Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead

Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead
Theatrical release poster
Directed byStephen Herek
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyTim Suhrstedt
Edited byLarry Bock
Music byDavid Newman
Production
companies
  • HBO
  • Outlaw Productions
  • Cinema Plus L.P.
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release date
  • June 7, 1991 (1991-06-07)
Running time
102 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$25.1 million

Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead is a 1991 American coming-of-age dark comedy film directed by Stephen Herek, written by Neil Landau and Tara Ison, and starring Christina Applegate, Joanna Cassidy, Keith Coogan, John Getz, and Josh Charles. The plot focuses on a 17-year-old girl who assumes the role as head of the house when the elderly babysitter whom her mother had hired to watch over her kids while she is in Australia suddenly dies.

Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead was released in theaters on June 7, 1991, and grossed $25.1 million. Despite receiving generally negative reviews from critics upon release, it developed a reputation as a cult film following its release on VHS and cable television.

A remake was released in the United States on April 12, 2024.