Naty's Spooky Corner

Better Watch Out

★★★★★

Sunday, December 19, 2021, 11:11 PM

Have you ever wondered what Home Alone would be like if it was just slightly more psychopathic? Well look no further cause I have the perfect Christmas horror movie for you!

Better Watch Out is a 2016 psychological horror Christmas movie - That’s right ya’ll tis the season! And besides what’s better than seeing a relatively acceptable Christmas-themed B horror movie to celebrate the holidays? This film was directed by Chris Peckover and co-written with Zack Kahn. It stars Olivia DeJonge, Levi Miller, and Ed Oxenbould. And I know what you’re thinking dear audience. Who are these people? Is this really that obscure of a movie? While this movie is much less known than other Christmas horror classics, that does not mean that it’s not worth watching, or at least entertaining to watch.

The movie opens with 17 year old Ashley (Olivia DeJonge) on her way to babysit precocious 12 year-old Luke (Levi Miller) one last time before her big move to another city. Luke of course is the typical young and naïve pre-teen boy who is painfully in love with his incredibly attractive babysitter whilst Ashley is stuck dealing with a whole lot of pre-move boyfriend drama. After arriving at the Lerner’s house, Ashley is eager to spend one of her last nights in town relaxing, only to be pushed more and more on edge by strange voice-less phone calls, shadowy figures standing at the window, and worst of all, failed seduction attempts by her much younger counterpart, Luke. Honestly, the entire first act of the movie is cheesy enough to make even me want to reach for the lactaid pills with its endless nods to other home invasion movies. But where the movie really starts to take a unique turn is what happens once Ashley and Luke realize that they’re not alone in the house.

Be careful not to fall into the booby traps that lie ahead with this film’s spoilers:

Okay so I’ll be honest, this movie really got me in the first third. I was more than ready to just resign this film into being the typical cliché, cookie cutter, boring ass home invasion movie and boy, was I dead wrong. What happens in the rest of the film was honestly shocking enough to make me understand why this film has such an outrageously high rating by other horror fans.

After other high kinks have taken place, Ashley and Luke are running around the house desperately trying their best to avoid the masked figure who is now lurking around the house carrying a shotgun, a flashlight, and an inexplicable thirst for violence. All seems lost after a toy is accidentally turned on while our two protagonists are hiding from the masked intruder in a closet with nothing more than a small handgun to their name. That is of course, until Ashley notices that the intruder is wearing the exact same skiing mask that Luke owns…and come to think of it, he’s even got the figure of a middle schooler…Ashely of course is understandably angered that Luke and his friend Garret had attempted to pull of a fake armed robbery in hopes of scaring and seducing her. I know….fucked up right? Well just you wait!

Unable to deal with Ashley’s anger, Luke slaps her, knocking her down the stairs and out cold. Ashley then awakes some time later duct tape to a chair and at the full mercy of two psychopathic 12 year-olds.

Now, I know I don’t typically dedicate this much time running through the plot of a movie, but the huge tonal shift that happens in this film is insane. The violence does not back down for one second during the other acts, and I highly would recommend that at least everyone give it a try. There’s nothing that I love more than a horror movie that is unpredictable enough to shock me into wanting to watch more, and somehow, this movie managed to pull it off more than once. Granted, I’m not saying that this film is perfect, in fact there are several scenes that are edited in a goofy enough way that I was laughing at times when I definitely shouldn’t have been. Overall however, the psychopathic elements, unpredictable deaths, and insane murder plotting abilities were entertaining enough to leave me wanting more. I won’t say more about what happens in the film since I want to encourage others to experience it for themselves, just don’t say I didn’t warn you to watch out.

Kronk Factor: 6/5
Shock Factor: 5/5

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