The following contains spoilers for Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead, now playing in theaters.

When it comes to classic comedy movies from the 1990s, Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead is one of the funniest. The original movie focused on Christina Applegate's Sue Allen as she tried to take care of her siblings when their mom went on vacation. Unfortunately, their babysitter died, which complicated things. They needed to take care of themselves, while protecting their secret.

In an era where Hollywood loves a remake, Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead gets a reboot. This time, however, it deals with a Black family. The remake still sticks to most of the same beats from the original, with Tonya being the new protagonist of the story. Like Sue Allen, she is trying to kickstart a career in the fashion design world. It builds to a hilarious finale, where Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead teaches audiences once more about how some people have all the luck in the world when it comes to consequences.

Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead Gives Tonya a Sinister Enemy

Tonya tries to earn money to take care of her siblings after a party resulted in the babysitter dying of natural causes. They place her in her car and dump it in the lake, knowing -- as Black kids -- they will be unfairly blamed. Sadly, they left their spending money in the car, so now, they're broke. Tonya ends up shifting from Uber to interning at a fashion company. It's all due to her younger sister, Melissa, helping her create a fake ID and social media profiles.

The boss, Rose, buys into it, using Tonya as her assistant. This enrages Caroline, who has worked hard for Rose for years, only to be neglected by the firm. Caroline tries to sabotage Tonya, but rather than fight back, Tonya tries to placate things, knowing she is dating Caroline's younger brother, Bryan. Tonya is smitten with him, but she has to walk on eggshells because he has also bought into her fake persona. The wires of love and professional ambition begin to get crossed. Tonya starts becoming obsessed with work, placing a genuinely caring Bryan on the backburner.

Unfortunately, Tonya fails to show up at Bryan's scholarship gala. As a result, Bryan dumps Tonya. She has been busy trying to throw a surprise fashion show to salvage a line that Rose needs out as soon as possible. But a heartbroken Bryan can't stand how Tonya neglects him. To make matters worse, Caroline pounces and reveals Tonya's lies at the event, thinking Rose will fire Tonya and promote her. It follows the original movie to a tee, leaving Rose to make a big decision.

Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead Shatters Tonya's Show to Pieces

Rose doesn't fire Tonya, as she respects her gusto and admires her dedication. She instead offers to write Caroline up to HR. However, Caroline does have some justification, as she is looking out for the company. Granted, she hates that Tonya passed off some of her work as her own, taking credit right when the chance was there to show Rose that Caroline deserved praise. But Rose doesn't like the idea of snitches, especially when it hurts one of her best employees.

Tonya, however, proves her worth and makes amends for her lies at the show -- one she throws at her own house, using her siblings as cooks and waiters. It speaks to how quickly she can improvise and create a spectacle. Shockingly, Tonya heaps plaudits on Caroline and admits she has been crucial to her rise on the job. Rose is thoroughly impressed, but right when Tonya is about to become a hit, her mother returns from her therapy retreat, chides everyone and shuts down the show.

She hates how Tonya shattered her trust. All she wanted was to heal, relax and rest abroad after melting down at her job. Thus, she is taken aback by how her kids would break so many rules. Tonya's lies are now out in public, leaving her firmly believing her future is shot. She initially took the job just for the money, but it soon became her passion. Now, all that hard work and sacrifice has gone up in smoke.

Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead Offers Tonya a Second Chance

Luckily, Rose doesn't fire Tonya. Rose brokers a deal to pay for her university stint, as long as Tonya comes back to work for her. A major reason is one of the board members showing up at the event. This mysterious lady is played by Joanna Cassidy, who portrayed the original Rose in the previous movie. She loves what Tonya accomplished, indicating the new Rose has a stellar team under her. Rose has the board's backing to keep innovating, using more money to build the brand, and to hire more young visionaries. This positions Rose as a captain of industry -- something she always wanted to be. It's why Rose is excited to keep mentoring Tonya.

As for the family row, the mother forgives Tonya, recognizing all the children have matured. They have become fiscally responsible and can run the house when she isn't home. It's all she ever dreamed of as a single mother. With many Black movies and shows having stereotypical clichés and tropes about single-parent families, it is refreshing to see Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead create an inspirational story of love, communication and unity. Thankfully, Bryan also gives Tonya a second chance, realizing the pressure she was under. Oddly enough, while the family anonymously lets the authorities know of the car in the lake, Tonya and her siblings don't face any punishment at home.

Their mother understands they acted impulsively, but it was in the interest of self-preservation. The original had the kids dropping off the woman at the morgue, not realizing they left the spending money there. But it never really dealt with them being punished once their mother found out the truth. The lack of ramifications did leave audiences thinking they were lucky. In the reboot, Tonya's mother is also cool with them pivoting after accidentally leaving their money in the car. But her rationale is mostly linked thematically to a social issue in America in the 2024 remake.

No way would an oppressive justice system listen to her children's side of the story. As such, she's glad they all got this second chance, knowing an America that has police brutality and issues with marginalized communities wouldn't forgive her children. They may have sinned, but they didn't need to pay for the babysitter's heart attack. It was an accident, but at least, the authorities can fish the lady's corpse out and give her a funeral. It refects what the original was about -- a dark comedy -- and that the Crandells once again just want to move past the tragedy.

Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (2024) is now showing in theaters.