#horror – #horrormovies – #horrorreviews – #BetterWatchOut –
Director: Chris Peckover
Writers: Zack Kahn, Chris Peckover
Starring: Olivia DeJonge, Levi Miller, Ed Oxenbould
Every now and again, a horror movie comes along that really knows how to push every single one of your buttons in just the right way. Whether it brings the perfect amount of suspense or gore, it just really makes you happy that you took the time to watch it. Better Watch Out definitely serves that purpose.
It’s the Christmas season and teenager Ashley (Olivia DeJonge) is spending a night babysitting for Luke, whom she has sat for in the past. It’s clear from the get-go that Luke has grown to develop a pretty tremendous crush on Ashley. Having been a 12 year old boy once myself, watching Luke’s subtle attempts at putting the moves on Ashley, as well as her gentle rebuking, made me chuckle more than a couple of times. Ah, young love. Despite acting outwardly uninterested, Ashley does concede a slight smirk from the attention.
Soon after, Luke’s friend Garrett (Ed Oxenbould) shows up, giving the young babysitter a bit of a respite from preteen ogling so she can deal with romantic issues of her own regarding her current and former boyfriends. This clearly upsets Luke, who thinks both suitors are clearly not good enough for Ashley.
It’s not long before the action picks up when armed intruders break into the house. The night has now turned from a simple babysitting job for Ashley into a mission to survive and defend not only herself but the two young children she is in charge of. Unfortunately for Ashley, the night is not over, nor is it anything that it appears to be.
The acting on behalf of Olivia DeJonge and Levi Miller (who plays Luke) is perfect as is the chemistry between such young actors. If you recognize DeJonge, it’s most likely due to her role of Becca in M. Night Shyamalan’s The Visit, another role which she knocked out of the park. I would not be surprised to see both DeJonge and Miller go on to have extensive acting careers, hopefully in the horror genre.
I have a feeling this movie will definitely attain a cult status. The abundance of tongue-in-cheek humor, mixed with suspense and more than a handful of twists, is the perfect recipe for a fun 90 minute romp of a film. With supporting roles filled by Virginia Madsen and Patrick Warburton as Luke’s parents, the well rounded cast pulled together nicely and made a highly recommended, energetic little treat just in time for the holiday season.
Rating: 8/10