76) Better Watch Out (2016)

"What delusional infant thinks a break-in is going to get him to second base?"

Director

Chris Peckover

Cast

Olivia DeJonge - Ashley

Levi Miller - Luke Lerner

Ed Oxenbould - Garrett

Patrick Warburton - Robert Lerner

Virginia Madsen - Deandra Lerner

 

While reviewing the horror film Friday the 13th back in 1980, on his and Gene Siskel's old program Sneak Previews, critic Roger Ebert asks, "Why is it open season on women? What did these female victims do? What was their crime?" 

Siskel replies, "I'm convinced it has something to do with with the growth of the women's  movement in the U.S. in the last decade. I think these [slasher] films are some sort of primordial response by some very sick people saying 'get back in your place, women'."

Siskel notes that women in horror films are generally depicted as independent and enjoying life. Meanwhile, the killer in the movie is typically a sexually frustrated man - frustrated by these liberated women. 

Siskel and Ebert site titles such as Don't Answer the Phone (1980), Silent Scream (1979), and I Spit on Your Grave (1978) as examples of horror movies where innocent women are brutally murdered for, I guess, the sake of being brutally murdered. 

They do, however, praise the movie Halloween (1978) for being a "ground breaker" for "women in danger" films.

Halloween tells the story of babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) who fights back against the knife wielding masked maniac, Michael Myers. 

I'll add a sort of annotation here. With earlier horror movies such as Dracula (1931) for instance, it's true women were often portrayed as being in distress as a looming monster threatens their very lives. Siskel and Ebert respond that in "classic" horror movies the audience normally sees the story unfold through the victim's eyes, rather than through the killer's (a la Friday the 13th) which forces the audience to identify with the killer.

Anyhow, these critiques of theirs came to mind after watching the overlooked independent Australian/American Holiday horror flick from 2016, Better Watch Out.

You know, a perk of watching not-so-well known horror movies is finding that one gem every so often. A gem that I proudly display in my mental curio cabinet of highly esteemed and favorited films which I manifest in the form of a horror movie blog and podcast. 

Better Watch Out became one such movie. 

It's the pre-Christmas season when teenager Ashley (Olivia DeJonge) is hired to babysit 12-year old Luke Lerner (Levi Miller). 

She's well aware of the crush Luke has on her, but certainly doesn't share those feelings. Still, she treats Luke as respectably as a 17-year old girl can to such a kid. 

Before she arrives, Luke chats with his geeky friend Garrett (Ed Oxenbould) about trying to entice Ashley to make out with him while his parents are gone. It's typical sexually curious teenager banter.

As he and Ashley order pizza and watch a horror movie while his parents are out for the night, Luke tries to pull some corny moves before all-out attempting to take advantage of her. 

Olivia DeJonge and Levi Miller in Better Watch Out

Ashley doesn't go for it. Suddenly, they hear strange occurrences happening outside, and Ashley keeps finding the back door open. 

As she investigates to see who's outside, it turns out to be Garrett.

After a few moments of berating him for scaring her, they hear a window break upstairs. The three of them investigate and  find a brick on the floor that reads "U leave and U die." 

Garrett panics and tries to run through the backyard as Ashley and Luke see him get shot by an unseen sniper.

The two run upstairs and hide in the attic. They can hear movement down below in the house. 

After a while, when it doesn't sound like there's anyone near the attic entrance, they try to climb out as quietly as they can. 

But Ashley falls and almost breaks her neck. Luke catches her, and they sneak into his bedroom closet. 

They can see an intruder with a gun and a flash light enter the room as they peer through the slits of the closet door. 

This is when Ashley notices something unusual yet familiar about the man in the room. The premise then takes a completely unexpected turn. And boy, did it pull me in. 

SPOILER

There's clearly an underlying narrative in this movie that males believe they have an unconquerable dominance over females. The movie uses stereotypes to depict this point which I didn't care for. 

In the end, males appeal to the powers that be to save them from the consequences of their crimes. 

It's a hard pill to swallow, especially in this day and age. With movies, I'll add that it's easy to interpret narratives which may not actually be there, or may not be the intention of the writers. So, I'm speculating on this being the movie's actual narrative. 

One thing is for sure, male sexual frustration, an attempt at absolute dominance, and pulling the strings of the system to escape consequences are strong elements in this movie. 

On top of all that, there's a scene that takes inspiration from the 1990 Christmas movie Home Alone were this time we see the bodily damage a paint can swung from a second floor and slamming into someone's face can do.

As a horror movie, it's absolutely fantastic as far as story goes. Entertainment is the top priority for me when I watch a horror movie. This movie doesn't fail in that department. Not in the least.

Better Watch Out is a satisfying thriller that hits the horror fandom spot. It deserves to be among other popular Holiday horror titles such as Krampus (2015), Black Christmas (1974), and maybe even Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984). Hopefully the latter doesn't divert far from the wise words of Siskel and Ebert. 

Perhaps, it should also be found among other babysitting horror flicks such as When a Stranger Calls and of course Halloween. 

Watching this made me wonder how actors manage to stay terrified for an entire movie. Olivia DeJonge's performance brought this question to mind as her character has to maintain anger and fear through the majority of the movie. She does it connivingly well. 

While open season on strong independent women Siskel and Ebert say was too common in the sloppy slasher pics of the 1970s and into the 1980s seems to be over (or, at least its glorification) now, I would love to hear what they would have thought of Better Watch Out. I don't know for sure, but I highly suspect Siskel and Ebert would have seen the babysitter, Ashley, as edifying as Laurie Strode.

The year before, DeJonge and Oxenbould worked together with M. Night Shyamalan on his refreshingly enjoyable thriller The Visit.

Here, she and Levi Miller, whose character is hellbent, terrified, arrogant, and juvenile, work well off each other to create such a different kind of babysitter movie. Should these two ever make another horror movie together, I'd pay to see it. 

Olivia DeJonge

This movie pulls inspiration for its story from Home Alone, but the twist in the first act takes it someplace else - someplace much more sadistic and evil than Kevin McCallister (Home Alone's main character played by Macaulay Culkin) comedically attacking two burglars through unique traps at Christmas time. The tagline even reads "Home Alone meets The Strangers." 

I appreciate movies that take an idea audiences are familiar with, and goes elsewhere with them. The horror/ thriller film Happy Death Day (2017) did that, too. It took the premise of 1993's Groundhog Day and made it, it's own. Clever! 

If movies like these became a new trend, I'd be o.k. with it so long as those movies are as creative and entertaining as Better Watch Out and, for that matter, Happy Death Day.