Horror Film Review #9

Better Watch Out


By Hollywood standards, Better Watch Out is a horror film brought to us through a relatively new creative team. Writer/Director  Chris Peckover and Co-writer Zack Khan, has come to us with holiday home invasion movie that follows a horror trope, in which its' biggest twist is revealed at the end of the first act. 
The premise is Parents of pubescent teen named Luke (played by Levi Miller of  Pan) go out to a party and enlist a babysitter named Ashley (Olivia DeJonge of The Visit) who is 5 years Luke's senior to look after their child.  The film starts off with Luke and his best friend Garret (Ed Oxenbould of The Visit) discussing ways to lose their virginity, as Luke's parents prepare to leave.
Ashley, unaware that Luke will be attempting to get to second base with her; will be swatting away any advances he innocently and awkwardly tries, and as you can imagine everything is light hearted until they realize someone(s) have entered the house, where-upon the babysitter must now protect her young wards.
It is also around here at the thirty minute mark, that we conclude the first act and the twist gets dropped.  Peckover uses one trope of having a scene play out and then hold a few extra beats to allow us  the viewer to see and focus on an item that might be foreshadowing. For example a sound monitor under the bed, a pencil under the carpet, and the laundry room. All random, but done with deliberate intent with big or small pay-off as the movie progresses.  The approach to the film is refreshingly similar to A Cabin in the Woods where we find out what's going on at the beginning of the movie and then follow how it all plays-out. Better Watch Out draws and gives inspirational nods to the original Home Alone movie and sadistic home invasion movies like Funny Games, and a 90s Brian Bonsall starring film. The logistics of how every scene is played out can be argued.  The time frame from incorporating carolers to arrival of boyfriends and how acts and sounds happen almost in sync at completely different places; and with how the invader(s) motives and true nature can leave intent viewers scratching their heads.

The movie is for a genre specific fan base; it is elevated by rising above a conventional plot and if you can suspend a glaring disbelief in that plot. Better watch out should develop a cult like following and stronger appreciation in time.