If you’ve always thought that the Christmas classic Home Alone was a bit sadistic, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Better Watch Out, co-written and directed by Chris Peckover (the story was conceived by Zach Kahn – who also co-wrote the script), plays like a combination of the above mentioned Chris Columbus directed, John Hughes scribed film, and a twist on the home-invasion horror sub-genre – something along the lines of When a Stranger Calls or The Strangers.
A tough sell during the holidays, Better Watch Out really didn’t deliver at the box office, yet, in its three years since its 2016 release, it has slowly built a cult following. Twisty as much as it is twisted, Peckover relishes in this horror-fused Hughes-style world. Set in an upper-middle class home, it could sit on the same cold wintery Chicago street found in the 90s gem.
Living within is the Lerner family, consisting of parents Robert and Deandra (Patrick Warburton and Virginia Madsen) and their only child, Luke (Levi Miller) – a soon to be thirteen year old. With the couple departing for a wonderful night out on the town, they bring in go-to babysitter Ashley (Olivia DeJonge), a young woman five years Luke’s senior that is moving away in a few short days (to Pittsburgh – no, that is not where the horror kicks in).
With Luke’s best friend Garrett (Ed Oxenbould) heading home, Luke hopes to use frightening horror movies to get a little closer to his blonde babysitter (who he has a major crush on). Yet, in short order, it appears that something isn’t quite right, and things start to turn a bit scary. . . not only because (less than) third wheel Garrett returns, but also due to the fact that it seems as though someone is terrorizing them from the outside – doors mysteriously open, silent crank calls keep coming in, a brick is thrown through the upstairs window, and shadows can be seen on the other side of the windows.
Like Home Alone, Better Watch Out juxtaposes the intensely claustrophobic, trapped setting with a larger than normal home. With plenty of space to move around and numerous places to hide, it provides an unorthodox landscape for the characters to react and adapt in (unlike, for instance, Don’t Breathe – which feels wholly confining).
That is not the only thing these two features have in common. This 2016 offering has a wickedly warped sense of humour, gargantuan spiders, paint cans, Christmas carollers, and a number of other winks to the 1990 picture. Yet, Peckover is wise enough to spin his own web, inspiration never coming off as copycat hijinks or lame recycling.
Obviously, I’m leaving much of the plot in the air with this review, as it is best enjoyed firsthand. What I can say is that each of the actors does a stellar job with their characters; Miller completely measured and dynamic beyond his years, DeJonge brave in the ever changing face of danger – channelling her inner kick-ass heroine, while, in many ways, Oxenbould brings forth the most interesting character arc. . . and can almost be seen as the moral compass as the piece changes many times.
A quirkily warped film that descends into bonkers madness, Better Watch Out updates both Christmas horror tropes and coming of age stories from the golden age of slasher flicks, making for perfect viewing for those looking for a very different type of watch this holiday. So, add this one to your list, no need to check it twice, you will most definitely find out who’s naughty and nice. . . though full disclosure here, you may never watch Home Alone in the same way ever again.