The Horror Show
Better Watch Out
by Chris Peckover
The holiday season has come and gone, however Better Watch Out still lingers as one of the past year’s pleasant horror surprises. In a home-invasion-horror-gone-wrong kinda movie, deranged mind games, gaudy gore, and droll dialogues synthesize a killer flick that is definitely worth a watch.
Chris Peckover’s Christmas horror story follows Luke (Levi Miller), a sensitive, somewhat bizarre 12-year-old with a huge crush on his teenage babysitter Ashley (Olivia DeJonge). She is assigned the admittedly challenging job of looking after Luke and putting up with his equally bizarre best friend Garrett (Ed Oxenbould). Things take a grim turn once the trio gets terrorized by armed, masked men who eventually make their way into the house.
Sounds familiar, right? The first 20 minutes or so scream of a home invasion concept that has been overused like no other, leaving us fans wonder, “can Peckover innovate enough to stir things up?” And the answer is, yes!
While Peckover’s story seemingly follows a rather cliched storyline, it is amazing how quickly things may turn around. A critical — and a tad cheeky — twist arrives relatively early on, transforming this generic home invasion horror into something considerably more interesting and entertaining.
Sporting several jump-scares, a bunch of lurid gore moments, and a few rather amusing dialogues, Better Watch Out clocks in at a lean, action-packed 99 minutes of strong performances, featuring the warm glow of a holiday treat.
Of course, it comes with flaws; despite avoiding tedious horror tropes, all attempts to introduce something different and breathe new life into the genre sometimes feel far-fetched.
My final verdict for Peckover’s Better Watch Out? It’s a surprising, oddly satisfying horror movie with a refreshing twist that is bound to grasp your attention. So… you better watch it!
Maria Kriva, HMS
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