Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Looking for a baby-sitter for the night, Marc Schaudel entrusts his son Remy to the care of his employee Franck, a straight man. But the thing that Marc doesn't know, is that Franck is getting 30 years old this weekend and that his son Remy is a very capricious child. The next day, Marc and his wife Claire are awakened by a call from the police. Remy and Franck are missing, and the house is totally devastated. The police finds a camera in the leftovers. Marc, Claire and the police start watching the video that has been recorded the day before during the night and find out what happened to Franck and Remy.
Babysitting is a French found-footage comedy that delivers solid laughs and a fun escalating-chaos premise, but leans heavily on the Hangover-style mystery-night-reconstruction formula that was already well-worn by 2014. The plot is competent and entertaining but predictable in its escalation. The acting is naturalistic and energetic, fitting the mockumentary style without standing out. Cinematography is deliberately shaky and low-fi as required by the found-footage conceit, functional but unambitious. Novelty is limited — found-footage comedy night-out chaos is a recycled template, and while the French setting adds some flavor, the film doesn't transcend its formula. The ending wraps up amusingly but without particular surprise or resonance.