The Babysitter's Seduction

A very mediocre crime movie. The dialogues feel totally artificial and bad acted. Similar situations were there in several other movies before. If it was a more interesting kind of stage-managing, I'd turn a blind eye. But this was awfully long winded und uninteresting. Somehow uninspired. I would like to have my time back. It was not a complete rubbish which turns it only worse. If I have a completely no go in my player, I turn it off, give it a 1/10 and reject the trash for something better. But it is just so good, that I hoped it will turn better over the whole runtime until the end. So I waited for the wrong thing. Badly.

"The Babysitter's Seduction" makes a nifty little TV thriller. It starts out as a very good mystery with absolutely no suspects in who killed Bill Bartrand's wife and made it look like a suicide. Then we begin getting suspect after suspect. Alas, the identity of the culprit is given away much too soon. Director David Burton Morris must rely on suspense, chills, and thrills for the rest of the film. As the movie progresses one wonders if the babysitter is seducing Bill Bartrand or if Bill Bartrand is seducing the babysitter. Slowly we get the drift of what is really taking place. This part of the story is well written and directed. Some reviewers found it repulsive and unbelievable that a 50 year old man and a 20 year old woman (in the movie 40 and l8) could get it on. Have they not heard of sugar daddies and now sugar mamas? The babysitter wants to fill the dead wife's shoes, car, house, jewelry, and become the mother of her two children. Because of this, she doesn't see what others see, especially Det. Kate Jacobs, until it is almost too late. The final scenes in Bill Bartrand's house are edge of the seat suspense, particularly for a television movie.

The acting is above average for a TV movie. Keri Russell made her character believable once she got warmed up to the part. Stephen Collins was just right for his role, a charming creep who becomes very menacing. I prefer seeing Tobin Bell as a heavy, but he does fine as Bill Bartrand's detective friend. They played football together in school and he was close to Bartrand's wife.

I had not previously encountered this film, but I faintly recall its cover from my childhood on TV or VHS at the rental shop (God, to think these are no more). There are several similar titles available on Tubi that I remember seeing on the covers of VHS, although I was too young to watch them at the time. However, I am now able to appreciate them and am thoroughly enjoying the experience. This film embodies many characteristics of early 90s thrillers and made-for-television movies. During that era, it was quite popular to feature narratives involving older men and school-aged girls, as seen in productions such as "Poison Ivy," among others. However, this particular film presented a somewhat different perspective. Although it was watchable, it lacked excitement and was predictable in its plot development. Nonetheless, it served its purpose of providing entertainment and gave me the opportunity to see Tobin Bell in a non-horror role, which is primarily how I know him. Overall, while it may not have been exceptional, it was certainly more enjoyable than many other films I have encountered.

The movie felt a bit longer than it should have been, kind of boring at times. The twists were decent fun. Keri Russell delivers a solid performance as Michelle, a babysitter caught in a web of lies and suspicion after the sudden death of her employer's wife. While the plot has its moments of intrigue, it leans heavily on predictable tropes typical of 90s thrillers. The pacing drags in parts, but the cast, including Stephen Collins and Phylicia Rashad, adds depth. Not groundbreaking, but it's watchable for fans of Lifetime-style dramas. An alright movie overall, something perfect for when you need something to watch and it doesn't really matter what.

Arian Waring Ash looks pretty fantastic in this flick. It's sort of beneath Keri Russell to do this movie, but at least the director seems to understand that if Keri is looking good, it's not a waste of anyone's time. And indeed, she is looking good here. I'm not even a Keri Russell fan. I found the comment about the dog doing the best acting amusing, but it's not true. Keri's acting is good. Even Keri's kid brother turns in a respectable performance, and he has what, ten lines? If you didn't like Phylicia/Mrs. Cosby's performance, you might ask yourself why so much of her energy and style here is duplicated by Khandi/Ms. Talk Radio six years later in CSI Miami. It's actually too bad that there isn't a longer theater-cut of this thing, because it does capture Ms. Russell in what must be her peak bloom, and that's not at all a bad thing. Shame shame shame on casting directors for failing to see this as an audition for the sidekick, Arian Ash, and not turning her into a big star. But who knows? maybe she was beaten out by Love Hewitt for all the subsequent roles, and that's not a bad thing either. This movie probably got pitched as a "let's take all that sexual energy from the Yale babysitter in Mystic Pizza and take it to its logical conclusion" and hey, that's a pretty good idea. At least i don't feel as dirty at the end as I do whenever I see Blame It On Rio. Incidentally, Demi Moore was the sidekick in that one, and someone DID see that and turn her into a star.