Three years into high school and two years after a chaotic night with his babysitter, Cole (Judah Lewis) is in need of serious counseling. As high schooler he’s uncomfortable in his own skin, but he’s also a survivor of inexplicable trauma. Nobody believes his version of events on that fateful night, not even his parents. You were attacked by a satanic cult run by your old babysitter who were dedicated to drinking your blood to fulfill their deal with the devil himself? Sure, Cole. If this sounds far-fetched to you, it’s because it is. But it happened. Watch the prior film The Babysitter (2017), to see for yourself.

Now Cole’s parents have him medicated and want to send him to a school for the mentally disturbed. The one person who believes him is his friend, Melanie, but that’s only because she was there that night. In a desperate attempt to escape high school and the prescription drugs, Cole ditches school with Melanie. However, their night proves to be just as chaotic as the one two years ago.

The film keeps all the elements from the prequel and uses it to its advantage. From the killer soundtrack to the consistent horror themes, it’s nearly identical to the first one. Fortunately, it doesn’t try to hide it. For starters, the satanic cult from the prequel are just as gimmicky as the were before and have the same flaws that lead to their demise. Allison (Bella Thorne) is just as incredibly vain, Max (Robbie Amell) has yet to find a shirt or restraint of any kind, John (King Bach) still has throw-away jokes, and Sonya (Hana Mae Lee) remains a mystery to us all.

The editing is also unashamedly similar. With such a naturally funny cast, comedic timing is crucial to get the most laughs. The freeze frames, close-ups, and captions all work tremendously together to show you that this is just as bizarre as last time and you’re just as surprised and annoyed as the characters. Oh, this person’s head got chopped off after saying something that made all the characters do a double take? Yeah. It happens.

As repetitive as these formulas might seem, this sequel has new and exciting things to offer as well. Cole isn’t going through everything alone now. Friends might be too strong a word for the people accompanying him on this wild night, but they’re still with him and experiencing everything he is. And, on top of him struggling to explain why this isn’t his first rodeo with a satanic cult, he’s way out of his element. He’s at some beach he’s never been to before and dealing with people he has never met. Most of the first movie took place at Cole’s house, so he knew his surroundings. Now, he has to constantly think on his toes to figure out how to survive in these new environments.

Perhaps the most refreshing element is that the film doesn’t revolve solely on Cole. His and Melanie’s dads think they’re lost and are trying to track them down while hilariously high as kites. Drugs and satanic rituals just don’t mix. You heard it hear first, kids. We also get to see more into the cult’s backstories and why they joined the cult in the first place. These reasons aren’t hard to guess because they’re just as shallow as they were two years ago, but it certainly helps to know why four strangers are hellbent on killing some high schooler. Surely, they could’ve picked some other kid.

Overall, The Babysitter: Killer Queen is exciting and offers closure to the people who had no clue what was going on in the first movie while neatly leaving room for a third installment. If you enjoyed the last movie, chances are you’ll enjoy this one too. If you still don’t know if this is the movie for you, be sure to checkout the trailer.

You can watch The Babysitter: Killer Queen on Netflix now. Have you already seen it? Let us know what you think in the comment section below!

Nothing but love.

Published by Rihaana Stark

21-year-old senior at JMU, class of 2020 in Virginia. Writing for Geeks of Color. My friends call me Stark, so you can call me Stark, too. Nothing but love. View all posts by Rihaana Stark