THE NIGHT SITTER (2018)

Studio:      Uncork’d Entertainment
Director:    John Rocco, Abiel Bruhn
Writer:      John Rocco, Abiel Bruhn
Producer:  Cristian Quintero, John Rocco
Stars:     Elyse DuFour, Jack Champion, Jermaine Rivers, Amber Neukum, J. Benedict Larmore, Ben Barlow, Joe Walz, Deanna Meske, Bailey Campbell

Review Score:

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Summary:

Two precocious boys and a thief posing as their babysitter trigger a chain of events that conjures three legendary witches.

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Synopsis:     Show/Hide Spoilers

Amber poses as a babysitter in order to rob the house of wealthy widower Ted Hooper. When Amber arrives, Ted explains that he collects occult artifacts and is hoping to sell a TV show where he stars as a paranormal investigator. Ted regrets that he has never witnessed a supernatural event firsthand while giving explicit instructions to stay out of his locked office.

Amber meets Ted’s strange son Kevin. Ted leaves for his date with Charlotte LaFontaine, who drops off her obnoxious son Ronnie to stay with Amber and Kevin.

Amber plays hide and seek with the two boys. While hiding under a bed, Kevin spies Amber stealing a roll of money as well as several of his father’s watches.

Next-door neighbor Vincent, who lives in a garage, briefly stops by to introduce himself to Amber.

Kevin asks Amber about the stolen items, which Amber explains by making an analogy to Robin Hood. Kevin confides that he thinks three witches are trying to attack him through his dreams.

Amber falls asleep while reading a bedtime story to Kevin. Amber sees a witch in a nightmare.

Martin, who has an unreciprocated crush on Amber, comes to the house to ask Amber about their relationship. While Amber is distracted, Ronnie uses a stolen key to enter Ted’s office with Kevin. Kevin finds an old grimoire about witches called “The Three Mothers.” Kevin accidentally bleeds on one of the pages, causing the book to supernaturally conjure three glowing orbs that mysteriously vanish. Ronnie also disappears.

Accompanied by his flighty girlfriend Lindsey, Amber’s thieving accomplice Rod arrives at the house to help loot it. When Lindsey leaves Rod to snort cocaine alone, a witch puts a necklace on Lindsey that causes her to become possessed.

Kevin finds two witches draining Ronnie’s blood in the basement. The witches then slit Ronnie’s throat. Kevin runs to Amber to tell her the three witches killed Ronnie.

Confused, Amber tasks Martin and Rod with looking for Ronnie. Vincent returns to the house to ask about the power being out. Hoping to distract Vincent, Amber agrees to accompany him back to his garage while leaving Kevin alone with Lindsey.

Amber and Vincent discuss the occult. Amber asks Vincent what he knows about witches.

Lindsey tries leading Kevin back into the basement to kill him. Rod interrupts.

Kevin runs next door for help. Kevin shows a drawing of the witches to Vincent and Amber. Recognizing their images, Vincent explains that The Three Mothers were notorious child killers who were tortured to death in Salem.

A seductive woman entrances Martin outside by the pool. The vixen then transforms into a witch, spurring Martin to flee.

Amber, Kevin, Vincent, and Martin return to the main house to find Lindsey choking Rob. Lindsey bites off Rob’s fingers.

The three witches attempt to capture Kevin. Vincent recites an incantation that causes the witches to vanish. Lindsey flees outside after trapping everyone in the house by writing a bloody rune on a window.

Kevin shows Amber and Vincent the book in Ted’s office. Vincent recounts that the book was written by devout followers who used the witches’ ashes in the ink, thereby making them part of the book.

The group makes a plan to escape to Vincent’s garage. Vincent and Martin go first, but the witches end up killing Vincent.

A door suddenly opens. Amber, Kevin, Rod, and Martin escape outside to the pool house where Lindsey beats Martin to death. Amber and Rod fight Lindsey until Amber stabs her through the back of her head. The witches kidnap Kevin in the commotion.

Ted and Charlotte return home. The witches tear off Charlotte’s scalp. Ted is pleased to see his office pilfered.

Ted accidentally shoots Rod when a witch frightens him. Ted excitedly admits to Amber that he manipulated Ronnie’s curiosity so the annoying boy would break into his office and finally trigger a paranormal event. Ted becomes distressed when Amber explains Kevin actually discovered the cursed book. Ted counters that they can destroy the witches by burning the book because they are part of it.

With 15 minutes to go until the witches can complete their ritual by killing Kevin at midnight, Ted and Amber sneak into the basement. Ted sets the book on fire, but nothing happens to the three witches holding Kevin captive.

Drawn to the fire, the witches kill Ted. Amber strangles one of the witches with a noose. Amber frees Kevin, fights off the other two witches, and escapes the house with Kevin while the two witches remain trapped inside.

Amber and Kevin drive away together. A curious neighbor enters the house afterward and comes under attack.

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Review:

Everyone in “The Night Sitter” has some sort of scheme up a sleeve. Wealthy widower Ted Hooper wishes he were a popular paranormal researcher. Even though he’s never seen a supernatural event himself, occult antiquities stock his spacious home, and his sizzle reel desperately tries to sell Ted as the hot new host of a ghost hunting reality show.

Networks aren’t interested in Ted’s cartoony claptrap. But “Amber” is interested in those aforementioned antiquities. Posing as a babysitter, Amber infiltrates the slightly macabre mansion planning to pilfer it with her literal partner in crime Rod, Rod’s dim bulb girlfriend Lindsey, and Martin, the sad sack suitor who can’t take Amber’s direct hint that she isn’t interested in his awkward advances.

Kevin and Ronnie are Amber’s two wards for the evening. Preoccupied by nightmares involving evil entities determined to entrance him, Ted’s strange son Kevin draws odd imagery that’s curiously concerned with witchcraft. Kevin isn’t friends with precocious provoker Ronnie, but the other boy is the son of Ted’s date. Like it or not, Ronnie has to stay overnight.

After he loses interest in annoying Amber, Ronnie gains interest in getting into Ted’s locked office. Once inside, Kevin and Ronnie uncover a dusty tome dedicated to “The Three Mothers.” A little bit of accidental bloodletting later, the boys inadvertently conjure three glowing orbs. You can guess where things go next. The cast of quirky characters assembled inside the house is about to experience a night of splattery slaughter they won’t soon forget, if they can even keep their heads.

Several sources classify “The Night Sitter” as a comedy, although that label ought to come with an advisory asterisk. Characters such as eccentric neighbor Vincent and antics like a sudden bout of cocaine-fueled sex obviously aim for comic relief. But the subdued silly streak stems mainly from the movie’s self-aware air more than ha-ha hijinks. “The Night Sitter” understands its crowdfunded chemistry prevents it from being taken with total seriousness, so it says, “yeah we know” by sniffing a whiff of an “Evil Dead” attitude. Errantly anticipate straight-no-chaser joking around and you’ll find the film deliberately doesn’t grab for the jugular.

This poses a predicament for the production because it doesn’t pack the knockout hook necessary to fire on all cylinders for horror and humor. Writing and acting, particularly from Elyse DuFour as the sassily smirking lead, are both above average. Lighting and cinematography are even better. Spike this plain-ish punch with spicier oomph in terms of staging and scenery and there’d be something spunkier to see here.

Clearly, devoted horror fans made “The Night Sitter” to pay tribute to their idols, and hopefully attract like-minded appreciators in the process. In addition to loose licks of Sam Raimi via a deranged deadite ranting and raving, John Carpenter echoes on the synthesized score while Dario Argento drips all over the color palette.

Feel free to sigh since horror has as many modern Carpenter and Argento riffs as McDonald’s has French fries. No one would blame you. Little about “The Night Sitter’s” setup screams for these throwback tones. Still, I’ll award passing grades since “The Night Sitter’s” creepy keyboards and colored gels don’t distract as wholly out of place inclusions. Unearned retro flair taking precedence over plotting has felled many a DTV fright flick. Rob Himebaugh’s music and Scotty G. Field’s camera, ably assisted by Matthew Schwartz’s sound design and art design/direction from Megan Case, Madeline Grayson, and Morgan Lugo, at least enrich “The Night Sitter” with intriguing sights and sounds.

One of the reasons I watched “The Night Sitter” is because it is set during Christmas. Like a mogwai after midnight, I have a seemingly insatiable appetite for holiday horror. However, the red/green lighting scheme melts into the “Suspiria” aesthetic so quickly, you’ll regularly forget when the movie is meant to take place. As with any ideas about out-loud laughs, it’s best to cool expectations for a midline movie. The Xmas setting is incidental, partially motivating brightly colored visuals without truly tying into the holiday.

I may have used this metaphor before, but what the hell. “The Night Sitter” hits safe standards as a bowl of Goldilocks’ porridge. It’s not too hot. Plenty of predictable beats play things too tamely before limping into end credits with an underwhelming finale. It’s not too cold either. Written and directed by John Rocco and Abiel Bruhn, clean editing, well designed details, and evident passion earmark the crew as newcomers who care about crafting quality indie horror on a light wallet. More memorable entertainment options may exist in the same space, but there are far more poorly produced alternatives out there too. “The Night Sitter” is essentially a “just right” movie that’s ideal for a quick one-and-done watch provided easygoing moods are tuned to its mild vibe.

Review Score: 60

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