Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- disturbing
- tense
- claustrophobic
- late night horror
- contained thriller night
What critics said
Critics generally found the film an effective, tightly contained domestic thriller, with its suspense and unsettling premise outweighing its limitations.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The replacement babysitter's presence transforms ordinary home routines into threatening and disturbing activities.
Emelie is welcomed into the home as a recommended caregiver before the children question her identity and behavior.
The parents leave the children with the sitter, making the children's suspicions and vulnerability central to the conflict.
The film places its twisted childcare scenario inside a normal family home, contrasting domestic comfort with concealed menace.
Films like Emelie, and why
The Good Son
shares domestic horror, child endangerment, and escalating suspense centered on an apparently trusted caregiver
The Strangers
shares contained home-invasion tension, vulnerable children, and a threatening intruder inside a family residence
The Babadook
shares psychological horror, intimate domestic setting, and menace concealed behind ordinary family routines
Movie Details
- Director
- Michael Thelin
- Release Date
- 2016-03-04
- Runtime
- 82 min
- Rating
- 5.3 / 10 (693)
Cast
- Sarah Bolger
- Susan Pourfar
- Chris Beetem
- Joshua Rush
- Thomas Bair
- Carly Adams
- Elizabeth Jayne Stillwell
- Frank Rossi
- Dante Hoagland
- Randi Langdon
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Shudder, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Emelie about?
- A trusted replacement babysitter turns an ordinary night of childcare into a disturbing psychological ordeal for three suspicious children.
- What is Emelie like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Emelie as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Emelie violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Emelie as moderate.
- What did critics think of Emelie?
- Critics generally found the film an effective, tightly contained domestic thriller, with its suspense and unsettling premise outweighing its limitations.
- Which films are like Emelie?
- Films with a similar feel include The Good Son, The Strangers, and The Babadook.
- How long is Emelie?
- Emelie runs 82 minutes.
- Where can I watch Emelie?
- In United States, Emelie streams on Amazon Prime Video, Shudder, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
