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The Babysitters

The Babysitters

These girls mean business.

200788 minRMidcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
Director
David Ross
Starring
John Leguizamo, Katherine Waterston, Cynthia Nixon, Andy Comeau

Seventeen-year-old Shirley is a good student who works as a babysitter in order to make money for college. One night Michael, a father Shirley works for, confesses he's unhappy with married life. Shirley has a crush on Michael, and seizes this moment to kiss him. Michael is so happy he presents Shirley with a big tip, which gives her an idea. Shirley plans to make extra money by setting up her teenage friends with other unhappy fathers.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Babysitters?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Babysitters streaming on Prime Video and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Babysitters?

The Babysitters earns 3 badges, led by Overhyped and Before they were famous.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Cast

Reception

Is The Babysitters worth watching?

The Babysitters' Midcredits score is the 22nd percentile of all films, from 27K ratings across 6 sources. 31% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

22nd percentile

Better received than 22% of films

17th percentile among Drama22nd percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)23rd
Approval (how many liked it)24th

53 /100

23rd percentile of all films

18th percentile among Drama23rd percentile among 2000s

Critics 35 · Audience 54

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 5.7 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

31% liked it

24th percentile of all films

19th percentile among Drama22nd percentile among 2000s
31% rated it 7–1069% rated it 1–6

Critics 35% · Audience 30%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Reach

How many have seen it

89th percentile

27K ratings across platforms

91st percentile among Drama82nd percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 43% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$24K
Domestic gross$45K
Worldwide gross$45K

26th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps acknowledge the film's provocative premise and strong central performances, but disagree on whether the execution is compelling or muddled.

Fans praised

  • well-drawn, engaging characters with believable arcs
  • strong lead performances, especially John Leguizamo
  • bold, original premise with moral ambiguity and gritty realism

Detractors panned

  • muddled tone and lack of clear direction
  • underdeveloped plot with rushed, jerky pacing
  • implausible character decisions and weak moral grounding

What stands out

OriginalityDivisive75

Fresh, taboo premise likened to Risky Business but darker

Acting72

Leguizamo's layered performance stands out; some call the cast bland

CharactersDivisive65

Well-drawn and developing, but supporting roles are underused

Atmosphere65

Gritty, uncomfortable tone that fits the subject

TensionDivisive60

Ratchets up as secrets threaten to surface

Plot and story45

Predictable yet original premise; logic gaps and rushed conclusion

EndingDivisive45

Underwhelming, ambiguous, and abrupt for many

Pacing40

Jerky momentum, felt rushed with continuity issues

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 8 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 9 points apart
  • Critics vs users 6 points apart
  • US vs non-US 4 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Babysitters like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Harrowing: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for a hard story that does not look away.

It is intense and leaves you unsettled. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Harrowing.

Moods
DreadColdTense
Heaviest: late
Register
Cold and cerebral · 4% of films: Detached and precise; keeps the viewer at arm's length.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Brutal · 7% of films
Told as
Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its disturbing material straight, with a detached, observational tone that refuses to moralize or offer easy judgment.
The rideThe film builds a steady pressure of dread and unease, with occasional bursts of violence, climaxing in the devastating final act.
StructureThe film opens with a voice-over framing the present, then flashes back to tell Shirley's story in mostly chronological order before returning to the frame.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Unsettled.

The answer rests on this: UnsettlingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you disturbed by the exploitation and moral decay it depicts, with a lingering sense of unease that persists after viewing.
How it ends · evidence
Tragic endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% (this title) · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Corruption arc: Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).

9% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeShirley's descent from babysitter to ringleader of a prostitution business follows a step-by-step moral decay, a corruption arc. The story traces her increasing ruthlessness and eventual breakdown.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfBetrayalMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% (this title) · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% (this title) · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% (this title) · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Betrayal · 5% of filmsGreed · 3% of filmsGuilt · 3% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores how a business built on transactional sex corrodes trust among friends and family, leaving everyone guilty and damaged.
StanceThe film uses Shirley's descent to warn about the dangers of transactional relationships and the destruction they bring to a community of friends and families.

The world

ContemporarySuburbanDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Chad Fischer
Settinga quiet American suburb where teenagers run a prostitution ring through a babysitting front
MusicThe score underlines the film's grim, melancholic atmosphere.

Content guide

Is The Babysitters okay for kids?

R

The Babysitters is rated R: “Rated R for disturbing strong sexual content, language and some drug use - involving teens” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (40/100), sexual content at moderate (57/100), language at moderate (51/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (52/100) and frightening material at moderate (41/100). Overall it is heavier than 16% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 7 other countries
  • UK18
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland18
  • MexicoC
  • Netherlands12
  • PolandR
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 44% of all filmsHeavier than 16% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 20%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 68%
Profanity
Moderate
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 23%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 66%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 25%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is sexual content, heavier than 68% of R-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Babysitters have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Babysitters?

Cast

3 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

John Leguizamo
as Michael Beltran
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Katherine Waterston
as Shirley Lyner
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Cynthia Nixon
as Gail Beltran
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Andy Comeau
as Jerry Tuchman
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Denis O'Hare
as Stan Lyner
Lauren Birkell
as Melissa Rowan
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Louisa Krause
as Brenda Woodberg
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Halley Wegryn Gross
as Nadine Woodberg
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Ann Dowd
as Tammy Lyner
Spencer Treat Clark
as Scott Miral

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Babysitters?

Movies like The Babysitters include River's Edge (1986), Breathe (2014) and Super Dark Times (2017). Of the 11 closest matches, most are teen dramas, and several are films set in high school.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

5 of these 11 share its world: small-town America. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Babysitters?

1.4K other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: enemies to lovers. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.