Netflix And Chill: The Wrath Of Becky (2023)

Considering how much I enjoyed Becky, I am surprised that it took me this long to get around to the sequel. There didn't seem to be a lot of the main people returning behind the camera, but Lulu Wilson was back in the main role, which ensured I would eventually give it a watch. I'm glad I did. This sequel is a lot of fun, and I'd say that it's on a par with the first film.

A bit of time has passed since the events of the first film and Becky has been doing her best to lay low. She's moved between a number of foster homes, but is now settled with a woman named Elena (Denise Burse). Elena doesn't ask Becky too many questions, and Becky tries to act like someone happy to make a fairly normal life for herself. That all changes when a group of racist incels, part of a group called the Noble Men, start trouble in town though, and Becky refuses to put up with their attitude in a confrontation that kicks off a chain of events that will lead to a lot of pain and death.

Co-directed by Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote, with a story from the two of them shaped into screenplay form by Angel, The Wrath Of Becky makes a choice early on to remind us that Becky is an entertainingly cold-blooded psychopath. She can keep herself in check, just, by indulging in occasional daydreams of violence against those who piss her off, but it's glorious to watch things build and build to a point that allows her to start doing what she enjoys most. While this idea felt like a bit of a twist in the first film, the joy here comes from watching people push the buttons of someone that we know will eventually explode in absolutely spectacular fashion.

Wilson remains as good in the central role as she was in the first film, and arguably gets to have more fun thanks to the fact that the dark (aka fun) side of her character is visible for almost all of the runtime here. The rest of the cast work well in roles that only need them to be menacing for a short amount of time before clarifying that they're actually just dead (noble)men walking. They may think they're Proud Boys, but everyone else knows they're just inadequate man-babies, and they're played well by Michael Sirow, Aaron Dalla Villa, Angel (wearing a third hat that allows him to join in with the fun in front of the camera), and Courtney Gains. Seann William Scott is the leader of the group, and he also does good work, and Jill Larson manages to make a hell of an impact with her few minutes of screentime.

There are so many immensely satisfying moments in this that I just want to describe them all, but I won't. It's a real treat to watch, easily summarised as a young girl exacting revenge upon violent neo-Nazis, but feels especially heartening when we are surrounded by news and media that seems intent on refusing to call out the disturbing rise of these ideologies as they constantly mistake dangerous bothsidesism with fair and balanced reporting. It's perfectly okay to be intolerant of intolerance, it should be okay to call a neo-Nazi a neo-Nazi (especially if it walks like a neo-Nazi and talks like a neo-Nazi), and The Wrath Of Becky reminds everyone that it's always acceptable to punch any kind of Nazi in the face. In fact, it's almost a duty.

8/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews
Or Amazon is nice at this time of year - https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share 

Annabelle: Creation (2017)

If you don’t know anything about Annabelle by now then I can only assume you have no interest in the horror genre at all. And if you have no interest in the horror genre at all then you won’t care about seeing Annabelle: Creation, a prequel to Annabelle (funnily enough) that actually turns out to be a better film than the first. In fact, one post-credits annoyance aside, in which viewers are reminded of the cinematic universe this is part of, it’s in contention to be one of the best films from that particular selection, helped in a small way by not having the Warrens popping up as righteous heroes.

Things begin with a pair of parents (Anthony LaPaglia and Miranda Otto) experiencing a tragic loss. Some time later, the couple open up their home to a nun and a number of orphan girls. There’s one room marked as off limits, of course, which means it isn’t too long until at least one young girl is drawn to that room. And that creepy-looking doll  keeps popping up to scare everyone.

Written by Gary Dauberman, who also wrote the first movie, this is an enjoyable mix of chills and sudden frights, enhanced by a cast all doing good work under the watchful eye of director David F. Sandberg. Sandberg and Dauberman know what audiences will expect, but they are able to make the most of every set-piece, using darkness and the unknown to deliver more than just cheap jump scares. There’s impressively unsettling imagery here that feels far removed from what you would expect in such a glossy and mainstream work.

As for the cast, Talitha Bateman and Lulu Wilson play the two main girls who end up in peril, and both do very good work in their roles (the former also having to portray herself as crippled, and therefore more vulnerable to any attacks from evil forces). Stephanie Sigman does well as the nun in charge of the children, although she has to spend a lot of the runtime conveniently avoiding seeing anything untoward (aka “doing a Scully”) until the finale, and both LaPaglia and Otto are good choices for their roles, lending their talents to characters who could have easily been nothing more than a mass of clichés and overcooked melodrama.

As much as people want to dismiss these movies, and there will always be some horror fans who turn their nose up at anything given a major cinema release, it’s good to see one that works even better than expected. There are so many different ways this could have gone, most of them not very good (e.g. almost every other film in this cinematic horror universe), but Sandberg, Dauberman, and co. (and I just also want to mention Benjamin Wallfisch here for his great score) have all pulled together to make something as seriously creepy and unsettling as it is entertaining and marketable. 

Although it does tie in to the first movie, this could easily be viewed as a standalone piece, as long as you are aware of the infamy of the doll, and I recommend it as a solid option for those seeking a good scary movie.

8/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews
Or Amazon is nice at this time of year - https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share

Shudder Saturday: Becky (2020)

Co-directed by Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion, Becky is the film arguably best known to many for being the one that has Kevin "King Of Queens" James playing a Neo-Nazi criminal. It has also been referred to as a twisted riff on Home Alone, and I am sure that people have already heaped some praise on the young actress, Lulu Wilson, who portrays the titular character.

The plot is deceptively simple. Becky is taken away by her father (Jeff, played by Joel McHale) to spend some time back at the lakeside home that contains many memories of her deceased mother. It's not going to be an easy time for them though, as Jeff is informing Becky that he wants to marry his girlfriend, Kayla (Amanda Brugel), who has joined them at the house, accompanied by her young son, Ty (Isaiah Rockcliffe). Becky leaves the house, wanting some time to herself, wanting to be alone with her rage. And that is when Dominick (James) and co. enter. They want something that has been hidden away on the property, and they don't mind killing to get it. It turns out that Becky won't necessarily mind killing people either, and she has the advantage while the criminals take time to fully realise the situation.

There are a lot of people involved in this that I've been aware of before now, but not particularly impressed by. A lot of people enjoyed both Cooties and Bushwick, also from Milott and Murnion, but I wasn't a big fan of either. Cooties was average, at best, and Bushwick was a slight improvement. Becky shows that they have kept moving in the right direction though, and this is their best work yet. The script, written by Ruckus Skye, Lane Skye, and Nick Morris, is enjoyably effective when it comes to shaping the central characters and placing them in every main sequence. The crux of the relationship between Becky and her father is nailed down within their first few scenes together, their big problem stemming from a reaction from a young girl that is as hurtful to her father as it is understandable, and all we need to know about the bad guys is that they are generally very bad indeed. It also helps that there's a great little speech delivered by James that is supposedly about a dog, but very quickly and obviously shows that it encompasses his horrendous world view, and isn't really just about a dog at all.

Wilson is excellent in the main role. She's believable throughout, even as she grows tougher and more determined to cause pain and death to others. Her skill and strength seems to grow with each cathartic moment, and she always seems to be thinking one step ahead of those around her. I have seen Wilson in a few other films, but this is her standout role, for obvious reasons. James is also excellent, delivering a menacing and unpleasant character with a performance that could easily be described as revelatory. Okay, he's helped by the script and the fact that it is so far removed from his usual fare, but he still deserves a good bit of praise for taking on the role. McHale and Brugel are both very good as the adults who end up pinning their hopes on a young girl to help them get out of a very dangerous situation, and Robert Maillet is a highlight in the role of Apex, a large and intimidating criminal who actually wants things to stop before more people lose their lives.

While it avoids some common pitfalls (it doesn't try to make things overly cool, it doesn't often play things for laughs), Becky becomes slightly unstuck in the more violent moments. It becomes a bit ridiculous, whether in terms of showing what Becky can do or in terms of the damage caused to people. Watching someone cut off their own dangling eyeball is fine for causing a wince, a gut reaction, but it's also something that feels a bit preposterous. The same can be said of some other gory moments. It's not enough to completely unbalance, or ruin, the film. It's enough to knock a point or two off it though.

Nicely bookended by a couple of scenes that will prompt a wry smile from viewers, this is a thriller that I highly recommend to anyone looking for something just a little bit different. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it puts a funky new hubcap on it.

8/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Netflix And Chill: Ouija: Origin Of Evil (2016)

I had heard that this prequel to Ouija was actually quite a good horror movie but I just couldn't bring myself to give it a watch before now. Yes, it was directed by Mike Flanagan, who also co-wrote the script with Jeff Howard, but it was a prequel to Ouija, which was just crap. I should have had faith, in both the people who advised me that I would enjoy this film and the talent of Flanagan (who hasn't done anything yet that I have really disliked).

Set in the 1960s, this is the tale of a widow (Lina Zander, played by Annalise Basso) and her two daughters (Alice, played by Elizabeth Reaser, and Doris, played by Lulu Wilson). Lina offers readings to people in order to make money, helped by her daughters (who hide away and help to create the effects that show contact has been made with the spirit world), and it looks like they can add to the whole performance when they find an old Ouija board. Unfortunately, they break a number of the golden rules, which lets an evil force into their lives, communicating to everyone through young Doris.

There are a number of jump scares here, and a number of absolutely predictable moments (one or two repeated from the first film), but Flanagan also knows how to just creep viewers out. Once the opening act of the movie is done, with characters established and the Ouija board made use of, things start to get freaky very quickly. And the scares are all the better because of being grounded in a film that feels close enough to something from at least a few decades ago. This may not be a 100% accurate period film but there are enough touches, from the opening credits to the appearance of the film (even including added "cigarette burns" for extra authenticity), to make it feel like something you would have caught in the early days of VHS.

The performances are all excellent, with Basso, Reaser, and Wilson wonderful in their individual turns and also as a strained family unit, and there's a fine supporting turn from Henry Thomas, playing a priest/teacher who helps the family figure out just how bad things are for them. Parker Mack may be the least of the central cast members, playing the young man, Mikey, who is forging a relationship with Alice, but he is also good in his role.

A couple of visual tricks may be overdone, although the white-eyed and gaping-mouthed look never stops being scary to me, and there's obviously the fact that those who watched the first film will know how things should play out, but none of that stops Ouija: Origin Of Evil being a surprisingly brilliant mainstream horror that manages to hit the beats that it has to while also providing a few hair-raising surprises along the way.

Although you can watch this, and enjoy it, by itself, I still grudgingly encourage others to watch the first film first, if only to give you more appreciation when you then see how Flanagan and Howard tied things together here.

8/10

You can buy the movie here.
Americans can buy it here.