This film is one of those simple, straight-to-the-point movies I admire. I am all for having a complex story with even more complex characters, but every here and there, it’s a blast to watch something that has a simple premise, gets to it quickly, and it knows when to end. And since the premise here seems to be: “What if the kid from Home Alone (1990) was a girl and more of a psychopath?” I was down with this film almost instantly.
Of course, it’s not as simple as I make it out to be, as Becky (the name of the movie and our titular character) starts as your stereotypical teenager that is pushed one too many times by bad guys, who decide to ambush her, her dad and potential step-mom at their cabin. I liked the progression of her character, from trying to get away at first, clearly thinking about the situation, and only when something big happens (no spoilers here, but I think you’d hardly be surprised), she snaps and goes full-on Rambo mode. Except she isn’t Sylvester Stallone, an Italian stallion full of muscles on top of another, bigger muscles. She is “just” a little girl who shoves us how no matter the size or gender, anyone is capable of the most horrendous act of violence if pushed to a breaking point.
Sure, you can make an argument about Becky being just a dark, twisted film full of violence and gory details. And you would not be wrong per se; there is quite a lot of violence and gore. I was surprised that the camera wasn’t “shy” to capture a few brutal stunts, so if you are a squeamish person who can’t handle gore very well, this film might not be for you. But to me, the main reason I enjoyed this film so much was two performances, one by our main protagonist Lulu Wilson and the other by, and I can’t believe I am writing this, Kevin James. Yep, that Kevin James.
Let’s start with Lulu – I wasn’t that familiar with her. Apparently, she was in Sharp Objects (2018), but I would be lying if I said I remembered her. But I will remember her from now on, as she was awesome in this film. Her performance was precisely what this film needed, she led this film effortlessly, and I was with her for the entire movie; she portrayed this complicated character very well. Regarding Kevin James, this might be his best performance, hands down, simply because of how different it is from anything he had ever done before this. Forget the loveable goofball who somehow lands the hottest women in his films, no. In Becky, he is this Nazi leader, the personification of evil. When he and his “buddies” escape from prison, it’s more than implied they kill a family (children included) to get to the cabin where Becky is. I was genuinely shocked at how much I enjoyed James’ performance in this film, and I hope this wasn’t just a one-off, and he will consider playing more dramatic or “straight” roles more often as he has a talent. You quickly forget that this is the same actor who portrayed Paul Blart.
The only negative thing I could say about this film is the more Becky fights, the less believable those scenes get, especially towards the end. I am all for empowerment and all that stuff, but body mass matters and especially a certain “scene in the field” didn’t ring true whatsoever. I liked the parts before, where she managed to surprise her opponents and took advantage of the situation, but especially towards the end, she survives a bit too much. And I am writing this as a person who was rooting for her the entire film.
But honestly, that’s about it. I know there is a sequel coming out this year (The Wrath of Becky, 2023), and I can honestly say if it is playing somewhere around me, I will support the creators by going to see it in the cinemas. I am not expecting something mind-blowing, but as long as they stick to their guns, develop the character further and keep it simple, I will be there. As the meme goes, I don’t just support women’s rights; I support women’s wrongs. And I wouldn’t want to stumble across Becky in the woods in her cute bear hat, covered with blood.
Overall, Becky is a simple 93 minutes in-and-out film that you will either have a good time with or not. Due to its simplicity, it’s almost that binary; you are either all in for all the violence, gore and little girl murdering people, or it may not just be your cup of hot cocoa. If it’s not, I can’t blame you. But it was mine, and I enjoyed my time with Becky. I enjoyed Kevin James’ performance, and therefore I enjoyed this film. And I hope I will write the same thing once I see the sequel. As long as you don’t mind gory scenes, I would recommend Becky.
That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!
Until next time,
Luke
