Review of Better Watch Out (2017) by Ricky R — 26 Nov 2017

Better Watch Out is being trumpeted as an original horror flick in one breath and then compared to Home Alone and The Strangers in another. In truth, Better Watch Out isn't original at all. It borrows from a lot of other films (the younger dude hoping to deflower his older babysitter is a well-worn trope, for instance) and in some key moments, this film seems to suffer from an identity crisis. The most glaring comparison this film has received is to Home Alone but aside from a segment involving a paint can, the comparisons seem rather baseless. The Strangers, which capitalized off of subtlety to advance the intensity, is also not a worthy film for Better Watch Out to be compared to as this film goes straight for the visual jugular, leaving very little in the way of subtlety. Even the antagonist's motives are practically blinking across his face in bold, blood-soaked neon.

This is all not to say the film is bad. It's actually quite good and seems to shine most in the interactions between the two horn-dog buddies who both seem to lust over the babysitter. The violent elements, while mostly off-screen, come packaged with an uneasy amount of glee which makes one feel a hint of guilt for laughing at some of the more disturbing bits. And this is an instance where the gory details don't have to be seen to visualized. This is a horror film that leaves some things to the imagination while simultaneously beating other aspects feverishly into the viewer's senses. After a few awkward moments, its clear that the babysitter's charge has a thing for her and yet the film continues to treat this 'crush' as something new, and later, awkwardly unexpected. Another glaring flaw is the gross underrepresentation of the parents. They steal the show at film' open but practically disappear (not at all surprising since this film is about the babysitter and her charge), which is problematic because they are the film's most likeable characters. The capable cast does what it can and does it well, but ultimately the film relies and falters because of a 'big twist.' Of course, if you've seen the trailer, it is fairly easy to discern what this twist is, which is a shame because it could have been an epic reveal of a moment. And the twist seems to be what most people love about the film, people who seemed to not see it coming. I watched the trailer, so I already knew more about the film than I really wanted to. It was a darkly good time, full of camp and violence. Its flawed, but still rather good.