Naman Shrestha
‘Don’t Kill the Babysitter’ is a thriller film that centers upon an au pair from Venezuela named Mariela Rodriguez who struggles to land a job in the States. However, she manages to secure a babysitting job with the Collins family and takes the responsibility of nannying their young daughter Abbey Collins. Having special arrangements to stay at the Collins residence, Mariela arrives and is welcomed by what seems like the perfect American family. Mariela begins to notice certain abnormalities in the family, be it their over-protective behavior when it comes to Abbey or a secret locked door in Chase’s office. Soon, she realizes that they might have some ulterior motives for hiring her as their nanny.
The Lifetime production was originally titled ‘Devious Deeds.’ Featuring compelling performances by a talented cast comprising Valentina Andrade, Dawn Nagazina, D. Adam Jamieson, Isla Spencer, and Jamie Shelnitz, the film has Chris Bragg at the helm, exercising his directorial responsibilities. The theme of family secrets is predominant in the narrative, which is something true to life as almost every other family holds a secret. Thus, it is natural for you to pose the question — Is ‘Don’t Kill the Babysitter’ based on true events or not? Well, let’s explore the same in detail, shall we?
Don’t Kill the Babysitter: Fictional Thriller, Not a True Story
‘Don’t Kill the Babysitter’ is not based on a true story. Instead, the storyline of the Lifetime film can be credited to the imaginative mind and brilliant penmanship of Marianjely Marvel, an up-and-coming screenwriter in the industry. Despite lacking a sufficient amount of experience, she was still able to weave a suspenseful yet seemingly realistic screenplay for the thriller movie. Interestingly, there are various true-to-life themes and elements in the movie, including the two-faced family and the ulterior motives people tend to have behind their good deeds, due to which some of you might think that the narrative is authentic. After all, such cases do tend to occur time and again in the real world.
Another reason why the subject matter explored in ‘Don’t Kill the Babysitter’ might seem familiar to some of the viewers is that it is neither the first nor the last time a movie has touched upon such themes. As a matter of fact, there have been plenty of movies and TV shows over the years that revolve around the same or similar subject matter. One of the aptest examples has to be that of the 2017 psychological thriller movie ‘Get Out.’
Written and helmed by Jordan Peele, the film revolves around a black young man named Chris and his white girlfriend, Rose. Now that they have been together for several months, she invites him over to her parents’ house for the weekend. Upon reaching the secluded property of her parents, Missy and Dean, Chris is surprised with their accommodating behavior. But as the weekend progresses, he begins to peel off the layers and learns about the ulterior motives of the family.
Whether it is the open-armed welcome of an outsider into their house or it is the dark secrets and motives that they hide behind their kindness, the characters of Missy and Dean in ‘Get Out’ share quite a few similarities with Lori and Chase Collins in ‘Don’t Kill the Babysitter.’ So, all in all, it would be fair to say that despite having some realistic themes and elements, the Lifetime movie is not rooted in reality.
Read More: Where Was Lifetime’s Don’t Sell My Baby Filmed? Who is in the Cast?
