Review #369: Better Watch Out (2016)


Twelve More Slays of Christmas #11 - Better Watch Out (2016)

Watch it here on Tubi!

Wow. That's really all I can say right now- wow. This movie is fantastic. I'm hesitant to even give a plot synopsis because there's a significant bait-and-switch that really makes this movie into something special. The shift happens about thirty minutes in, so it's not really a HUGE spoiler to say what it is, but as far as I can tell, none of the official marketing gave it away (in fact, the red band trailer makes this look like a feel-good revenge flick with tons of laughs, which it VERY MUCH is not). I will do my best not to give away what's going on, but I urge you to go into this movie with an open mind.

At its core, Better Watch Out is a home invasion movie. It follows Luke, a twelve-year-old whose parents are going out to a Christmas party, and Ashley, the babysitter he desperately has a massive crush on. He's got a whole plan to try and woo her (coordinated with his friend Garrett), but that all gets thrown out the window (or in the window, like a brick) after some unseen force starts stalking them and making threats. (But of course, this ordinary home invasion turns out to be anything but.) The tension in this movie is sky-high, it's brutal, it's harsh, and it's frustrating- something all home invasion movies strive for. Just when you think things are starting to go right for the protagonists, the antagonists come right back with a vengeance, every single time.

I legitimately think this is up on the level with movies like Funny Games- you'll be on the edge of your seat the entire time, constantly shouting at the screen, cheering when the protagonist gains an inch and then yelling "No!" once the antagonists pull them back a yard.

I really wish I had more to say about this film- but the double-edged sword about a great movie is that there is often not really much to say except "Remember when <blank> happened? That was so good" but in this case I really can't do that. I want all of you to go out and watch the movie for yourselves. Just be ready for 90 minutes of solid tension.

Overall Rating: 10/10 Pizzas With Mushrooms

Familiar Faces: Two of the three leads (Olivia DeJonge, who plays Ashley, and Ed Oxenbould, who plays Garrett) previously played the two leads in another unorthodox home-based psychological thriller, M. Night Shyamalan's film "The Visit" which released the previous year!

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