62
Metascore
10 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90The New York TimesAmy NicholsonThe New York TimesAmy NicholsonIt’s a snappy, gutsy comedy about how kids are spoiled and ignorant, and yet the adult workplace is only passingly more mature.
- 80VarietyCourtney HowardVarietyCourtney HowardGenuinely funny, charming and sincere, it’s a respectful and revelatory update in a world where those are few and far between.
- Don’t Tell Mom is a justifiably sweet feat that makes latchkey kids across the generations feel seen. Refreshingly, it represents real growth for an industry that would much rather be left to its own devices.
- Emmy-nominated screenplay writer Chuck Hayward (Dear White People, Ted Lesso) and director Wade Allain-Marcus (Grown-ish, Insecure) bring some impressive cultural and emotional nuances to the story.
- 63Chicago TribuneKatie WalshChicago TribuneKatie WalshDon’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead is surprisingly authentic and fun for this kind of nostalgia-baiting remake material, which is naturally formulaic. It’s the focus on character and allowing the actors to shine that makes this one sing, and it should make a star out of Jones, who, like her character, manages to hold it all together.
- 63RogerEbert.comPeyton RobinsonRogerEbert.comPeyton RobinsonDon’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead is laid-back and funny but ultimately whiffs on its swings too many times to make a lasting impression.
- 50IndieWireChristian ZilkoIndieWireChristian ZilkoOn some level you can only give a remake so much blame for making the same mistakes as its predecessor, but this one certainly doesn’t get credit for fixing them either.
- 50The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThe Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckAfter its darkly comic set-up, the mild proceedings seem generally undercooked, lacking the subversiveness that could have given the remake a reason for being. It coasts along mainly on the charms of Jones, who displays considerable comic chops as the beleaguered Tanya.
- 50Screen RantKayla TurnerScreen RantKayla TurnerWhile the remake offers a fun, nostalgic moment for fans of this forgotten 1990s kids’ movie, it struggles to enhance or elevate the brilliant charm that made its predecessor so memorable.
- 50San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleSan Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleJones has many good moments, and “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead” is a decent remake of a decent movie.