Becky (Lulu Wilson) is picked up by her father Jeff (Joel McHale) and they travel to a lake house where they plan to spend quality time together. Grieving and angry since the death of her mother, Becky’s stroppy mood is worsened when Jeff’s girlfriend Kayla (Amanda Brugel) turns up with her son Ty (Isaiah Rockcliffe). When Jeff announces that he and Kayla are going to get married, Becky storms off into the woods and is initially unaware that a gang of escaped neo-Nazis have turned up at the house in search of something. As her family’s lives hang in the balance, Becky decides to channel her anger by fighting back.
‘Becky’ is a fresh twist on the home invasion sub-genre and it’s likely to be a very marmite film. If over-the-top violence isn’t your thing (especially when it involves animals), you aren’t going to like this film. If however, you don’t mind switching your brain off for 90 minutes and going along for the ride, there’s plenty to enjoy about ‘Becky’. The big pull here is likely to be Kevin James, known for his comedy work, taking on the role of the villain. You could call it ‘stunt casting’ or maybe view it as James trying to show there’s more to his abilities, but I thought he made for a damn good psychotic villain.
You may have guessed by the plot summary that ‘Becky’ is a bit of a silly film but that’s part of its charm. The writers turn convention on its head by having the teenage girl, who is normally fighting for survival, be the aggressor rather than the victim. Channelling all her rage and grief about the death of her mother, Becky gets crafty with what she has to hand in a bid to take down the men terrorising her father and his girlfriend. It’s true that the violence escalates and it gets very silly, but it’s also oddly satisfying as you see Becky working through her issues by taking it out on a group of truly horrendous people.
Lulu Wilson is pitch perfect as Becky too. She gets the teen angst down to a tee and when she starts to hunt down the men who are threatening her family, she has a wry smile on her face that’s near demonic. Wilson gives you the impression that Becky is getting much more satisfaction than she should from trying to kill the invaders, and the film’s opening and final scenes suggest that she may need more than a therapist to sort out her issues.
With some genuinely inventive, and gory, deaths ‘Becky’ will please the hardened horror crowd. There are laughs to be had along the way and despite a little neglect in terms of fleshing out the supporting characters, Becky is sufficiently rounded for you to care. ‘Becky’ is a silly but enjoyable horror with comedy elements that is better than you’ll think it’s going to be. It may not go down as a classic, but it’s worth 93 minutes of your time.
Cast: Lulu Wilson, Kevin James, Joel McHale, Robert Maillet, Amanda Brugel, Isaiah Rockcliffe Directors: Jonathan Milott, Cary Murnion Writers: Nick Morris, Ruckus Skye, Lane Skye Certificate: 18 Duration: 93 mins Released by: Vertigo Releasing Release date: 28th September 2020
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