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REVIEW: ‘Becky’ is a Brutal & Bloody Home Invasion Thriller

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Lulu Wilson in "Becky"

When you think of young adult fare labeled horror, certain movies may come to mind such as Twilight or Goosebumps, but thankfully Becky isn’t for younger viewers even though the main character is one. Becky (Lulu Wilson), both the movie and the character, are ultra-violent entities that are capable of surprising the audience with just how bloody-thirsty they both really are.

It’s not that you haven’t seen all this before; a distraught teen in the midst of puberty struggles to control her emotions. But Becky’s are exacerbated because she has recently lost her mother to cancer and her father (Joel McHale) has proposed to another woman (Amanda Brugel). To celebrate the engagement he has brought all of them together for the weekend at their secluded vacation home situated in the woods.

As basic and derivative as the set-up might be, the film rises above itself thanks to the performances by its stars to become one of the best horror movies of the year. Fast-paced and brutal, Becky should satisfy genre devotees looking for action, unflinching gore, and gratifying kills.

As stated before Becky is struggling to move on after the death of her mother and is resentful that her father has seemingly already done so. This leads to angry exchanges between them once they reach their vacation home and when her dad’s new fiance shows up with her young son (Isaiah Rockcliffe), our miserable Becky takes one of their two large dogs and self-isolates inside her wooden fort located a small distance from the main cottage.

Meanwhile, a group of violent prisoners are in transit to another facility and orchestrate an escape from their transport vehicle in one of the more improbable aspects of the film. Their psycho leader, Dominick, played by Kevin James, is on the hunt for a key which is hidden—you guessed it—somewhere in the family’s vacation home. James, known more for his likable dorky sitcom characters, burns up the scenery working against type and if you didn’t get the message, he has a large swastika tattooed on the back of his bald head.

Once the gang invades the home and holds Becky’s family at gunpoint,  she spies them from her fort and witnesses her other dog being shot. She springs into action unbeknownst to the criminals who have no idea she’s there.

What follows is a cat and mouse game reminiscent of Die Hard and Home Alone. Becky, like the former, is a blood bath. The teenager sets up traps, instigates their rage, and confronts them every chance she gets by way of a walkie talkie. This could have been a film fueled by that gimmick alone, but the actors don’t take the script for granted and directors Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion keep the pace tighter than fishing line.

Although most people will be curious about Kevin James’ performance since this is his grand departure from comedy, this is Lulu Wilson’s movie.

Wilson, unlike James, is no stranger to horror. Although she usually goes up against supernatural foes as in Ouija: Origin of Evil and Annabelle: Creation, in a way, like James, she is also playing outside her zone. Fighting demons against a green screen or CGI is a lot different than going up against flesh and bone actors and practical special effects.

Whereas the kid in Home Alone set up a paint can to hit his pursuers in the face, Becky wants it to go through their skulls, don’t let this dragon slayer’s pretty blue eyes fool you. Wilson has it all under control as she goes from emotionally troubled to bellicose. Hollywood take notice.

As for James, even though he’s all beard and tattoos, he doesn’t feel as threatening as he should be. That honor goes to Robert Maillet as Apex, the unpredictable convict who towers over the rest of the cast.

There is one particular scene with James and a large brass key that will make squeamish people look away. James is brave to jump from comedy to horror and although the saying may be that comedy is the hardest medium, horror is no slouch. He is fine here as the villain but he never really rises above the trope enough to make him as truly terrifying as his dialogue hopes he will be.

Cinematographer Greta Zozula has got all the action under control and has so much confidence in the gory practical effects she lingers on them even in daylight. Music fans will also find plenty to love in Nima Fakhrara’s  synth-pounding score.

With a movie like Becky you can’t help but point out the borrowed parts of better-known action films. But the cast and crew are of such great chemistry they have forged a movie that is greater than the sum of its parts. Bloody, relentless, and often surprising, viewers will most likely come away ironically praising its originality rather than its homage. And that’s quite a feat to pull off in this age of remakes, reboots and reimaginings.

Becky is On Demand and Digital and at select drive-ins on June 5, 2020

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Editorial

7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch

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The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.

The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.

We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.

Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?

Scream Live (2023)

Scream Live

Ghostface (2021)

Ghostface

Ghost Face (2023)

Ghost Face

Don’t Scream (2022)

Don’t Scream

Scream: A Fan Film (2023)

Scream: A Fan Film

The Scream (2023)

The Scream

A Scream Fan Film (2023)

A Scream Fan Film
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Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

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Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

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Part Concert, Part Horror Movie M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Trap’ Trailer Released

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In true Shyamalan form, he sets his film Trap inside a social situation where we aren’t sure what is going on. Hopefully, there is a twist at the end. Furthermore, we hope it’s better than the one in his divisive 2021 movie Old.

The trailer seemingly gives away a lot, but, as in the past, you can’t rely on his trailers because they are often red herrings and you are being gaslit to think a certain way. For instance, his movie Knock at the Cabin was completely different than what the trailer implied and if you hadn’t read the book on which the film is based it was still like going in blind.

The plot for Trap is being dubbed an “experience” and we aren’t quite sure what that means. If we were to guess based on the trailer, it’s a concert movie wrapped around a horror mystery. There are original songs performed by Saleka, who plays Lady Raven, a kind of Taylor Swift/Lady Gaga hybrid. They have even set up a Lady Raven website to further the illusion.

Here is the fresh trailer:

According to the synopsis, a father takes his daughter to one of Lady Raven’s jam-packed concerts, “where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event.”

Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Trap stars Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills and Allison Pill. The film is produced by Ashwin Rajan, Marc Bienstock and M. Night Shyamalan. The executive producer is Steven Schneider.

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