Have you ever gone to a buffet where the food was amazing only to come back to a bland tasting fare with none of the things that made it special the first time around?
This was precisely the case for "The Babysitter: Killer Queen," the sequel to 2017’s surprise hit "The Babysitter."
After he narrowly escaped being a blood sacrifice for a demonic cult, Cole (Judah Lewis) is still haunted by the events of that fateful night two years ago. Unfortunately, because he told his parents, the cops and basically the entire town about his experience, everyone now thinks he’s nuts, save for his best friend Melanie (Emily Alyn Lind). Just as he is about to be shipped off to psychiatric school, Melanie invites him to spend a weekend at the lake. Little did he know about the horrors that await his weekend escape.
It’s hard not to set standards for "The Babysitter: Killer Queen" simply because the first movie was so good.
Sure, the sequel utilized familiar elements from the original movie, like its grindhouse approach and its over the top use of blood and gore. Sure, it’s fun and entertaining but the initial excitement does not sustain for long because the story is just too flimsy and corny to carry any weight.
It seemed that producers simply greenlit the film for the sake of releasing another movie, by banking on the merits of the first film. Sadly, it was a wrong move. The original movie was great, and the sequel was nothing but a poor shadow.
This is not to say that there wasn’t anything good about "The Babysitter: Killer Queen." That would be too harsh. The special effects and the musical score was cool. It had a classic feel to it that screamed 80s horror (even though it was set in the current timeline). However, all of these seemed pointless because the scenes seemed to be crafted to kill time, not build up to a good climax.
The acting was sub-par at best and the number of characters in the film was clearly intended to increase the body count, not to enrich the story.
The twist in the end was so forced that it could bring tears to viewers’ eyes. It might be harsh to say it but it was a mess.
While it is true that one should manage expectations when it comes to a B movie like "The Babysitter: Killer Queen," it was just so disappointing because it could have delivered on something more, if only producers only made an effort on quality. After all, they had three years to come up with a good sequel.
If you loved the original movie, then steer clear of the sequel to preserve your good memories about the franchise.