A teenager’s weekend at a lake house with her father takes a turn for the worse when a group of convicts wreaks havoc on their lives.
Starring: Lulu Wilson, Kevin James, and Joel McHale
Directed by: Jonathan Milott, and Cary Murnion
Written by: Nick Morris, Ruckus Skye, and Lane Skye
Horror fans have particular ways in which they like their horror. For fans like myself, we’ve complained about too many remakes, and PG-13 films lately. We thirst for some good old horror with some originality, and enough blood to give it a giant rated R rating! Enter “Becky,” a film that has some similarities to many horror movies, but also gives us some originality and plenty of glorious blood!
Lets get the similarities out of the way in order to get to the good stuff. So no partying teens this time, but instead a family dynamic starting with Jeff (Joel McHale), and his daughter Becky (Lulu Wilson). Unfortunately his wife and her mother has past away, and Jeff has moved on to Kayla (Amanda Brugel) and her young son Ty (Isaiah Rockcliffe). They all meet in a summer home in the woods where Jeff is going to tell Becky that Kayla and him are now engaged. Yes, the setting is the home in the middle of nowhere, so check that box off.
A home in the middle nowhere means something bad is definitely going to happen. Dominick (Kevin James) and some fellow Neo-Nazi inmates have just escaped from prison, and come knocking on the door. They take the family hostage because Dominick is in search of a key that’s somewhere at the house. Becky, who stormed away from the house after the engagement announcement, becomes the only one who can get them out of this situation because she has the key.
And now for the originality and blood! First crediting the filmmakers for taking actors and putting them in roles audiences might not expect from them. Kevin James screams comedy, but there’s nothing funny about him. He’s a bad man with bad intentions! No joke about it, he wants the key, and doesn’t care who needs to be tortured and killed to get it. Another person who isn’t joking is Joel McHale. Again audiences might think the two would make a great comedic duo, but they’re on opposite sides this time around. Joel plays a good fatherly figure who’s struggling to deal with a daughter hurt by the loss of her mother.
Which brings us to the star of the show Lulu and her kickass portrayal of Becky. Kickass in every sense of the word! Many thought she was a rising star after some of her recent performances, and she does nothing but continue to rise after this one. Becky might be hurt by the loss of her mother, but she also has an incredible anger built up inside her. Lulu will definitely get the audience to feel sorry for Becky, but they won’t need to feel bad for long. Lulu does an even better job of turning Becky into a killing machine.
Becky channels her anger, and takes it out as brutally as she can on these Nazi escapees. The audience is treated to an up close and personal view of all the deaths. There’s no turning the camera at the moment of impact. The audience will feel everything that’s thrown at the inmates. The kills get bigger and bloodier as the movie rolls on. Just because a young teen is doing them doesn’t mean they won’t hurt.
With the surprising roles, and blood flying all over the place, there’s also plenty to like about how Becky’s story is told. As the audience watches Becky over the course of the movie, it seems like the filmmakers want the audience to consider where all this madness will take Becky. The opening scene compares her school halls with prison yards, and how similar it can be. There’s her obvious anger, but moments she pauses to remember mom. It isn’t about Becky just being the hero, and ending the movie. Near the end, there’s a very dark scene by the campfire, and Dominick makes a very interesting proposal to Becky. It may not go the way he wants, but the last images of Becky seem to leave that door open, and question what will become of her now.
In the end, “Becky” proves to be just my kind of horror movie. Yes, a familiar set up and location, but enough originality and blood to come. Giving actors different and more challenging roles to play does wonders. Eyes will be on Kevin and Joel for jokes, but there’s nothing funny about the two of them. Lulu steals the show bringing the most out of Becky’s moments of loss, and even better in bringing the pain. Becky might be a mad young lady, but I’m not mad at her. I enjoyed everything about her story from beginning to end, and give this film 4.5 pools of blood!
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