While it may seem counterintuitive, social and cultural outrage is one of the most important aspects of human development, since without the ability to recognise when something is amiss and respond to it accordingly based on the combination of social conditions and visceral instincts, we’d be running amok as a species, unable to control ourselves or show any restraint. Various artists have explored this subject in depth, ranging from the most sombre and depressing melodramas to blisteringly funny dark comedies that use satire as a means to convey a much deeper message about the human condition. In her second directorial outing, Monia Chokri constructs a story based around these themes, which takes the form of Babysitter, in which adapts the play by Catherine Léger, and tells the story of a middle-aged man who is held accountable for a grotesque act of sexism against a female reporter while live on air, and follows the aftermath of the outrage that forms around his actions, filtering it through his perspective, as well as that of his long-suffering and sexually-repressed wife and the babysitter he hires to care for their toddler while he works on rehabilitating his image through a lengthy, novel-sized apology that is more about his personal feelings than it is atoning for his actions. A strange and off-kilter satire that is as uncomfortable as it is hilarious, the director demonstrates the most intriguing irreverence to social mores and conventions, crafting a captivating and oddly manipulative dark comedy that dares to peer into the darkest recesses of human desire in a way that is both unsettling and outrageously funny. Chokri has started to establish herself as a remarkable filmmaker, and while Babysitter is the very definition of an acquired taste, it will enthrall those with a penchant for the perverse and absurd, particularly in its unconventional worldview that is genuinely unlike anything we’ve seen before, a fascinating combination of numerous different styles and inspirations that form the foundation for this peculiar and unnerving work of satire that is not afraid to challenge conventions.

A quality that we can immediately find in Chokri’s work is an extraordinary amount of ambition – this is a film that is not always particularly logical, and as a relative novice to filmmaking herself, she seems to be impelled to compress many different themes into a single film, which would normally give off the sensation of a work that is overstuffed and far too ambitious for its own good, but yet works in the context of this film, which actually benefits from this unwieldy approach to its thematic foundation. The director explores many different ideas – primarily the concept of femininity, which is central to the film and perhaps the most important theme, considering how much of the story is built on this foundation. Desire and sexuality are layered onto the story, as well as the darker side of intimacy, looking at the aftermath of a poorly-judged action that borders on sexual assault, or at least being inappropriate enough to plunge the main characters into a state of existential angst. These themes all coalesce to form a film that is actually fundamentally about the broken promises of suburbia – we have to wonder to what extent Chokri was inspired by David Lynch and his approach to looking at seemingly idyllic landscapes that are littered with the most beautiful homes, but where the most repulsive and perverse acts are committed behind closed doors, something that this film addresses in a fascinating and quite subversive way, particularly in the tone the film eventually takes. There are many tremendous ideas embedded in Babysitter, and attempting to make sense of them in isolation is impossible, since they interweave and form different layers, which are seemingly impossible to examine individually, our experience as observers into this unorthodox narrative simply entailing surrendering to the madness that propels this film, and experiencing these bizarre circumstances without attempting to find logic, which ultimately does present itself to us, albeit in the most unusual form imaginable.

Babysitter consists of a small but memorable cast of actors tasked with bringing this story to life. Most of the focus is on the central trio, consisting of Patrick Hivon as the disgraced writer forced into a position of having to atone for a brief moment of poor judgement, Chokri as his wife who starts to realize that her own desires are not being met in this lacklustre marriage, causing her to leap out of her shell, exploring her sexuality in often bizarre ways, and Nadia Tereszkiewicz as the babysitter they hire, ostensibly to care for their infant daughter who they view as an impediment to their personal growth, only for their new hire to become a force of chaos in their already unstable lives. The three performances at the heart of this film are all exceptional – Hivon is delightfully despicable as the man who struggles to come to terms with the fact that a moment of poor judgment has resulted in him being labelled a sexual predator and misogynist, going from a respected artist to persona non grata in several seconds. Chokri’s intentions were clearly to portray this character as nothing more than a fool who was installed in a position he didn’t earn, and who has to reconcile his own mediocrity through the process of apologising for what he considers to be a minor infraction, but what the public views as enough to destroy his reputation. Chokri is wonderfully funny as his wife, a woman trying to do her best to remove these shackles as far as possible, refusing to be defined by a man whose disrespect for women becomes increasingly clear. Tereszkiewicz is inserted into this chaos, entering the film in the second act and immediately leaving an indelible impression. She’s one of the best young actors working today, and she proves that even with a seemingly one-dimensional character, she can craft an unforgettable performance that ultimately ends up being the most memorable aspect in a film consisting of many remarkable qualities.

This is not a very easy film to understand, and the directorial choices Chokri makes with Babysitter can be viewed as far too audacious to actually make sense. She’s clearly a rambunctious filmmaker attempting to make an impression, which she does through crafting a film that is decidedly left-of-centre enough to stir some kind of reaction, which is oddly one of the only legitimate ways for a novice filmmaker to have their work noticed – if it isn’t notable enough to rouse up an audience to feel some kind of passion, its not necessarily worth the time. However, this actually does work in the film’s benefit, especially when we start to realise the artistry that went into the creation of this film. Filmed on gorgeous 35mm and filled with abstract imagery that creates a very distinct dreamlike atmosphere, Babysitter is clearly a film that depends on the mood to tell this story, and Chokri’s impeccable eye for detail is truly impressive. Certain moments in this film are absolutely astonishing – each detail well-crafted and detailed, and unlike anything we’ve seen before. The colours are vibrant, the compositions unique, and the overall experience carries an immense amount of artistic credibility, despite the sometimes limited perspective it has in terms of its narrative, which is strong but still quite overwhelming in terms of the sheer amount of content it aims to cover in only 87 minutes. Chokri’s direction is superb – she brings this film to life with so much detail, and there is a genuine sense of artistic integrity in what she achieves with this story. It’s driven more by the tone than it is the actual plot development, and the cynical, almost absurd comedic approach lends the film a sense of originality that may not be expected by those anticipating a more conventional comedy, not one bordering on nihilistic surrealism.

Babysitter is surprisingly not a particularly easy film to follow, and its often bizarre directorial approach is both inspiring and bewildering, which is ultimately part of its appeal, as well as the reason why it has proven to be slightly divisive. Its refusal to follow any clear pattern, whether in terms of the narrative or its directorial style, situates it on the outskirts of the genre, which is an adequate place for a film that is so fervent in its attempts to critique not only this kind of film, but the stories contained within. It may seem impenetrable, and the film can indeed be a challenge to understand – the fast-paced editing and sometimes rapid-fire dialogue can come across as hostile, which is entirely intentional based on the tone of the film as well as the narrative, which is about as unconventional as it could be without falling apart entirely. Yet, despite these challenges, Babysitter proves to be a hypnotic, alluring dark comedy that is seductive and daring, capturing a vivid form of desire that is both enticing and uncomfortable, a quality that Chokri exploits beautifully. Not at all conventional, but remarkably well-constructed and focused on some fascinating themes, Babysitter is a strong satire that dares to unsettle in the hopes of provoking enough thought towards these underlying themes that drive the entire narrative and make it such a bespoke and ambitious work of art.