shannen-l-c
'Better Watch Out' has a lot of promise and benefits from good performances from the main cast. It starts out particularly good and the suspense is built up well, but the plot is predictable (I correctly guessed it 15 minutes into the movie) and given away much too early. There is no real plot and usually in a horror or thriller of this sort I'd expect the stakes and anti to be built up more and more as the movie progresses, but that didn't happen. It felt incredibly stagnant and predictable. For horror fans looking for a true horror, I would say this may not be for you. I, for one, was expecting a lot more violence and gore, but most of the violence was mild or took place off camera. It's much more aimed at young teens and/or people that have a preference to thrillers rather than horrors. Although the movie generally fell flat for me, I enjoyed the ending and think the idea was a good one that would've made for an excellent movie if it had been executed differently.
juan casado y barton
Found this on Netflix, having no prior knowledge of what it was about, I saw that two of the leads from "The Visit," who I thought did well in an otherwise mediocre film, were starring. So, with little expectation, and fully prepared to switch to Archer at a moment's notice, I turned it on. Better Watch Out lies about everything. I don't even think the name is appropriate for the title. That title conjures up ideas of Santa Claus going on a rampage, or clueless teens getting their comeuppance for past transgressions. Bizarrely, Better Watch Out, upon finishing the film, I noticed, doesn't actually even try to hide what is about to transpire and that's what makes it so good. Young Ashley is about to go off to college and takes on one last night of babysitting her favourite charge, Luke. Unbeknownst to Ashley, Luke and his best friend, Garrett, have planned to get Luke laid in the most immature way possible (seduce the babysitter with a horror movie and some moet chandon). Not only that, but her current beau is picking fights with her over the phone and her ex has been spreading some vicious rumours. She's in for a rough night. Things get far worse when she receives prank calls, and before you can say "When a Stranger Calls," she and Luke are running for their lives, trying to evade a psycho whose motive remains completely absent, but makes good on his threat to kill anyone who leaves the house. At this point, I was prepared to continue for the cast, only, because all three leads are adorable and cute, even as the situation becomes stale and predictable. Then, and I can't stress this enough, things got switched up. Things, which already seemed pretty bad, get worse in a way that is so difficult to comprehend, I spent a good 20 minutes trying to figure out what sort of film I was actually watching. What appears to be an innocent act quickly spirals into one of utter depravity and filth, something I've not seen, ever, in a mainstream horror. Even as my brain was trying to catch up, I kept thinking "Surely this is a mistake, things can be fixed, right?"Better Watch Out pays homage to a vast variety of horror directors, from Michael Hanneke to Joe Dante. There's a cloyingly sweet Home Alone feel to the proceedings, with a very real reference to that movie's take on self-defense,, that may ruin further viewing of Home Alone at Christmas for any viewer with a queasy stomach. Even as the leads are crumbling to violence and horror, it's hard not to watch them, they're that good. Even the supporting cast give layered performances (Luke's mother and father are comic relief, but there are cracks under the suburban happiness) and not since "Orphan" have I seen a child actor carry a horror on their shoulders.There are some misgivings. I found it hard to believe the complicity involving certain characters, and I assume that it is just their way of coping with trauma, but I didn't believe that there'd be as much support for what occurs between those stuck in the house. Furthermore, two of the main cast are playing 12 year olds which is disturbing enough as it is, yet is further compounded by the fact the babysitter looks younger than them. It's difficult to believe there'd be such penchant for violence (physical, sexual, emotional and mental) against and perpetrated by 12 year olds.Thankfully, the whole thing moves so fast that you barely have time to register one horrific reveal before another nasty, twisted little cut has been inflicted. It's a marvel for horror fans and, for me, will be an excellent addition to my annual christmas horror show!
