The Babysitter: Killer Queen

In the exciting and nerve-racking follow-up to 2017's surprise hit "The Babysitter," "The Babysitter: Killer Queen" continues the narration two years after Cole Johnson's unforgettable bloody night. Brought to life by Judah Lewis reprising his role as Cole, he is desperately trying to forget about the terrifying ordeal. Samara Weaving graces the screen again in her return as the unforgettable, cajoling, and homicidal babysitter, Bee.

Directed by McG, who also helmed the first film, this sequel contains all the vibrant pastiche, pop culture references, and outrageous humor that made the original so enjoyable for horror-film aficionados and newcomers alike. Brian Duffield and Dan Lagana penned this blood-soaked script that threads the line between horror and absurdity with a deft hand. They have tossed aside the rulebook on what you expect in a horror sequel, opting instead to double down on the wild antics and visceral thrills.

Now, two years later, the sophomore protagonist, Cole, finds himself dealing with the standard terrors and apprehensions of high school, alongside being disbelieved and ridiculed for the horrifying events that transpired two years prior. His parents, played by Ken Marino and Leslie Bibb, are at the point of committing him to a psychiatric school, suspecting he suffered a psychotic episode rather than being coerced into a demonic cult by his babysitter.

Meanwhile, Jenna Ortega joins the tale as Phoebe, the beguiling new kid with a clandestine past. She becomes a beacon of understanding and empathy for Cole, becoming an ally and potential romantic interest in his stormy high school world. But even with a new friend, Cole is not safe from his past.

As he joins his best friend Melanie (played by Emily Alyn Lind) and her unsophisticated boyfriend (Maximilian Acevedo) to a forbidden party on a remote lake, the worst happens. The previous film's lethal, yet somehow adored, teenage cult members return from the dead. Their explicitly ambitious intentions to finish what they started, eliminating Cole after failing the first time round, adds a fresh injection of terror and humor to the narrative.

Each of the undead villains possesses their signature idiosyncratic trait, bound together by shared delusions of immortality, with a portion of the twisty plot dedicated to backstories that endeavor to explain their quirks. Characters like Bella Thorne's Allison, Robbie Amell's Max, Andrew Bachelor's John, and Hana Mae Lee's Sonya are back with fantastic performances, bringing their hilariously wicked characters to life.

The film features a rollercoaster of adrenaline-pumping action sequences, intensely sanguinary showdowns, and darkly comedic moments. It delights in pushing the envelope of its genre, yielding uproarious satire while never losing sight of the thrills and chills with reverberating jump scares and gruesome killings.

Typically rhythmic, adrenaline-inducing music plays as the background score, adding an extra layer of excitement to high-tension sequences. The editing and cinematography are tightly executed, displaying a fine understanding of both the comedic and horror genres by perfectly timing jump scares and visual gags.

With its anarchic energy, "The Babysitter: Killer Queen" ups the ante of ludicrousness from the first installment and embraces its eccentricities. It pushes the limits of both horror and comedy, crafting a blend that stirs laughter just as quickly as it compels gasps of terror. It's a stylish, irreverent, audacious and raucous horror-comedy—a thrill ride for the ones with a taste for gory, yet funny proceedings.

While it's definitely not for the faint-hearted or those who are uneasy with blood, this horror-comedy offers a rating-R spectacle. If you are a fan of the darker side of comedy, with a sprinkle of horror thrown in for a good measure, turn off the lights, grab your popcorn, and get ready to indulge in this outrageous yet hilarious horror sequel.