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Parents' Guide to

My Babysitter's a Vampire

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Twilight parody is bloodier than usual Disney fare.

Movie PG 2012 379 minutes
My Babysitter's a Vampire Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 48 parent reviews

Marnie W.
Marnie W. Adult
September 23, 2023
age 12+

Good for coming of age kids and lessons they might learn

This show is actually a really great thing to watch for the family. It has some insinuations of making out, but a kid isn’t gonna think anything more than it being a kiss off screen. Most family and kid shows have those insinuations, so I don’t think this show is any more or less appropriate than the other everyday Disney shows. It just has some jokes adults would understand that would fly over kids’ heads. There is no sex in it, no curse words, and no crazy lewd activity. It’s a good show to start for a kid around twelve or so which will help them feel more grown up without having to see crazy stuff. Most kids really like this show, especially if they show interest in things like magic and fantasy. This show has werewolves, vampires, wizards, etc. I would totally recommend it to anyone wanting to let their kid have more freedom with shows. Morals in the show involve fighting peer pressure, overcoming hard times, showing it’s okay to have your own interests, etc. From a psychological standpoint, it’s great for older kids going into their teen years. It’s definitely coming of age and shows a lot of important lessons to learn in a fun and magical way. There is some blood, but it’s a vampire show and it’s not showing detailed wounds or anything, so it will not be harmful to the kiddos. (Plus the theme song is an absolute banger.) 10/10 would recommend to watch with your kids.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
1 person found this helpful.
Grace N.
Grace N. Parent of 8-year-old
August 26, 2023
age 2+

The

Grreacn

This title has:

Too much sex
See all 48 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Ethan (Matthew Knight) is mortified when his parents insist on hiring his attractive classmate Sarah (Vanessa Morgan) to babysit for his younger sister, Jane (Ella Jonas Farlinger). But the evening turns out to be a memorable one when he discovers that Sarah is actually a fledgling vampire who's fighting the urge to feed, which would complete her transformation. Ethan and his best friend, Benny (Atticus Mitchell), learn that Sarah's ex-boyfriend, Jesse (Joe Dinicol), leads a den of vamps at the teens' school. Soon after, the three friends uncover the vampires' dark plot to get revenge on the town for what Jesse sees as a longstanding wrongdoing against his kind. But with some unexpected help and a few magical powers, the heroes set out to save the townspeople and eliminate Jesse for good.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (48 ):
Kids say (175 ):

The unimpressive MY BABYSITTER'S A VAMPIRE is a Canadian-produced comedy/fantasy that taps into tweens' and teens' thirst (pun intended) for all things vampire. And for anyone even remotely familiar with the Twilight phenomenon, its teen-vamps-assimilating-into-high-school-life plot will sound a little trite. What's more, the substory follows the characters' obsession with a vamp-themed movie series called Dusk, clips from which are interspersed throughout the show to draw similarities between its story and the series' in a manner that spoofs both the Twilight plot and fans' affection for it.

Unoriginality aside, the series offers little that's noteworthy. The acting is strained (although its exaggerated style adds to the show's overall campiness), and the plot is unimpressive. On the plus side, there are some fleeting teaching moments to be found in Sarah's determination to stand up to the vampires' pressure to drink human blood and in offhand remarks that speak out against teen drinking and drug use. This series is too scary for young kids, and there's a lot of violence, but because it's got a certain campiness that lightens the mood and it obscures much of the biting and greatly limits the gore, it's probably OK for a slightly younger crowd than Twilight attracts.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about peer pressure. In what ways does Sarah resist temptation? Why does she do it and others don't? How does peer pressure appear in your life?

  • Is it always easy to identify ill-meaning people around us? What dangers exist that are hard to see? How can you keep yourself safe?

  • Do you believe in the supernatural? Why do you think stories about vampires and werewolves are such a draw for kids? How does fantasy change our view of reality?

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