Better Watch Out ★★ ½ ☆☆ | Movie Review

Synopsis


Ashley's night isn't quite as easy as she's hoped for when she has to try and defend herself and Luke, the boy she's babysitting, from an intruder.


Review


A Christmas film... a horror film... also described as a comedy and a thriller on IMDb, although I find both of those a little inaccurate. If you asked me to sum up the genre I'd say "it's a Christmas horror..?" and then scrunch up my face in uncertain disgust.

It's difficult to sum this one up without exposing the end of the movie. I would like everyone to have the same confused experience watching this as I did.

I sat down at home to this DVD. I'd excitedly purchased this when I found out about it. With the tagline of "you might be home but you're not alone" you know exactly what you're getting. Or at least that's what you think. Everything promises to make this Home Alone for adults... Home Alone is for adults too of course. No one should deprive themselves of that Christmas wonder.

Not going to lie, when I saw Patrick Warburton pop up on screen it was like a Christmas miracle. I love him. He can do no wrong, and thankfully he didn't disappoint.

Olivia DeJonge made a great job of the role of Ashley. It felt like the serious sort of acting that the film needed to make it a horror film and not more of a comedy. Alongside Levi Miller as Luke we were given an interesting, if awkward on screen leading pair. Miller didn't quite hit the same notes for me as DeJonge did. I think that is more to do with the way the character is written than the acting, as he certainly puts everything into his scenes.

So... I sat down (I know, that was a way back now!) with my pad and pen waiting to jot some notes as I watched. I made a few scribblngs every now and then... until it happened... and you'll know it when it does. At that point I threw my pen across the room and told the film to f*** off.

The first part of the film had so much potential and I was really enjoying it but after "the moment" I just lost all interest in the way they'd taken it. I really wanted a more serious horror film than the unbelieveable thing that was given to us. What we were left with was cringeworthy and uncomfortable to watch, but I will give it credit for its Home Alone moments.

I really would like to know what you guys thought of the end of this film if you saw it.

Being that I was at home watching this on DVD that meant that I got some extras, well, extra. Singular. The fairly subtantial "making of" featurette was quite interesting and reveals just how hardcore DeJonge is when it came to this film.

What you should do


It's potentially drinking game material, but it definitely won't be making it into my Christmas movie rotation.

Movie thing you wish you could take home


Without a doubt I would like Patrick Warburton please. If he could be delivered to me in a Christmas tie, even better.

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