Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
After their regular babysitter cancels, the Thompson family turns to her friend, Anna to supervise their children while the parents go out to celebrate their anniversary. At first Anna seems like a dream come true to the kids, allowing them to eat extra cookies and play with things that are usually off-limits, but as her behaviour becomes increasingly odd, the kids soon find out that her intentions are dark and twisted—and she is not who she seems to be.
Emelie is a competent but formulaic thriller built on a well-worn babysitter-from-hell premise. The plot hits predictable beats without meaningful subversion, and the acting from the adult leads is serviceable but unremarkable, though the child performances are occasionally naturalistic. Cinematography is functional genre work with little visual distinction. The film earns mild credit for committing to some genuinely unsettling moments with the children, but it doesn't push far enough to stand out in the crowded home-invasion/psycho-caretaker subgenre. The ending resolves things adequately but without surprise or resonance, leaving little impression.