Is it blasphemous to admit that I watched the sequel before the original? Well, The Babysitter: Killer Queen is all about deals with the devil, so I guess my act against the film gods is an apt one.
Two years have passed since the events of the first film, and protagonist Cole (Judah Lewis), has had quite the glow up. Initially, I thought they had cast a new actor for the role, before a trip to IMDb informed me that it is indeed the same actor.
Lewis does a good enough job. He is convincing as a socially awkward teen, yet has a charm about him that has you rooting for him to escape the satanic blood cult. Speaking of satanic blood cult, most of the gang from the previous film are back – John (King Bach), Max (Robbie Amell), Allison (Bella Thorne) and Sonya (Hana Mae Lee).
There are some funny moments involving the gang, mainly from Amell’s Max, who is still committed to his shirtless ways, and somehow, can’t help but cheer Cole on, even when Cole’s actions put him at a disadvantage. Scream Queen Samara Weaving’s Bee, a key character in the first film and the main reason why it performed well, is no longer a main feature in this one, though. Is that the reason why this film isn’t as good as the first? Perhaps, but there are other elements holding it back from the success of its predecessor.
Killer Queen touts itself as a horror comedy, but the horror elements aren’t really there. All we get is gory, blood-splattered, head-rolling deaths, which to the film’s credit does make the viewer flinch, but none of it really unsettles. Emily Alyn Lind does a good job as Cole’s best friend Melanie, but her character arc is too predictable, so we aren’t really surprised with her actions in the film. They styled her exactly like Bee from the first movie, and even though she knows what happened to Cole in the first film, she feigns ignorance to everyone else, which already signals shady behaviour.
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Newcomer Jenna Ortega isn’t completely convincing in her role as Phoebe. Her introduction to the class is a bit too try-hard, and the script doesn’t really help her convey this bad-ass persona. Ortega and Lewis do share some cute moments together, but it does feel a bit forced at times, with their coupling clearly there for some plot reason. Which leads me to the biggest issue with the film: the errors in plot continuity. These issues reveal themselves towards the end of the film, where it seems like in a bid to throw these two individuals together, they whipped up a narrative that doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Director McG, in typical, highly stylized fashion, gives us an apache dance scene as well as a Street Fighter combat moment. Some might find these moments too over-the-top, but it suits the comedic tone the film is going for. Some of the flashbacks, grainy quality and all, show us how the blood cult got recruited in the first place, and are fairly enjoyable. I have to say, you would think a shirtless Robbie Amell running gag would get tiresome after a while, but it never did.
So if you’re looking for some entertaining, brainless fun, this film is for you. Don’t go into it expecting this film to match the quality of the first, since the script and characterisation takes a bit of a dive, but hey, it’s on Netflix, and if you have an hour or two to spare, why not?
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