Whenever I’m scrolling through various streaming platforms, I often bookmark movies that intrigue me, but I’m not in the mood to watch right away. That was the case with 1991’s “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead.” I’m pretty sure it sat on my HBO Max list since at least early 2022.

So, on Sunday afternoon, I decided to bite the bullet and finally sit down and watch the movie.

I wasnt’ entirely sure what to expect. With the title, it certainly sounds like it would be a wild ride. And featuring Christina Applegate, who I know from the Netflix series “Dead to Me” and movies like “Anchorman” it was hard to pinpoint what the feel of the movie would be.

However, from its opening sequence — a cartoon short depicting an angry old lady ready to give any kid who gets in her way a swift kick — I knew this was going to fall in the comedy category.

“Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead” follows the five Crandall siblings — Swell (Applegate), Kenny (Keith Coogan), Walter (Robert Hy Gorman), Melissa (Danielle Harris) and Zach (Christopher Pettiet) — who aren’t exactly the most put together.

The movie opens with their divorced mother (Concetta Tomei) practically begging the kids to complete basic tasks like taking out the trash and emptying the dish washer.

Their mom, however, decides to put herself first for the summer, heading off to Australia to spend time with her boyfriend. Swell, a 17-year-old recent graduate, believes this means she’ll be in charge.

That changes when Mrs. Sturak (Eda Reiss Merin) arrives. At first, the elderly woman seems sweet and ensures Mrs. Crandall she can care for all five children, no problem.

As soon as Mrs. Crandall is off on her adventure, Mrs. Sturak goes from Dr. Jekyl to Mr. Hyde real quick — drawing the hatred of all five children.

Things take an even worse turn when Mrs. Sturak passes away in her sleep… leaving the kids to wonder what exactly they do next.

The answer is obvious — they stuff Mrs. Sturak in a trunk and drop her off at the local morgue with a note that says “Nice Old Lady Inside, Died of Natural Causes.” All this in the hopes their mom doesn’t come back from her vacation early.

There’s one issue though, the money that their mother left for food is still with Mrs Sturak. Meaning Swell has to step up and care for her siblings.

This includes lying her way into a high level corporate position at a fashion agency, a little bit of embezzlment and some romance, too.

Overall, “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead” is a pretty entertaining film. The entire premise is extremely nonsensical and definitely involves more than one felony — but it’s fiction!

Although past reviewers weren’t thrilled with Applegate’s portrayal of Swell, I thought it was pretty spot on. She’s simply a moody teen who certainly didn’t expect to turn full-time mother in the span of a day. But she does her best to handle it all, all while Kenny and the kids refuse to accept any form of responsibility.

“Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead” is a cult classic for a reason. It has specific, oftentimes dry humor, and a few jokes that certainly didn’t age well (I’m looking at the workplace sexual harassment for one). But for a movie that’s only just under two hours, I found myself enjoying most every second.

Is it the peak of cinema? Not by any stretch. But it has a very unique storyline and a wide range of characters that offer their own something special.

“Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead” is rated PG-13 and may be watched on HBO Max, Hulu, YouTube, Google Play, Amazon Prime, Apple TV and Vudu.

— — — —

Laura Jameson is Managing Editor of The Express.