The Babysitters | Rotten Tomatoes (2025)

35% Tomatometer 26 Reviews 30% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings

Seventeen-year-old Shirley (Katherine Waterston) is a good student who works as a babysitter in order to make money for college. One night Michael (John Leguizamo), 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.

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Critics Consensus

Though built on an audacious and controversial premise, Babysitters teeters between exploitation and grossness due to uneven execution.

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Critics Reviews

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The Babysitters | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Stephen Garrett Time Out Rated: 3/5 Nov 16, 2011 Full Review The Babysitters | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Ann Hornaday Washington Post It's bad enough that writer-director David Ross indulges in the very perverse kind of Lolita-tinged titillation the film pretends to lament, but then he ties everything up with an oh-well shrug. May 16, 2008 Full Review The Babysitters | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Amy Nicholson I.E. Weekly Their customers are awkward enough that we're able to believe the girls are in control, or at least aware that they're the highlight of the men's week. Rated: B May 15, 2008 Full Review The Babysitters | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Prairie Miller NewsBlaze A pathetic excuse to trot out a procession of teenage girls in the raw, performing graphic simulated sex acts with your basic suburban family man drooling all over himself. May 17, 2008 Full Review The Babysitters | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Ken Fox TV Guide David Ross's stylishly tawdry black comedy fits neatly between Heathers and American Beauty. The Babysitters Club this ain't. Rated: 2.5/4 May 9, 2008 Full Review The Babysitters | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Liz Braun Jam! Movies You can see the potential in this off-kilter coming-of-age story, and it's a pity it never quite adds up. Rated: 2/5 May 9, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Matt P The effort was there. So you’d think? Who doesn’t want to see a bunch of hot girls bouncing around I mean come on, many, many people. Trying to make money for themselves whilst seemingly all living in mansions… jumping around… okay stop. That’s pretty much all they do. You barely see anything nude wise, and so all the jumping around is exactly that nothing more. Also it doesn’t sit well with your conscience knowing how sick all of it feels, the leads are fine with the main lead fantastically hot, but the ones below lack conviction in a way that makes this a bit silly, and in the end the film makers shrug it off as let’s wrap it up and accept defeat. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/13/24 Full Review Sarah Z Hollywood shows its gross side again. Rated 2/5 Stars • Rated 2 out of 5 stars 08/12/23 Full Review Henry K One of the best and most original movies ever Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member I was waiting for the part where the women got revenge, or at the very least, there was some kind of moral of the story. Unfortunately it was all sexist and disturbing. Rated 0.5/5 Stars • Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 08/05/22 Full Review Audience Member HOW DO I GIVE THIS ZERO STARS. Absolutely disgusting. Rated 0.5/5 Stars • Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member This film at first tries to build erotic sexual tension but fails when overnight the innocent, virgin-like Shirley turns into a money-driven shameless Madam. All of the characters you wish would just get their just reward they are all about as likeable as Jeffrey Dahmer. The plot is ridiculous as well—is it even possible in real life for a group of male married friends to all be pedophiles? Is it possible for the teenagers to recruit so many girls to the most demeaning occupation on earth? This film purports to have feminism—instead it characterizes all teenage girls through the lens of horny males and declares that ALL girls this age are dumb bimbos who will have sex with any greasy, ugly guy for cash. One of the men actually says this. I've seen innumerable movies in my lifetime and this one is at the bottom. There's no tension at all and the end feels like a commercial that was spliced into the film and not part of the film itself. You don't even give a damn about the wives who are, for the most part, flat entities with a pulse. Rated 0.5/5 Stars • Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

David Ross Director John Leguizamo Michael Beltran Katherine Waterston Shirley Lyner Cynthia Nixon Gail Beltran Spencer Treat Clark Scott Miral Andy Comeau Jerry Tuchman
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Synopsis Seventeen-year-old Shirley (Katherine Waterston) is a good student who works as a babysitter in order to make money for college. One night Michael (John Leguizamo), 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.

Director
David Ross

Producer
Kathy DeMarco, Jason Dubin, Jennifer Dubin, John Leguizamo, Cora Olson

Screenwriter
David Ross

Distributor
Peace Arch Entertainment Group Inc.

Production Co
Forensic Films, Upload Films

Rating
R (Language|Involving Teens|Disturbing Sexual Content|Some Drug Use)

Genre
Drama

Original Language
English

Release Date (Theaters)
May 9, 2008, Limited

Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 2, 2016

Runtime
1h 30m
Most Popular at Home Now
The Babysitters | Rotten Tomatoes (2025)

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