10 Babysitter Horror Movies You Probably Haven’t Seen

Although most of the time a babysitting job simply involves keeping the youngster entertained and ensuring they go to bed at a reasonable hour, a good babysitter has to be ready for anything should the unexpected happen.

One thing any babysitter won't expect, however, is facing-off against a bloodthirsty killer.

An innocent teen trapped in a house with nobody around to help, babysitters are an ideal target for any would-be psychopath and make for the perfect horror film scenario. Likewise, the premise works just as well when it's the babysitter who's the villain. The thought of unwittingly inviting a murderer into your home to look after your kids is even more unsettling than a killer breaking into your home when you’re not in.

Throughout the years, the Babysitter Horror has gifted us beloved classics like the genre-founding Halloween, Gothic chiller The Innocents, and the exponentially eerie When A Stranger Calls.

But there’s plenty more horrors out there about babysitters and nannies that are also more than worth your time. Ramping up the concept of stranger danger, these flicks are enough to consider staying in with the kids instead next time around.

If you’ve ever wondered what Home Alone would be like if it was a horror film, then look no further than underappreciated cult gem Better Watch Out.

A horror-comedy with a festive twist, this film comes to us courtesy of director Chris Peckover. Re-working the script alongside original writer Zack Khan, Peckham turned what was essentially a gruesome gore-fest into a darkly comedic (but nevertheless violent) genre outing.

The plot follows Zack (Levi Miller), a deviously intelligent 12-year-old who has a crush on his babysitter, Ashley (Olivia DeJonge). However, when he discovers that her family plan to move away after Christmas, he – alongside his best friend Garret (Ed Oxenbould) - hatches a scheme to emotionally manipulate her so that she'll fall in love with him and stay.

Despite his best laid plans, though, it doesn’t take long for events to go awry; and from this point on, the plot descends into chaos as insanity and hilarity ensue.

Carried entirely by a phenomenal young cast, Better Watch Out is one of those rare films that goes in a completely different direction than it initially leads you to expect.

It's best not to know anything more about the details before watching this one.