As much as Halloween season calls for dark and creepy movies, sometimes you crave a family-friendly adventure. That’s why A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting on Netflix is such a treat, offering a perfect blend of spooky fun for all ages. This movie, adapted from Joe Ballarini’s book, introduces us to Kelly Ferguson, a babysitter whose night takes a wild turn when the boy she’s watching gets kidnapped by the Boogeyman. Luckily, she discovers a secret society of babysitters who know all about the supernatural, and they just might be the key to stopping The Grand Guignol (Tom Felton).
Rachel Talalay directs this fantastical journey, and her experience directing Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare actually proved useful. As she points out, transitioning from horror to a family film involved some key considerations.
“I sort of have a great deal of love for horror and for special effects. I sometimes say my autobiography should be called Everything I Know I Learned from Nightmare on Elm Street, mostly because it taught me how to do everything on a budget, all kinds of effects and it taught me a lot about audiences. And so the difference here is, how do you take those skills and put them towards a family film? You know, the $64 million question, how scary is it? How scary can we be? How scary should we be? How do we make it family/scary appropriate [and] funny? And Joe found the balance in the book, but finding the balance on screen is very different.”
From Page to Screen: Adapting A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting
While the film stays true to the source material, some elements were reimagined. One notable change? The cat lady.
Image via Netflix
Ballarini explains that the babysitter’s guide to monster hunting cat lady in the book was a far cry from the character we see on screen:
“The cat lady in the book is a really sort of gnarly, ghosty, scary, creepy, spooky house and it’s a cat lady who loved her cats so much, she fed herself to them … I think maybe I pushed a little too far with the cat ladies of the world. And Rachel really had a unique vision for Peggy Drood and really took Peggy Drood in a much more imaginative, almost really modern take on what that cat lady would be, so the cat lady’s actually a really cool, seductive almost, very stylish character that turns out to be like, ‘Wow, that’s a totally different vibe from the book,’ but it really works within the context of the film.”
Reimagining the Cat Lady: A Modern Twist
Peggy Drood, the cat lady character, underwent a significant transformation in the film adaptation. The initial concept of a “gnarly, ghosty, scary” figure was replaced with a more “cool, seductive, and stylish” persona. This modern take on the character provides a fresh perspective on the cat lady archetype, seamlessly fitting into the movie’s fantastical setting.
Image via Netflix
Diving Deeper: The Grand Guignol, Toadies, and More
The interview with Talalay and Ballarini offers more insights into the making of A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting.
- The Grand Guignol: Discover how they approached the character and what it was like working with Tom Felton.
- The Toadies: Learn about the process of bringing these creatures to life.
- Set Treasures: Find out which props the director and writer took home from the set.
Plus, keep an eye out for a Nightmare on Elm Street Easter egg hidden within the film!
Image via Netflix
A Babysitter’s Guide to More Than Just Monsters
A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting is more than just a fun family film. It’s a story about courage, friendship, and embracing the unknown. The reimagined cat lady and other creative choices add depth and intrigue to the narrative. So, if you’re looking for a Halloween movie that’s both spooky and heartwarming, this one’s definitely worth a watch!
