Yule Be Sorry: Better Watch Out (2016)
Directed By: Chris Peckover
Starring: Olivia DeJonge, Levi Miller, Ed Oxenbould, Aleks Mikic, Virginia Madsen
As a film critic and journalist, I see a lot of first-time feature length films. Frankly speaking, they range from very good, to various shades of bad, or maybe something that fits snuggly somewhere in the middle. Then you have brilliant first films that usher in a creative powerhouse. Recently, I’ve seen Natalie Erika James’s staggeringly amazing Relic, Josh Ruben’s Scare Me (2019), followed by the equally great Werewolves Within and Ryan Spindell’s The Mortuary Collection (2019). Of course, I would have to put Chris Peckover’s Better Watch Out firmly in that category. Saying Better Watch Out is just a darker Home Alone is valid but I think it over simplifies what for me makes it so special. Peckover is tasked with juggling a tone that wavers from tense and dark to darkly funny. This is hard enough, however Chris also makes his job harder by making it a Christmas outing as well. In my piece on Krampus, I talked about blending tones and genres and how this was difficult for even seasoned directors. Once again, Better Watch Out runs that razor sharp line without ever missing a beat. Peckover clearly knows how to craft tension. But he also understands how to perfectly construct a series of pay off’s and then, with one flick, unleash them tumbling like a savage series of domino’s racing towards a bitterly dark and twistedly humorous finale. Though well reviewed, even dubious critics have to admit that the cast shines better than Rudolph’s nose.
Olivia DeJonge (The Visit, The Society series) brings a level of maturity and believability and not only brings the text to life but also finds the nuances between the lines. Levi Miller, who broke out in 2015’s Pan (as the titular fictional character), plays Luke. On a surface glance the role is a simple one yet, as the story unfolds, Miller is tasked with bringing a lot of complexities. Honestly, the entire film wouldn’t work if you didn’t find both Olivia and Levi creditable. Thankfully though, they both turn out star making performances. Ed Oxenbould reunites with his The Visit co-star Olivia DeJonge for an equally stellar turn. Though his part is lesser than his co-stars, he makes the most out of little moments. Without spoiling it, I will just say he has an utterly heartbreaking moment that lives rent free in head. The cast also sports some wonderful veteran actors like the always amazing Virginia Madsen and Patrick Warburton (Family Guy, The Venture Bros.).
Better Watch Out is a movie that is directed by a person that feels like he’s been making movies for decades. Chris Peckover has the kind of confidence and brilliance that makes me think he is going to really go places if given the support and resources. If you want a seasonal treat that is more of the darkly comedic, Better Watch Out is currently streaming on Shudder. So, gather up the loved ones and check out this underrated Christmas offering.
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Big film nerd and TCM Obsessed. Author of The Ultimate Guide to Strange Cinema from Schiffer Publishing. Resume includes: AMC’s The Bite, Scream Magazine etc. Love all kinds of movies and television and have interviewed a wide range of actors, writers, producers and directors. I currently am a regular co-host on the podcast The Humanoids from the Deep Dive and have a second book in the works from Bear Manor.
