Movie Review: ‘Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead’ (2024)

Opening in limited release in theaters April 12, ‘Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead’ takes the basic structure of the 1991 comedy starring Christina Applegate and gives it new life with some worthwhile twists and a handful of solid and charismatic elements. Performances reinforced by a story that does not get tangled up trying to get the protagonists into trouble.

Crucially, it also finds a tone that differentiates the new film from the original, so that while there are many of the same beats, they enjoy a new twist.

Is ‘Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead’ a Welcome Remake?

Remakes are an old problem for fandom, particularly online, and each new permutation is punished as the end of creativity and a sign of Hollywood’s lack of imagination. Take a recognizable title, add a different cast, and tweak an idea or two, and you’re done! New movie that can be sold again.

And there are a lot of movies we’d be wise to never touch – we’ve seen studios stumble trying to revisit movies like ‘RoboCop,’ ‘The Wicker Man,’ and more. Fortunately for ‘Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead,’ the new movie has an advantage, as the original is a fun movie, but it’s not a cold classic.

Which makes this new one even more timely. And it doesn’t hurt that it’s also a pretty fun movie night.

‘Don’t tell mom that the babysitter is dead’: Screenplay and direction

Chuck Hayward wrote the remake, and the story is still credited to Neil Landau and Tara Ison from the original, as is correct since it uses much of their concept.

Still, Hayward’s work on the new film can’t be ignored, as he’s done a lot to update the premise: one of the characters, when someone suggests a way to get rid of the dead babysitter, scoffs, “this is it.” . 1991…” And, in fact, it’s not a cast of rich white people either.

While the new family certainly isn’t without money (and still lives in a giant house), their race heavily influences the setup, as Tanya Crandell (Simone Joy Jones) and her siblings are well aware that, as four children blacks, You wouldn’t find many friends among the local sheriff’s department if they revealed that your babysitter is dead, even if, like in the original, she passed away in her sleep.

However, like the original, the focus is on Tanya (as it was in Christina Applegate’s Swell), who has to bear the brunt of finding work to earn money and take care of her brothers and sisters. However, the script shares the love that surrounds them: her family are not slackers; yes, even pot-happy brother Kelly (Donielle T. Hansley Jr.), who steps up when really asked. There are welcome character arcs for everyone, even the eccentricities of the younger siblings called in to help when the moment calls for it (younger sister Melissa, played by Ayaamii Sledge, is obsessed with true crime cases and CSI-style shows, and is a natural when It’s about dealing with the dead.

And around the protagonists, the script builds a collection of characters that feel more like people than archetypes: they all have wants and needs, and none of them are just villains or anything more.

Wade Allain-Marcus keeps things moving and works well with his cast to make the most of them. It is not a flat and boring filming style either, although it is simple and lets the comedy flow.

‘Don’t tell mom that the babysitter is dead’: Performances

Naturally, the story falls primarily on Jones, and she’s more than up to the task of making Tanya believably human. She’s not superwoman: her responsibilities weigh on her and she’s just as capable of being a brat as anyone else in the house. She’s also convincingly a teenager, particularly with her mother (Mrs. Pat, who has cameos at the beginning and end) and when she falls in love with Bryan (Miles Fowler).

The relationship angle is perhaps the weakest and most traditional plot here, but it’s harmless and has its charms.

The workplace where Tanya pretends seems like a version of ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, although it is still based on the original story. Nicole Ritchie basically plays a version of herself, but if there’s one thing she knows how to do when it comes to acting, it’s that, and she has a lot of fun doing it.

While June Squibb naturally has more limited screen time as Mrs. Sturak, the babysitter, she makes a good impression from the start and reveals that she has watched Madea movies to learn how to argue with children.

‘Don’t tell mom that the babysitter is dead’: final thoughts

Winning and really welcome in the realm of remakes, this new version really earns its reason for existing and offers a good group of characters to root for and also laugh at.

And how refreshing is it to be able to say that?

‘Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.

What is the plot of ‘Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead’?

17-year-old Tanya (Simone Joy Jones)’s plans for a carefree summer are derailed when her over-stressed mother (Patricia “Ms. Pat” Williams) goes on a wellness retreat, leaving Tanya and her family. three brothers in the care of a cantankerous (and racist) old nanny (June Squibb). The babysitter’s sudden death leaves the children penniless and reluctant to prematurely take Mom away from her much-needed R&R, so Tanya is forced to get a job. Posing as an adult, she lands a job as an executive assistant at a fashion company and overnight she finds herself thrust into the world of adulthood and parenthood.

Who is part of the cast of ‘Don’t tell mom that the babysitter is dead’?

• Simone Joy Jones as Tanya Crandell
• Nicole Richie as Rose Lindsey
• June Squibb as Mrs. Sturak
• Patricia “Ms. Pat” Williams as Mom
• Donielle T. Hansley Jr. as Kelly
• Miles Fowler as Bryan

June Squibb in ‘Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead’ from 2024. Photo: BET+.

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