This post contains spoilers for "The Babysitter" and "The Babysitter: Killer Queen."
"Wednesday" is back with a second season full of spooks, along with a mysterious stalker who's making life difficult for its titular protagonist (played by Jenna Ortega). Ortega's Wednesday is significantly different from Christina Ricci's iconic rendition from the 1990s "Adams Family" movies, as the Netflix series takes a more blunt, sardonic approach to her personality (all while creating ample space for begrudging
vulnerability). The show's first season previously established just how effective this interpretation of the character is, and season 2 really only works thanks to Ortega's magnetic charisma as its lead. "Wednesday," however, is not the first Netflix title Ortega has starred in, as her breakout role came in the sequel to a slasher horror-comedy that did massive numbers on the platform back in 2017.
I'm talking about director McG's fun, fresh "The Babysitter," which gave rise to a rather disappointing follow-up. Also helmed by McG and released in 2020, "The Babysitter: Killer Queen" (as the sequel is titled) picks up two years after the events of the first movie. "The Babysitter" wears its camp elements on its sleeve with tongue-in-cheek pride, indulging in excess because it knows exactly how to have fun at its own expense. Samara Weaving's Bee is the obvious standout of the film, which is why her absence is dearly felt in "Killer Queen. (She only appears briefly in the movie and feels like little more than an afterthought to its story.) Still, for as flawed and questionable as "Killer Queen" is, Ortega's Phoebe is one of the few aspects that work in the film's favor.
Before we dive into Ortega's performance in "Killer Queen," though, it's worth quickly recapping the events of the first movie. In "The Babysitter," high schooler Cole (Judah Lewis) accidentally discovers that his babysitter, Bee, and her friends are in a demonic cult, which puts a dangerous target on his back. By the time "Killer Queen" begins, the somewhat older Cole is still recovering from the traumatic events when he's once again pulled into some cult-related shenanigans, forcing him to take a stand and fight back. With that in mind, here's how Ortega's breakout Netflix role fares when compared to the rest of the film.
Read more: The 15 Best 'So-Bad-It's-Good' Movies Of All Time
Jenna Ortega's Phoebe Is One Of The Few Meaningful Aspects Of The Babysitter: Killer Queen
"Killer Queen" opens with Cole struggling to navigate the aftermath of the events that took place two years ago, as no one believes him, including the authorities. His best friend Melanie (Emily Alyn Lind) is an exception to this, and she helps him escape his parents' misguided attempt to rehabilitate him by taking him to a lake party. However, this supposedly fun get-together takes a bloody turn after Melanie turns out to be a cult member (!), repeating the cycle of broken trust that Cole deals with in the first film. Right when he is about to get sacrificed, however, Phoebe (Ortega) randomly appears to look for a jet ski, acting unaffected by the bloodbath as she pretends that she thinks it's cosplay. This grants Cole an opportunity to temporarily escape with her, marking the beginning of the chase.
Ortega's Phoebe is no portrait of complexity, but she is one of the few characters that don't feel like a caricature in the movie (which is, admittedly, a pretty low bar). She's supposed to be the love interest that pushes the protagonist to take a stand, but Phoebe's arc also delves into her childhood trauma and the lasting repercussions. The dissonance between these serious, heavy topics and the loud, obnoxious elements of the film feels jarring, undermining everything we are supposed to take seriously, including Cole's emotional struggles. That said, Ortega delivers a memorable performance with what little she is given to work with, imbuing depth into a character that could've very easily been perceived as a shallow plot convenience.
It's also worth briefly noting that "Killer Queen" wasn't Ortega's first Netflix project, either, as she had also played Ellie Alves in the second season of "You." There, Ortega fleshes out her character's complicated teenage impulses and her vulnerability in compelling shades. Looking back from the vantage of the present, you can see how it hinted at her caliber as an actor. Of course, she's quickly come a long way since then, having appeared in several high-profile projects, including the "Scream" movies and Ti West's "X."
Circling back to the iffy "Babysitter" sequel, the rest of "Killer Queen" is irritatingly overkill and devoid of the playful charm that its predecessor channels with effortless ease. Unless you're a Jenna Ortega completionist who wants to appreciate her early performances regardless of the quality of the projects around them, I would recommend avoiding this one.
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