Plot: What’s it about?
For a nice twist on a home invasion, look no further than Better Watch Out. I hadn’t even heard of it until I read a few reviews online that piqued my interest. I don’t recall it getting a theatrical debut, at least not in my area, but it very well could have. While it lacks familiar names to sell it, I hope it finds a large audience on Home Video. In fact, the film has a pretty big twist about 30 minutes in that I will not dive into. I’ve seen the trailers for the film and other reviews (one after I’ve seen the film) that mention too much. Part of the fun of the film is how it defies conventions and takes us in directions we don’t think it will go. I had my early theories about how the film might play out, but I was seriously wrong. Take my word for it: You need to go into this one fresh. It’s simply more enjoyable that way.
12 year old Luke (Levi Miller) is very excited when his parents are going out and he’s getting a babysitter. Why is this news exciting to him? Well the babysitter is teenager Ashley (Olivia DeJonge) who Luke’s had a crush on for quite some time. Despite her being more than a few years older than him, Luke still plans on making a move on her. Ashley is about to go through some big changes as she’s moving away soon, and need to figure out what to do about her current boyfriend. Luke’s parents speak to Ashley as she arrives at their house and then take off. Things start off OK as Luke and Ashley order pizza while she talks on the phone to her boyfriend. Luke sees early on that losing his virginity to Ashley isn’t going to happen. Before long, the two of them hear some commotion and learn quickly that there are invaders inside the house. It’s now up to Ashley and Luke to try and defend themselves against the perpetrators before it’s too late.
I cautiously didn’t reveal too many plot specifics, but suffice it to say that Better Watch Out goes in many different and unexpected directions. It also provides some genuinely frightening moments as Ashley and Luke try to survive the night. There are even some amusing bits as well and a few stabs at dark comedy as well. I smirked at the Home Alone reference as well. There’s another film I was reminded of, but that would spoil one of the twists, so I won’t reveal it. It also does a convincing job at not letting the characters make foolish decisions. I doubt there will be many people screaming at the screen at how dumb the characters are. They aren’t. Well maybe one, but you just have to see it to understand it. Another thing I enjoyed is how it keeps a lot of the blood just off screen so our imaginations fill in the blanks. It earns its R rating to be sure, but also leaves a lot out. In many ways this makes it scarier as well. If you’re looking for a scary, fast paced and darkly amusing home invasion flick, check this one out. Also be sure to stick through the early part of the end credits as there’s a short scene that pops us and adds an extra twist.
Video: How’s it look?
For a smaller budget film, we get a surprisingly strong transfer here. The image is AVC encoded with a 2.39:1 ratio. Things are clean and fresh and the print is free of noticeable flaws as well. This won’t be the most impressive transfer you’ll come across, but it’s more than adequate and gets the job done. Colors are sharp and there’s a smoothness to what’s seen here.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The DTS HD track fares well too. Vocals are crisp and natural sounding and we get plenty of rear channel action. There are more than a few jump scenes that kick things up a notch as well. Plenty of bass kicks in and this track keeps us with it during its brief running time.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Making Of Featurette – This goes for little over 52 minutes and gives us plenty of insight into the making of the film. We get various interview clips and good notes as well. It meanders at times, but covers all the necessary topics very well.
- Theatrical Trailers – We get two, but make sure not to watch them before you see the film; they reveal far too much and spoil the fun.
The Bottom Line
I wasn’t sure what to expect, but Better Watch Out turned out to be a darn good film. It has the blueprint of a standard home invasion flick, but turns that on its head. We think we know where things are headed, but are so wrong. Highly recommended.
