The Problem With Tom Felton’s Role In A Babysitter’s Guide To Monster Hunting

Tom Felton plays a major role in A Babysitter’s Guide To Monster Hunting, but his complete transformation is alienating the audience that Netflix likely hoped the Harry Potter star would attract. A Babysitter’s Guide To Monster Hunting is an adaptation of Joe Ballarini’s book series, which follows a secret society of babysitters tasked with protecting their charges from monsters while trying to save the world. Much like other recent horror projects aimed at a younger demographic, such as the 2015 film Goosebumps or Netflix’s ghostly musical comedy Julie and the Phantoms, A Babysitter’s Guide To Monster Hunting should be a great entry into the underserved genre.

Tom Felton appears in A Babysitter’s Guide To Monster Hunting as a Boogeyman known as “The Grand Guignol.” The actor is most well known for appearing in the Harry Potter movies as Harry’s nemesis, Draco Malfoy. Felton’s character in the Netflix series is terrifying, but he is completely unrecognizable. If Netflix was hoping that casting the Harry Potter actor would help attract viewers to the project, then burying his recognizable face under makeup is a major problem for the show.

With the exception of Tom Felton and Indya Moore (Pose), the cast of A Babysitter’s Guide To Monster Hunting is almost entirely newcomers. Netflix is using Tom Felton’s casting as a way to promote the show to people who might not have heard of the book series, which makes it even stranger that his character is covered with makeup. Unlike Moore, who is still recognizable in A Babysitter’s Guide To Monster Hunting, Felton’s Boogeyman could be played by almost anyone.

Ultimately, Tom Felton’s transformation in A Babysitter’s Guide To Monster Hunting is so complete that it alienates any audience that would otherwise recognize the actor. Felton’s biggest asset after the success of Harry Potter is his recognizable face – so why cast the actor at all if the show plans to bury him in makeup, and especially if Felton’s role in the series is a major part of Netflix’s marketing strategy?

A Babysitter’s Guide To Monster Hunting promises to be a well-made adaptation of the beloved Joe Ballarini series, and Netflix’s latest attempt to make a horror-adjacent project aimed at a younger audience. However, framing the marketing campaign for the series around Tom Felton and making him completely unrecognizable is only alienating the core audience for the show. Hopefully, Tom Felton’s performance as The Boogeyman will compensate for the over-the-top make-up in A Babysitter’s Guide To Monster Hunting.

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