The Babysitters

A striking yet thoroughly uneven debut from David Ross, The Babysitters follows straight-A student Shirley (Katherine Waterston) as she transforms her babysitting service into a full-fledged prostitution ring. Despite the admittedly risque subject matter, Ross’ approach never feels exploitative; assisted by Chad Fischer’s dreamy score and Michael McDonough’s strong visuals, the filmmaker manages to infuse the proceedings with a sensitive, distinctly artful touch that’s quite mesmerizing. Ross’ screenplay is, at times, bitingly authentic and darkly comedic – with the central character’s transformation from model student to tough-as-nails pimp certainly the most overt example of the latter. It’s a shame, then, that the movie eventually adopts the structure of a Scorsese flick – with the characters’ initial success followed by a drug-fueled and ego-centric downfall. It’s a development that brings a distinctly familiar feel to a story that’s otherwise quite original and innovative, although, admittedly, it’s not quite ineffective enough to tarnish the film’s overall impact (Waterston’s star-making performance virtually earns the movie a recommendation all on its own).

**1/2 out of ****