Babysitter Wanted (2008) Movie Review
Written By: LFG
Edited By: Grave Reviews Staff
Film Information
Directors: Michael Manasseri, Jonas Barnes
Producers: Kimberley Kates, Michael Manasseri
Writer: Jonas Barnes
Date Released: July 16, 2008
Cast:
Tina Houtz as Rebecca Miller
Sarah Thompson as Angie Albright
Nana Visitor as Linda Albright
Jillian Schmitz as Erica
Matt Dallas as Rick
Linda Neal as Rebecca’s Mother
Monty Bane as Father Nicoletta
Douglas Rowe as Professor
Rating = 2.5/5 Graves
***May contain some spoilers***
Synopsis
Angie Albright (Sarah Thompson) is a young woman who is starting a new life after she leaves her religious mother to pursue a degree in college. However, she realizes she needs to make extra money to support herself after running into some issues in her dorm the moment she arrived. While searching for flyers in the campus bulletin board, she sees a woman posting a pamphlet of a missing girl named Rebecca Miller (Tina Houtz) and is warned to take care. Meanwhile, a mysterious man named Father Nicoletta (Monty Bane) starts to stalk her from afar, which causes her to feel jumpy and unnerved. Angie then applies for a babysitting job for a couple named Jim (Bruce Thomas) and Violet Stanton (Kristen Dalton). Angie meets their shy son, Sam (Kai Caster) and is soon hired. On her first night of babysitting, all seemed well and normal until Angie begins to experience strange phone calls, which soon turned into a confrontation with the mysterious caller. The mysterious caller turned out to be her stalker and he is priest who is hunting the Stanton family as he believes Sam is an evil child. Angie struggles to protect herself and Sam, however, Angie learns the horrible truth when Sam’s parents arrive home. Now she must find a way to escape and save herself from the evil Stanton family.
Gore Factor
There is a significant amount of blood and gore displayed, although it is not shown until almost an hour into the movie. What makes this movie one of the most disturbing scenes ever is the scene where Jim Stanton demonstrates how to “properly” slaughter a human body, and he does this in the most precise manner. The film does not hold back in showing cut up bones and human meat being sliced and diced like pigs in a butcher shop.
The Grave Review
Babysitter Wanted (2008) is a low budget horror film with an interesting plot twist that viewers would not see coming. The movie title would lead one to believe that this is just another slasher horror film, but it veers to a sadistic supernatural angle in the middle of the film.
The main protagonist, Angie, is a likeable and relatable character. She is a simple girl minding her own business, trying to make her way through college. The actress did an excellent job in turning her seemingly boring role into a kick-ass female lead, and this is precisely why we root for her. Meanwhile, Jim and Violet Stanton serves as the primary antagonists of the film as the demon child Sam did not stand out as much despite his creepy presence and horns on his head.
The gore in this film might be too gruesome for some viewers, especially the scene where Rebecca takes a hammer to the head before she gets hanged upside-down like a pig for slaughter, then Jim proceeds to carve her like meat. The scene almost feels like a cooking show to some degree, and it is very disturbing to watch. The ending also leaves room for a possible sequel since it turns out Sam is alive and living with new parents.
However, there were some significant plot holes in the film. For instance, it was never explained why the priest stalked Angie and gave her a hard time when she was babysitting if his intention was for the good of mankind all along. Perhaps a prequel movie would be a great avenue to address these plot holes. It was also a bit odd why the priest looked like a macho Freddy Krueger.
For a low budget horror film, Babysitter Wanted (2008) is a diamond in the rough. It sure has what it takes to take on even bigger films with its out-of-this-world gore and surprising plot twist that viewers will surely enjoy.
For the foregoing reasons, Grave Reviews gives this film Babysitter Wanted (2008) two and a half graves out of five graves.
Do you agree with our review? Comment below.
You may also like our review of the film, The Babysitter.
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