Review of Babysitter Wanted (2007) by Patrick E — 08 Jun 2010

Itâ??s incredibly frustrating when countless derivative horror films are released in cinemaâ??s while original and entertaining films like Babysitter Wanted take over 3 years just to get a DVD release. I wonder did any distributors actually watch the film before passing on it because it really is a very well made horror film with a real 80â??s retro feel. We are a lucky bunch that someone finally had the guts to release this little gem of a film.

Angie is a very religious girl who moves away from home in order to start college. Once she arrives though she finds that her room mate is a slob and there is no bed for her to sleep on. Having no money to buy a new one, she does as most horror film heroines decide to do and searches out a babysitting job for herself in a house way outside the town. What could possibly go wrong? Quite a lot as it happens as the familyâ??s child is not whatâ??s expected and things go very wrong very quickly!

I donâ??t want to give much of the plot away as it has one particularly big twist that gives the film a real 80â??s monster movie feel that makes Babysitter Wanted such an original film. The first hour is very much a haunted house film where our babysitter is convinced she is being watched and eerie things begin to happen around the house. There is a real tense atmosphere as our heroine becomes increasingly frightened that a strange man she has seen around campus is out to get her. At the hour mark the filmâ??s twist happens which unleashes all out mayhem. The pace zips along as she tries to escape the amazing predicament she finds herself in and it all ends in a very satisfying conclusion. The last half hour is not for the weak hearted as there is quite a lot of gore but itâ??s never overly done and fits the story perfectly. The effects are excellent, as is the eerie score and the actors all do a good job. The character of the Childs father is particularly effective with one real standout scene in the familyâ??s barn that will stay with you for a while. There a few plot lines that are touched upon and never seen again and one character thatâ??s completely redundant but otherwise itâ??s well written and directed. Some people will roll their eyes at the twist but anyone who likes their horrors with a sense of fun will love it.

Babysitter Wanted is a real old school horror film that isnâ??t afraid to use a supernatural element. Itâ??s both a tense and frightening haunted house film and a slasher thrill ride with an unusually satisfying ending. The only thing that baffles me is just why it took so long for the film to be released.