage comedy cohorts manage to imbue the proceedings with a decent amount of entertaining moments - and, even more surprisingly, a bit of heart.

The plot reads more like a Hollywood pitch than an actual story, as the over-arching narrative amounts to little more than Jonah Hill + audacious kids + murderous drug dealers = comedy gold. Much like Hill's other characters, Noah Griffith is an underachiever who dropped out of college, doesn't have a job, and can't seem to stand-up for himself - including being used by his "girlfriend," Marisa (Ari Graynor). However, Noah is galvanized into action when asked to babysit the Pedulla children - Slater (Max Records), Blithe (Landry Bender), and Rodrigo (Kevin Hernandez) - so that his loving mom can go on a double-date with an eligible surgeon and the Pedulla parents. While tensions with the Pedulla kids are high right out of the gate, matters are further complicated when Marisa calls Noah from a party and offers to sleep with him - initiating a chaotic night where Noah, as well as Slater, Blithe, and Rodrigo, are chased by a blood-thirsty drug-dealer (Sam Rockwell), among other over-the-top situations.

Anyone who has seen the trailer for the film (which you can check out at the bottom of our review) should have a pretty good idea of what to expect.  The Sitter isn't really a "dark" comedy, but it's not going to appeal to everyone - specifically moviegoers who think that screaming obscenities at young children is in bad taste. That said, even for film fans who have enjoyed similar fare (most recently,  Bad Teacher ),  The Sitter fails to deliver an abundance of laugh-out-loud moments. Hill offers his usual off-the-cuff one-liners, which are mostly hit or miss, and  in some cases, revisit the same kind of gag to the point of nausea (such as Noah entering a bar full of gang-banger types). It's a mildly entertaining and middle-of-the-road role for Hill - but a far cry from his Superbad or  Get Him to the Greek shticks.

That said, the Pedulla children somehow manage to elevate Hill's performance a bit - and not just because of the odd-ball comedy pairings. The young actors, more than their adult counterparts, appear to know what kind of film they are in and have fun in their respective roles - which helps energize what could have been a pretty flat experience. Each of the kids is given relatively standard (albeit twisted) story arcs to overcome, and while the film doesn't serve explosives expert Rodrigo with as much care as wannabe-Paris-Hilton Blithe or the older, but introverted, Slater, the children successfully manage to convey a trio with enjoyable onscreen chemistry and satisfying character dynamics (most of the time).

Despite Jonah Hill on the movie poster, Sam Rockwell - partnered here with J. B. Smoove ( Curb Your Enthusiasm ) - offers the most laughs in the film as out-of-his-mind cocaine dealer, Karl. The Karl-related set-pieces are especially absurd, but inject some variety in a movie that's pretty formulaic and slow, at times.

Director, David Gordon Green ( Pineapple Express and Your Highness ) allows for a number of unneeded and thin detours meant to humanize Noah (a five-minute interlude with his estranged father) or offer light at the end of the "dark" comedy tunnel (alternate love-interest, Roxanne, played by Kylie Bunbury). That said, a lot of the non-essential story-arcs break up the jokes that work, without offering any compelling additions. A shorter version of the film would have been much tighter, and more entertaining, while a longer cut could have allowed the film to make use of the additional character drama. Unfortunately, this version of The Sitter falls into a middle ground that ultimately delivers thin characters and only so-so comedic momentum.

Despite a number of set-backs, some filmgoers will no doubt still enjoy a few gags in The Sitter  - due to zany performances from Rockwell and J. B. Smoove, as well as enjoyable exchanges with the film's younger stars. However, movie fans that are expecting The Sitter to deliver an especially memorable trip to the theater may just want to give their own babysitter the night off, and stay home with the kids.

If you’re still on the fence about  The Sitter , check out the trailer below:

[poll id="226"]

Follow me on Twitter @ benkendrick  - and let us know what you thought of the film below:

The Sitter   is now in theaters.

The Sitter Review

Jonah hill and co. channel the '80s in this profane new comedy..

3 out of 5 Stars, 6/10 Score

In This Article

More Reviews by Jim Vejvoda

Ign recommends.

Notice: All forms on this website are temporarily down for maintenance. You will not be able to complete a form to request information or a resource. We apologize for any inconvenience and will reactivate the forms as soon as possible.

• DVD & Streaming

Content Caution

In Theaters

• December 9, 2011
• Jonah Hill as Noah Griffith; Max Records as Slater; Landry Bender as Blithe; Kevin Hernandez as Rodrigo; Ari Graynor as Marisa Lewis; Sam Rockwell as Karl; J.B. Smoove as Julio

Home Release Date

• March 20, 2012
• David Gordon Green

Distributor

• 20th Century Fox

Movie Review

Perhaps if one took the job description “sitter” literally, Noah Griffith would be awesome at it. Because if there’s one thing Noah knows how to do, it’s sit. He’s a natural, really. He can sit on chairs. He can sit on sofas. He’s able to sit for hours at a time—sometimes working a television remote control while sitting. One might even call him a sitting prodigy, a reclining wunderkind. If there was a college-level class on sitology, he’d ace it. He’d teach it.

And he’d be able to do it from a seated position.

Alas, sitting—as in babysitting —is a more demanding profession. Not that Noah has any interest in reading the job description.

“Adult men don’t babysit things,” he tells his mother.

But his divorced mom’s in a bind: Heading out to her first date in ages, she learns that the couple they were going to double with are in need of childcare. After some hemming and hawing (and sitting), Noah agrees to watch the couple’s three waifs for a night. How much trouble could they be?

Sure, 13-year-old Slater is wound tighter than a bull rope and takes a fanny pack full of pills to keep himself sane. Sure, little sis Blithe has taken Jersey Shore’ s Snooki on as a personal role model. Sure, adopted son Rodrigo breaks pots, tosses bombs down toilets and has a disturbing fascination with fire. OK. Maybe the evening won’t be easy or fun. But they’ll still just stick around the house and wait for the parents to—

Noah answers the phone.

Hey, it’s my girlfriend! She’s at a party! She wants me to buy some cocaine for her from a psycho drug dealer! And if I bring her the cocaine, she’ll let me have sex—

Noah’s brain promptly disengages. That three-letter, monosyllabic utterance is enough to smother any other stray thoughts or values or motivations rattling around in his noggin. The question now becomes not whether to buy drugs from a psychotic drug dealer, but how fast he can complete the deal.

And the kids? Well, they’ll just have to come along.

Positive Elements

When a film’s setup is “buy drugs for your girlfriend so she’ll have sex with you,” we obviously don’t have a lot to work with here. But a few positives can be rescued from the muck:

Noah volunteers to babysit out of genuine affection for his mom. He’s looking out for her happiness. And when the night snowballs out of control, he continues to try to protect her and her special evening from his avalanche of horrible decisions. “I need to clean up my mess myself,” he says. (We’re led to believe that it’s the first time Noah’s shown signs of maturity.)

He also develops a bond with his young charges, and together they teach one another some valuable life lessons: Blithe learns that being a celebutante isn’t a worthwhile career goal. Rodrigo learns that his adopted parents might be more likely to keep him around if he spoke to them once in a while and stopped fire-bombing the bathroom. And Slater learns—well, I can’t tell you what Slater learns in this section of the review.

Spiritual Elements

When Blithe (all of 7 or 8) first meets Noah, she tells him that Noah’s a “hot” name.

“It’s biblical,” Noah says.

“The Bible’s a hot book,” she says.

Slater is invited to a Bat Mitzvah, which Noah and the kids later crash. Drug dealer Karl tells Noah, “I pray for you. I really do.”

Sexual Content

The film opens with Noah engaged in oral sex with his sorta girlfriend, Marisa. We don’t see nudity, but the scene is incredibly graphic and the language is quite explicit. Then, in a postscript, the audience is told that Noah hooks up with a new girlfriend who gives him oral sex frequently.

An argument with Blithe over what kind of underwear is “hot” ends with a store clerk thinking Noah is a pedophile who has abducted the three kids. Several uncomfortable “misunderstandings” follow, eventually forcing Noah and Blithe to flee the premises.

Slater is struggling with his sexuality—an issue that Noah tries to quickly smooth out for him. “You’re as queer as a football bat, and that’s fine,” he says. The movie suggests that Slater’s repression of his homosexuality was what necessitated all the drugs he carts around, and that once he’s out of the closet all his mental anguish will be over. “Nothing’s wrong with you.” Noah insists. “You’re normal. Just super gay.” He gets quite angry with Slater when the kid uses a homosexual slur.

Karl surrounds himself with huge male bodybuilders, many of whom wear skimpy swimsuits and homoerotic attire. He likes hugging Noah, prompting more crude comments. His roller-skating assistant is stereotypically effeminate and threatens to strip-search Noah.

Rodrigo talks to a pair of prostitutes. Noah confronts the kids’ dad about having an affair. (Blithe says she saw him and his assistant kissing.) Noah ogles the kids’ mom. Jokes are made about venereal diseases. Characters use vulgar slang for various body parts. Noah makes a suggestive comment when a set of twins lead Slater onto the dance floor.

Violent Content

Karl shoots his “third best friend” in the foot. He fires several shots at party revelers and threatens to kill Noah. Noah throws a cherry bomb into Karl’s van, onto the lap of its driver. It explodes, causing the man to scream. Later, we see him trying to get a taxi, his crotch on fire. Still later, we learn that he apparently died from the explosion.

Noah is punched in the face by a woman—thus earning her respect, and the respect of the gang she’s hanging with. That means the gang beats up Karl instead of Noah. Noah is beaten up, though, by a famous local mixed martial artist. When the kids try to break things up, Rodrigo bites the man’s ear, Slater hits him across the face with a skateboard and Blithe tags him in the testicles with both fists (making a crude comment afterward).

Rodrigo smashes several vases and pops party balloons—a prelude, really, to his primary fascination of dropping explosives into toilets. He destroys a bathroom in a swanky restaurant and nearly blows up an entire jewelry store. The bodybuilders take sledgehammers to a minivan.

Crude or Profane Language

About 50 f-words (including one uttered by little Blithe in the context of a song), 30 s-words and a bevy of other profanities, including “a‑‑,” “d‑‑n,” “h‑‑‑,” “p‑‑‑,” “pr‑‑k,” “f-ggot,” “p‑‑‑y” and “d‑‑k.” God’s name is abused more than a half-dozen times; Jesus’ is abused once.

Drug and Alcohol Content

Cocaine is a major player in The Sitter : We see nearly bare bodybuilders refine the stuff in Karl’s pad. We see Karl use it. We see him scoop it out of a large, Fabregé-like egg. We see Rodrigo steal a similar egg from Karl’s bathroom. We see Rodrigo and Noah struggle over the egg, eventually breaking it apart and sending the $10,000 worth of powder billowing across the minivan. Characters drink and smoke (likely marijuana), and many act as if they’re drunk or high or both.

We learn that Noah recently was arrested for driving under the influence, and he admits to Slater that he used to have an addiction to cough syrup. Rodrigo breaks a fancy bottle of whiskey. Rodrigo throws Slater’s medication out the window and into a river, sending his brother into a panic.

Other Negative Elements

Against specific orders, Noah takes the family minivan. He later steals his father’s car, drives to his father’s store and takes several thousand dollars worth of jewelry. He also steals several thousand dollars Slater gambles playing pool at a bar.

Noah and the kids mislead the kids’ parents about their nocturnal activities. He badmouths the dad. Policemen bust Noah for both stealing jewelry and possessing cocaine (and running a red light). But instead of arresting the guy, they simply take the goods and drive off.

Jokes are made about urination, defecation and flatulence. Rodrigo urinates all over a public ballroom, shocking attendees of the Bat Mitzvah. Several people slip and fall in a puddle of the stuff. Blithe accidentally soils her underwear. We hear that Noah vomited on someone’s cremated remains.

Movies like The Sitter require viewers to suspend disbelief, incredulity, morals and at least 80% of their brain cells if they hope to survive the experience. Take kids to a drug dealer? Sure! Blow up a restaurant bathroom and escape? Great! Rob your own father blind? Why not? Wrap up the night—a night that boasts assault, drug possession, grand larceny and child endangerment—by driving back home in a completely trashed minivan (still coated in a sheen of cocaine) and pretending nothing went amiss? And getting away with it?! Why, it’s all part of the story! Don’t think! Go with it!

Never mind the fingerprints! The property damage! The wanton destruction! The kids are better for it all! Go with it!

Which, on further reflection, is just how this crazy, improbable night came to be in the first place. Noah didn’t think. He just … went with it.

Of course, in real life just going with it often comes with consequences. Noah would be locked up somewhere by now (hopefully), and the kids would be working through the experience with the help of expensive counselors.

For your part, chances are that just going with it —that is, going to see The Sitter —won’t get you jail time or necessitate years of therapy. But it’s about as wise as dropping a cherry bomb in your toilet and standing there, waiting for the thing to go off. Sure, maybe it won’t kill you, but it’s guaranteed to leave quite a mess for you to clean up.

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

Latest Reviews

The First Omen

Wicked Little Letters

Weekly Reviews Straight to your Inbox!

Skip to content , or skip to search .

Search Help Home > Movies > The Sitter

• READER REVIEWS

Michael De Luca

Distributor

20th Century Fox

Release Date

Dec 9, 2011

Release Notes

Official website.

• www.thesittermovie.com

Jonah Hill’s is a deceptively odd presence. He somehow manages to combine the laid-back stoner charm of a Seth Rogen with the nervous, rapid-fire awkwardness of a Steve Carell. It’s hard at first to pin down exactly where on the spectrum of his persona The Sitter fits. The opening scene has him giving epic head to a furiously climaxing Ari Graynor, but then getting refused when he asks that she return the favor. She’s ostensibly his girlfriend but is clearly just using him for his skillz. As the saying goes: Lucky in cunnilingus, unlucky in love. Or something.

Hill’s character Noah Griffin is supposed to be some kind of loser — he doesn’t have a job, still lives with his single mother (Jessica Hecht), and lets himself get pushed around — but The Sitter doesn’t quite have the time or the energy to really commit to that. Rather, the story, which has Noah agreeing to babysit a wealthy family’s three very different and quite strange kids, with predictably chaotic consequences, basically uses him as a chameleon. He’s the kind of pushover who will gladly go score a drug deal for someone else.

The film wants to revel in his ineptitude but also gives Noah a surprising number of chances to carry the day, without much setup. He walks into a club by talking up a bouncer like he's the playingest of playas. He runs into a woman he wronged in high school (he got drunk and puked in an urn containing her grandma’s ashes) and bravely lets her take a punch at him. When he realizes that one of the kids he’s babysitting is most likely gay, he immediately gives the young man a surprisingly touching, It Gets Better–style speech. Strangely enough, though, that speech is offset by the bizarre caricature of Karl (Sam Rockwell), a flamboyantly deranged drug dealer who rolls with an entourage of rollerblading boy toys and scantily clad musclemen.

In other words, this is one confused movie. But it’s not an altogether unsuccessful one. That very inconsistency at some point begins to feel like part of the whole design. Much like he did with the far more elaborate Pineapple Express , director David Gordon Green helps bring a sense of anarchic possibility to the hard-R boilerplate: This is the kind of movie where a screaming man with his crotch on fire can still find time to yell, “That’s how yo’ mama like it!” to a cab that refuses to take him. It’s so off-the-cuff and all over the place, you wonder if they ever even had a script.

• Artistic Reviews
• Testimonials
• Free Pass/Newsletter
• Member Login

I have subscribed to ScreenIt for more than a decade. I check in every week to take advantage of their amazing services. Not only does their site provide a glimpse of exactly what content a movie offers, I've found the “Our Take” reviews and ratings for each movie to be right on the money every single time. I've referred dozens of friends to this service because my #1 resource for deciding whether or not to show a movie to my kids, or to see one myself, is ScreenIt.com! Josh Nisbet Director, State of CA Public Sector

I signed up to get Screen It weekly reviews a long time ago, when my kids were young and I wanted to know more about movies before we went to a theater or rented. Now one child is in law school, other in undergraduate, and I still read the weekly Screen Its! It helps me know what my husband and I want to see or rent, and what to have waiting at home that we all will enjoy when my "kids" come home. I depend on Screen It reviews. They usually just present the facts and let me decide if the movie is appropriate or of interest for my family and me. Thank you for providing that service, Screen It! Patti Petree Winston Salem, NC

I have 4 children who are now in college. I signed up for Screen It when my children were pre-teenagers. Often my children would ask to see a movie with a friend and I wished I could preview the movie prior to giving permission. A friend told me about ScreenIt.com and I found it to be the next best thing to previewing a movie. The amount of violence, sexual content, or language were always concerns for me and my husband as we raised innocent kids with morals. We constantly fought the peer pressure our kids received to see films that in our opinion were questionable. With the evidence we received at Screen It, our kids couldn't even fight us when we felt a film may have been inappropriate for them to watch. Thank you, Screen It. Continue to make this helpful service available to everyone, but especially the young parents. Christine Doherty Machesney Park, IL

Screenit.com is an amazing resource for parents, educators, church groups or anyone who wants to make an informed decision whether a movie is suitable for their viewing. The reviews and content descriptions are so detailed I am mystified how the reviewers can put them together. Scott Heathe Vancouver, BC

I love screen It! I don't know what I would do without it. It is well worth the membership. Before we take our son to the movies we check it out on screen it first. Thank you SO much for making it. Keep up the good work & keep 'em coming!!! Patrina Streety Moreno Valley California

"Don’t Leave Your Child with This Guy"

What You Need To Know:

(PaPaPa, RoRo, PCPC, HoHo, B, LLL, VV, SS, AA, DDD, MMM) Very strong somewhat mixed pagan worldview and elements with strong Romantic elements, strong politically correct pro-homosexual dialogue involving adult man and 13-year-old and some light moral elements; well over 100 profanities and obscenities, including many variations of the “f” word and at least 20 uses of “JC” and other forms of God’s name in vain, as well as plenty of uses of “s,” “h,” and other words, plus 8-year-old girl raps along to songs with risqué lyrics; strong comic violence in several scenes such as a couple of car chases where the two children being babysat are imperiled along with the adult sitter, bad guys threaten them with guns and the children wind up throwing cherry bombs into their vehicle which leads to an explosion and crash, children help sitter from being beaten up by a mixed marital arts star after he’s already been tossed around the room, this scene features a 13-year-old boy knocking a skateboard into a villain’s skull before the little girl punches the bad guy in the testicles with both fists and a Latino boy bites one bad guy’s ear, Latino boy destroys multiple valuable items like glass vases in his parents’ home just to show sitter that he’s tough, boy launches mini cherry bombs in at least two public toilets, creating great damage to the facilities that are played for laughs; strong sexual content and references include crude opening scene implies oral sex, graphic discussion of oral sex, male lead jokes with his own mother about both his own sex life and hers, and protagonist reluctantly agrees to get cocaine for woman in return for sex; upper male nudity, female cleavage, muscle-bound men in skimpy shorts and no tops, and women in tight dresses; alcohol use and abuse; references to cocaine include man enlisted to babysit enlisted adult babysitter reluctantly agrees to get cocaine for women in return for sex but doesn’t reveal mission to two children he’s with but cocaine container breaks while he’s driving, and he gets it all over his face though he doesn’t appear to get high from it; and, very strong immorality and problems include divorced mother, poor role models for children, babysitter tells 8-year-old his name Noah comes from the Bible and she says “The Bible is hot,” stealing, frequent lying and deception, babysitter leads children into cleaning up their house not to be nice but to keep out of trouble with their parents, college dropout makes no effort to get a job, and 8-year-old girl wears pancake makeup to emulate party girls like Kim Kardashian and their clubbing lifestyle, but babysitter convinces her that’s not good and to be a normal child.

More Detail:

THE SITTER is an abhorrent comedy that’s cynically intended for teenagers while rated R for adults.

THE SITTER is a movie with a schizophrenic mix of worldviews and messages, having a very strong pagan worldview overall with strong Romantic overtones and strong politically correct pro-homosexual dialogue, yet also trying to offer some brief light moral messages. The story follows the criminal misadventures of a hopelessly amoral babysitter over the course of a night in which he takes the three children under his charge to downtown New York City in pursuit of cocaine and sex. THE SITTER’s filmmakers are obviously aiming their movie at teenage audiences while cynically accepting an “R” rating that allows them to pretend they’re only marketing to adults.

The very first scene in THE SITTER is an extremely crude implied sex scene involving the title character. Noah is a college dropout in his early 20s. He still lives at home with his divorced mother and makes no effort at getting a job. When his mom lands a nice date, she needs him to take over a babysitting assignment for the night. However, Noah gets a call from a woman he lusts after who normally rejects him. She offers him sex if he’ll bring cocaine to her at a party, so he brings the children recklessly along for a string of misadventures. What follows includes abundant swearing, a heavy amount of drug-related humor, lots of comic violence, crude sexual content, and a casual moral attitude on nearly every level.

While this main scenario is already offensive enough to media-wise moviegoers seeking entertainment, the movie also features a long and forced dialogue scene between the sitter and a 13-year-old boy he’s assigned to protect, in which the sitter makes a huge leap of logic that the boy has secret homosexual desires but is proven right. He tells the boy not to worry, that if he gets through high school he’ll have a great time in college and as an adult, and can come out to his family later. This is clearly politically correct propaganda aimed at impressionable teenagers and other potential viewers.

The filmmakers try to provide three positive moments toward the end. In one, the sitter convinces the young girl in his care to stop wearing excessive makeup and be a normal, innocent child. In another, he decides to drops the drug-using woman in favor of the more positive one and tells the drug user that she’s better than her need for drugs and should change her life as well. He also confronts the kids’ father after he finds out the man is having an affair with his secretary and tells him to start paying renewed attention to his own wife.

These elements are overwhelmed, however, by all the movie’s immoral messages and elements, plus sloppy, slapdash direction by David Gordon Green of PINEAPPLE EXPRESS infamy. These things render THE SITTER not only mediocre moviemaking but largely abhorrent content for viewers of any age, especially because it involves children in the basic plot and some of the situations. Please see the CONTENT section above for more details.

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.

An adventure in babysitting leads college dropout Jonah Hill and his young charges on a raunchy adventure through New York City. more

An adventure in babysitting leads college dropout Jonah Hill and ... More

Starring: Jonah Hill Max Records Ari Graynor

Director: David Gordon Green

Stream thousands of shows and movies, with plans starting at $7.99/month.

Hulu free trial available for new and eligible returning Hulu subscribers only. Cancel anytime. Additional terms apply.

An adventure in babysitting leads college dropout Jonah Hill and his young charges on a raunchy adventure through New York City.

Starring: Jonah Hill Max Records Ari Graynor JB Smoove Sam Rockwell

START YOUR FREE TRIAL

The Sitter - Trailer

About this Movie

Sports Add-on

Español Add-on

Entertainment Add-on

Select Your Plan

Streaming library with tons of tv episodes and movies, up to 6 user profiles, no ads in streaming library, download and watch, available add-ons.

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, the babysitter: killer queen.

Now streaming on:

Netflix found an unexpected hit in the 2017 McG horror/comedy “The Babysitter,” a film that started like a generic comedy about a boy with a crush on his gorgeous babysitter and then turned into something significantly darker when the kid learned that his first crush was a Satan-worshipping murderer. McG’s movie wasn’t perfect, but it had a charming simplicity and charismatic performance from the wonderful Samara Weaving as the title character. In the old days, “The Babysitter” would have been a modest hit on the midnight movie circuit before producing a straight-to-video sequel with maybe one of the original cast members and none of the quality. Now that the routine has broken due to streaming, the entire circle of life takes place in-house as the cheapie DTV sequel, “The Babysitter: Killer Queen” launches on Netflix today, but the difference is that this one has the same director, and most of the same cast, even the ones who died in the first movie. However, the drop in quality remains the same.

The awkward Cole ( Judah Lewis ) is two years older than at the end of “The Babysitter,” and still struggling through the torture that is adolescence, amplified by the fact that no one believes that his missing babysitter was a devil-worshiping lunatic. His parents ( Ken Marino & Leslie Bibb ) are so concerned about Cole’s tall tales that they’re thinking of sending him to a mental institution when the young man is invited on a party weekend with his lovely neighbor Melanie ( Emily Alyn Lind ), the only one who also knows the truth about what happened that night. Melanie and a group of teens head off to a lake party that culminates on a boat, and, well, things get gnarly again and result in the literal resurrection of most of the key players from the original, including Robbie Amell and Bella Thorne . A new girl at school ( Jenna Ortega ) accidentally stumbles into the chaos, and Cole has to summon the courage to save the day from the forces of evil yet again.

No one expects “The Babysitter: Killer Queen” to be anything other than your basic escapist entertainment, but it fails even at this modest goal. It's a defiantly stupid movie, with references so bizarrely dated that it verges on fascinating. McG and co-writer Dan Lagana pepper their script with nods to things that make it seem like they haven’t talked to an actual teen since 1999. I’m not kidding when I say that the movie directly references “Ice Ice Baby” (in a line that’s referring to I.C.E., believe it or not) and later features someone doing the Hammer Time dance. My near-teen kid would have no idea what either of these things are. And the soundtrack follows suit with bizarre needle drops of Young M.C., Das EFX, and The Sugarhill Gang. Who is this movie for? Sure, a movie doesn’t need to fully reflect the taste of its time or characters, but there’s a weird disconnect throughout this film, in part because the references are so non-stop that they’re impossible to ignore—when a character went from a “ Forrest Gump ” nod to a Tommy Tutone shout-out in the  same line , I thought maybe I was being punked.

Bizarre references aside, “Killer Queen” is simply less competently made than the first movie in every way, something that's amplified by its less engaging story. The first film had the benefit of simplicity—pretty people in a house dying in extreme ways—and Weaving’s fun performance. This one is rushed and haphazard from beginning to end, from its more nonsensical story to some truly choppy editing—flashbacks to how each of the worshippers from the first film originally came under Bee’s spell look almost intentionally horrible in terms of basic filmmaking. 

The biggest problem is a common one in sequels: Everything here feels desperately designed with the artistic theory of overkill. It’s the difference between a cult hit in the making that sneaks up on you and a movie that screams at you to like it. “The Babysitter” may not have been breakthrough quality filmmaking, but its sequel nearly makes it look that good. Maybe someone at Netflix signed a deal with the devil to get that unexpected first hit and this follow-up is Satan coming to take his payment. Let’s all start praying an exorcist arrives before the third movie. 

Now available on Netflix.

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

Now playing

The Listener

Matt zoller seitz.

American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders

The People's Joker

Clint worthington.

The Synanon Fix

Film Credits

The Babysitter: Killer Queen (2020)

101 minutes

Judah Lewis as Cole

Robbie Amell as Max

Hana Mae Lee as Sonya

Bella Thorne as Allison

Emily Alyn Lind as Melanie

Andrew Bachelor as John

Ken Marino as Mr. Johnson

Leslie Bibb as Mrs. Johnson

Cinematographer

• Scott Henriksen
• Martin Bernfeld

Latest blog posts

The Zellner Brothers Take a Walk in the Woods with Sasquatch Sunset

The Scene That Clint Eastwood Cut to Make Unforgiven a Classic

Ape Shall Not Kill Ape: A Look at the Entire Apes Franchise

​Criterion Celebrates the Films That Forever Shifted Our Perception of Kristen Stewart​

‘Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead' Review: A Remake Without a Reason

If there were office pools for potential remakes of Hollywood films, it's unlikely that Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead would have been high on anyone's lists. After all, this 1991 black comedy starring Christina Applegate was hardly a critical or box-office sensation, and its reputation hasn't exactly improved with time. On the other hand, it was a nearly ubiquitous presence on HBO for many years, and you couldn't walk into a Blockbuster without seeing promotional materials for it prominently displayed. So the new version featuring a mostly Black cast features its share of nostalgia value, which it smartly acknowledges via some callbacks to the original.

Otherwise, this version directed by Wade Allain-Marcus, which includes Tyra Banks among its executive producers (the actress/model was also originally going to appear in it), doesn't do much to enhance the underwhelming storyline. It hews fairly close to the original, changing various details rather than providing a total overhaul, and seems better suited for its eventual streaming than theatrical release.

Once again, the story revolves around what happens when a harried mom (comedian Patricia "Ms. Pat" Williams) unexpectedly leaves town for a two-month immersive retreat in Thailand after having a meltdown at work. This disappoints her 17-year-old daughter Tanya (Simone Joy Jones, Peacock's Bel-Air ), who had been planning to go to Europe with friends but now is stuck babysitting her younger siblings.

Her mother had hired a babysitter in the form of the elderly Mrs. Sturak (national treasure June Squibb). But the seemingly sweet old woman, who shows up bearing a Bible, reveals a darker streak. As soon as the mother leaves, she fires a starter pistol and announces to the frightened children, "I watch Madea movies, I know how to discipline you little N-words."

It's no spoiler to reveal what happens next, as it's indicated in the title. Mrs. Sturak drops dead, with the terrified brood first hiding her in a refrigerator when a police officer unexpectedly shows up. After he leaves, they debate what to do with the body, with one of them suggesting that they drop it off at a funeral home with a note. "It's not 1991, use your head," another chastises, in a cute nod to the earlier film. Instead, they put her in a car and submerge it in a lake, all of this occurring before the opening credits some 20 minutes in.

To score some money to keep them afloat, Tanya pretends to be much older and applies for a job at a fashion design firm headed by Rose (Nicole Richie), who hires her as her executive assistant much to the chagrin of Caroline (Iantha Richardson), a receptionist who had been angling for the job herself. Meanwhile, Tanya begins a tentative romance with Bryan (Miles Fowler), a handsome young architect whom she met while working as a rideshare driver.

Mildly involving plot complications ensue, including Tanya spotting Rose's boyfriend making out with a younger woman; her siblings maxing out a credit card to splurge on such home improvements as a skateboard ramp; and Caroline becoming increasingly suspicious of the new hire. Along the way, the screenplay by Chuck Hayward does feature some amusing lines, as when Tanya, hearing that the firm's finances are in jeopardy, announces, "I need this job! I don't have the booty for OnlyFans!"

Neither the romantic nor work subplots amount to much, with the latter never approaching the Devil Wears Prada level it might have gone for (Richie's boss, although sharp-edged at times, doesn't begin to approach Miranda Priestly levels). After its darkly comic set-up, the mild proceedings seem generally undercooked, lacking the subversiveness that could have given the remake a reason for being. It coasts along mainly on the charms of Jones, who displays considerable comic chops as the beleaguered Tanya.

Fans of the 1991 version will get a kick out of the late-in-the-film cameo by one of that movie's leading players. But then again, anyone who truly enjoyed the original is probably by now too mature to want to relive the experience.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

• Christina Applegate Wishes She Would've Been More Honest About Her Breast Cancer Experience
• Christina Applegate Reveals She Likely Had Multiple Sclerosis "for Six or Seven Years" Before Diagnosis

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy . We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

‘Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead’ Review: Siblings Learn to Fend for Themselves in a Harmless, Needless Remake

Christian zilko.

• Share on Facebook
• Share to Flipboard
• Share on LinkedIn
• Show more sharing options
• Submit to Reddit
• Post to Tumblr
• Print This Page
• Share on WhatsApp

It feels safe to infer that the percentage of humans who had strong feelings about the news that “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead” was being remade is statistically insignificant. Stephen Herek’s 1991 film , which starred Christina Applegate as a teenage girl who found her vacation plans spoiled when an absent mom and a deceased babysitter forced her to spend a summer caring for her four younger siblings, was dismissed as a forgettable riff on the “Home Alone” formula upon its initial release. While it eventually built the kind of modest fanbase that physical video stores often facilitated, the intellectual property was neither overdue for an update nor too sacred to touch.

Like most 17-year-olds, Tanya Crandell (Simone Joy Jones) is well aware of how agonizingly close she is to the freedom of early adulthood. She was excited to enjoy her first brush with independence by spending the summer in Spain with her friends, but finds her plans thwarted when she’s hit with the one-two punch of not being able to afford the trip and watching her mother undergo a nervous breakdown. When her mom (Ms. Pat) announces plans to head to Thailand for a three month mental health retreat, she ends up stuck at home with her three younger siblings and a babysitter from hell (June Squibb).

Tanya cons her way into a job at a fashion brand in order to pay the bills, and quickly distinguishes herself as a stellar executive assistant despite her lack of qualifications. Her brothers dip their toes into domestic chores like cooking and cleaning while she tries to balance her career and a budding romance with an architecture geek (Miles Fowler). Tanya soon find that her summer of imprisonment has become the most eventful stretch of her life as she manages to speed-run adulthood while still navigating the endless complications of life as a teenager.

The true flaw at the heart of “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead” is that its title implies a dark comedy before squandering most of its potential on a simple story about kids learning to fend for themselves. It’s not hard to imagine a galaxy of more interesting directions that such a film could take, like having the kids kill the babysitter themselves or go to more extreme lengths to avoid telling Mom that she’s dead. At the very least, the film would have benefitted from making the villainous sitter a larger presence instead of just vanishing after the cold open. On some level you can only give a remake so much blame for making the same mistakes as its predecessor, but this one certainly doesn’t get credit for fixing them either.

In the end, this iteration “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead” is a safe viewing experience that’s likely to evoke even less emotion than the film that inspired it. But the project still hides a pearl of wisdom that Hollywood executives would be wise to jot down: If you’re looking to remake something, you could do a lot worse than finding an underperforming film with an endlessly catchy title.

“Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead” opens in theaters on Friday, April 12 before streaming on BET+ beginning on May 16.

Most Popular

You may also like.

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Monkey Man Link to Monkey Man
• The First Omen Link to The First Omen
• The Beast Link to The Beast

New TV Tonight

• Chucky: Season 3
• Mr Bates vs The Post Office: Season 1
• Fallout: Season 1
• Franklin: Season 1
• Dora: Season 1
• Good Times: Season 1
• Beacon 23: Season 2

Most Popular TV on RT

• Ripley: Season 1
• 3 Body Problem: Season 1
• Sugar: Season 1
• Parasyte: The Grey: Season 1
• A Gentleman in Moscow: Season 1
• Shōgun: Season 1
• The Regime: Season 1
• We Were the Lucky Ones: Season 1
• The Gentlemen: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Ripley Link to Ripley
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

Best Movies of 2024: Best New Movies to Watch Now

25 Most Popular TV Shows Right Now: What to Watch on Streaming

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

CinemaCon 2024: Day 1 – WB Showcases Joker: Folie à Deux , Furiosa , and More

TV Premiere Dates 2024

• Trending on RT
• Play Movie Trivia

The Babysitter

2017, Horror/Comedy, 1h 25m

What to know

Critics Consensus

Enjoyable if not particularly original, The Babysitter makes the most of its familiar genre ingredients with energetic direction and a killer cast. Read critic reviews

You might also like

Where to watch the babysitter.

Watch The Babysitter with a subscription on Netflix.

Rate And Review

Super Reviewer

Rate this movie

Oof, that was Rotten.

Meh, it passed the time.

It’s good – I’d recommend it.

So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

What did you think of the movie? (optional)

You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

Step 2 of 2

How did you buy your ticket?

Let's get your review verified..

AMCTheatres.com or AMC App New

Cinemark Coming Soon

We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

Regal Coming Soon

Theater box office or somewhere else

By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

The babysitter videos, the babysitter   photos.

When Cole stays up past his bedtime, he discovers that his hot baby sitter belongs to a satanic cult that will stop at nothing to keep him quiet.

Rating: TV-MA

Genre: Horror, Comedy

Original Language: English

Director: McG

Producer: McG , Zack Schiller , Mary Viola

Writer: Brian Duffield

Release Date (Streaming): Oct 13, 2017

Runtime: 1h 25m

Production Co: New Line Cinema, Wonderland Sound and Vision

Cast & Crew

Bella Thorne

Judah Lewis

Hana Mae Lee

Robbie Amell

Samara Weaving

Samuel Gilbert

Zachary Alexander Rice

Mr. Giggles

Miles J. Harvey

Mark Mammone

Officer Martinez

Leslie Bibb

Emily Alyn Lind

Brian Duffield

Screenwriter

Steven Bello

Executive Producer

James McGough

David Siegel

Zack Schiller

Douglas Pipes

Original Music

Shane Hurlbut

Cinematographer

Peter Gvozdas

Film Editing

Sandy Hubshman

Set Decoration

Hannah Jacobs

Costume Design

News & Interviews for The Babysitter

2017 Fall TV Premiere Dates

Critic Reviews for The Babysitter

Audience reviews for the babysitter.

There are no featured reviews for The Babysitter because the movie has not released yet ().

Movie & TV guides

Play Daily Tomato Movie Trivia

Discover What to Watch

Rotten Tomatoes Podcasts

‘Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead’ Review: A Remake That Remarkably Refashions Secondhand Goods

After her elderly babysitter dies, an enterprising teen fakes her way into a summer job at a dwindling fashion brand in this smart update of a cult comedy.

By Courtney Howard

Courtney Howard

• ‘Arthur the King’ Review: Mark Wahlberg and a Very Good Dog Make For a Winning Combination in This Feelgood Drama 4 weeks ago
• ‘Glitter & Doom’ Review: Jukebox Musical Hits Right Notes With Indigo Girls Songs, Off Notes With Queer Love Story 1 month ago
• How the Dog From ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ Trained for Two Months to Perfect Playing Dead 2 months ago

Within its first few minutes, director Wade Allain-Marcus ’ “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead” proves a worthy remake. Putting a modern comic spin on its ’90s counterpart’s opening sequence, it sets up our young heroine for a rude awakening and an indelible coming-of-age journey. By rearranging a few key details, losing some vestigial supporting characters and refocusing the story on a Black family learning to come together, the proceedings gain hilarity, buoyancy and resonance. Genuinely funny, charming and sincere, it’s a respectful and revelatory update in a world where those are few and far between.

Nonagenarian Ms. Sturak (June Squibb) isn’t the sweet old caretaker the kids expected. She’s unabashedly racist and rude. Thankfully her tyrannical reign comes to an abrupt end, as she expires in her sleep the first night. The savvy siblings must band together not only to dispose of the body (in a sequence with a solid self-aware joke at the expense of the 1991 film), but also to survive without cash or a guardian — and without disrupting their mother’s sanity. Tanya quickly learns she can’t get by on gig employment, so she forges her résumé to work at a flailing fashion company for the fabulously cool Rose ( Nicole Richie ). Yet just as things start to look up for the Crandells, they suffer a series of significant setbacks that land them in trouble.

The filmmakers shrewdly incorporate timely topics like fast fashion, food insecurity, toxic masculinity and privilege in a humorous, intelligent manner. The juvenile shenanigans that provide conflict are filled with tension — as predicaments like breaking an arm and dealing with cops are very different scenarios from the perspective of the Black Crandells as compared to their white predecessors.

Nostalgic nods to the original are deftly executed, with cameo appearances, quotable lines and soundtrack cues all placed with precision. While many of the first feature’s memorable squeeze zooms, close-ups, sharp edits and wardrobe accents are included as callbacks for eagle-eyed fans, Allain-Marcus and his team also apply their own signature aesthetic flourishes. A late title card drop hints that we’re in for a cool, creative mashup. Matt Clegg’s cinematography evokes tender romanticism when Tanya and her crush Bryan (­­­­Miles Fowler) are on dates, while there’s youthful fluidity in the camera movement, particularly when the family is gracefully circled during a second-act dinner scene. Production design on the Crandell house — filmed at the same Santa Clarita home as the original — reflects the family’s evolving state of togetherness, going from disrepair to gussied-up polish.

Jones nimbly negotiates her character’s awkward moments with vulnerability and impeccable comic timing. Hansley Jr. gives Kenny depth and dimension, while Young — handed a hilarious subplot as Zack befriends a murder of crows — and Sledge give star-making turns of their own. Richie genuinely sparkles in the role of Rose, talking in the delightfully-hurried pace of Rosalind Russell as if starring in her own ’40s-inspired screwball comedy.

A few gags fall flat (including one mention of factory-worker suicides) and there’s a nothingburger C-storyline involving Rose’s slimy paramour Gus (Jermaine Fowler), but the positive changes overshadow the flaws. Also notable is a sly commentary on the remake process itself: Eco-minded Tanya takes a sustainable approach to her job, creating chic wardrobes from upcycled fabrics and garments. Like the filmmakers, she takes the good parts of what was and fashions something fresh and fun for contemporary times.

Reviewed online, April 1, 2023. MPA Rating: R. Running time: 98 MIN.

• Production: Iconic Events Releasing presents a BET+ Original Film of a Spiral Stairs Entertainment Production in association with Treehouse Pictures, SMIZE Productions. Producers: Juliet Berman, Oren Segal, Justin Nappi, Juliana Maio. Executive producers: Maureen Guthman, Devin Griffin, Michael Phillips, Tova Laiter, Ryan Huffman, Tyra Banks, Neil Landau, Tara Ison, Chuck Hayward.
• Crew: Director: Wade Allain-Marcus. Screenplay: Chuck Hayward, based on the screenplay by Neil Landau and Tara Ison. Camera: Matt Clegg. Editor: Aric Lewis. Music: Jonathan Scott Friedman.
• With: Simone Joy Jones, Nicole Richie, Donielle T. Hansley Jr., Ayaamii Sledge, Carter Young, Miles Fowler, Iantha Richardson, Gus Kenworthy, June Squibb, Jermaine Fowler.

More From Our Brands

The beach boys catch a wave while navigating harmony and discord in new doc trailer, kelly slater’s hawaiian hideaway hits the market for $20 million, ncaa men’s final ratings can’t match women amid uconn routs, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, fbi renewed for 3 more seasons — fbi: most wanted and fbi: international also renewed, verify it's you, please log in.

• Cast & crew

Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead

Tanya finds her summer plans canceled when her mom jets off for a last-minute retreat and the elderly babysitter who arrives at her door unexpectedly passes away. Tanya finds her summer plans canceled when her mom jets off for a last-minute retreat and the elderly babysitter who arrives at her door unexpectedly passes away. Tanya finds her summer plans canceled when her mom jets off for a last-minute retreat and the elderly babysitter who arrives at her door unexpectedly passes away.

• Wade Allain-Marcus
• Chuck Hayward
• Neil Landau
• Jermaine Fowler
• June Squibb
• Iantha Richardson

• Tanya Crandell

• Party Guest

• Melissa Crandell

• Zack Crandell

• Rose's assistant designer
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia Remake of Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (1991) starring Christina Applegate .
• Connections Remake of Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (1991)
• How long will Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead be? Powered by Alexa
• April 12, 2024 (United States)
• United States
• Santa Clarita, California, USA
• SMiZE Productions
• Treehouse Pictures
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 39 minutes

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed