Becky (2020) is directed by Jonathan Milott & Cary Murnion and stars Lulu Wilson, Kevin James, Joel McHale, Robert Maillet, Amanda Brugel, Isaiah Rockcliffe, Ryan McDonald, James McDougall, and Leslie Adlam. The film follows the titular Becky (Wilson), a moody 13-year-old girl whose mother passed away due to cancer. When her loving father (McHale) plans a weekend getaway at their family’s old lake house, Becky is ecstatic until she discovers that they’ll be accompanied by his girlfriend, Kayla (Brugel), and her elementary-aged son, Ty (Rockcliffe). Struggling to connect with who she sees as her mother’s replacement, Becky decides to spend most of her time exploring the surrounding forest. While doing so, the cabin is besieged by a violent group of white supremacists led by the blood-thirsty Dominick (James). In search of a mysterious key that Becky possesses, the group takes Becky’s family hostage. Doubtful that they’ll let anyone live regardless if she cooperates, Becky decides to fight back and act as an unexpected hero to her estranged family. The thing is, these nazis aren’t quite prepared for just how efficiently deadly Becky ends up being, leading to a desperate game of cat & mouse that proves you should never underestimate your enemy. 

Although a moody 13-year-old who’s an inexplicably efficient killer is a tough character to get right, Lulu Wilson nails the role despite a middling script. She effectively portrays this very specific age by injecting the character with a perfect balance of distinctly childish interests as well as the appropriate level of budding teenage angst. 13 is more or less a transitional age that signals a state of being that is extremely unique. The movie has a lot of issues, but it succeeds in achieving one of its most important goals: deliver on the premise of a 13-year-old fighting back against home invaders by writing the character to be a believable example of someone that age (besides the fact that she’s effective cold-blooded killer, of course). The script never makes even an attempt to explain why Becky is such a skilled killer, but this ultimately works because, the way I see it, any explanation of her skills would still require the viewer to suspend their disbelief. Leaving the reasons up to interpretation still asks us to suspend a certain amount of disbelief, just not nearly as much. At the very least, it leaves open to option for the viewer to imagine a reasoning that would work best for them personally. It would be easy to point to this as a loose end/plot hole (which it technically is), but it’s the entire draw. Its premise is inherently unrealistic, so instead of trying to disingenuously ground the material, it fully commits to the inherent silliness. It knows exactly the kind of B-movie entertainment it intends to provide and because of this feels comfortable leaning into and ultimately delivering a great example of material that is juvenile but nevertheless a load of fun.

Although the plot is formulaic, it remains compelling due to the self-aware humor as well as the somewhat gimmicky, but still consistently compelling casting of Kevin James as a full-on “I’m willing to kill kids” neonazi. Although this effort isn’t a total dud, he struggles to create a truly commanding/intimidating presence. If it wasn’t for the fact that the overall tone refuses to take itself too seriously, the performance would feel like nothing but a wasted opportunity. I’m convinced a more reprehensible portrayal would help to better balance the film’s darkly comedic tone. Either way, the performance still fits even though it’s noticeably lesser than the alternative. 

For gore lovers, the film features its fair share of uniquely conceived kill sequences that feature more than enough “carnage candy.” This demographic is also sure to appreciate the fact that the film essentially plays out as a classic revenge thriller, but with clear elements of slasher films. Becky’s unexplained skills in combination with the cartoonishly bloody ways in which she stalks and then kills her enemies are as terrifying as just about anything Jason Voorhees has to offer. 

The biggest issue I have with the film is that the only theme it chooses to explore, if any, is how violence can affect a person psychologically. The thing is, the script only raises this question. It never seems remotely interested in actually exploring the topic which ultimately makes its inclusion feel silly to begin with. The previously mentioned plot holes as well as the general lack of realism will inevitably annoy a good portion of the audience, but if you like the home-invasion subgenre as well as thrillers that refuse to take themselves too seriously, this is a serviceable ride.

Overall, this isn’t a particularly original, well-acted, or technically impressive film. However, for fans of the genre, it delivers the goods and them some. If you end up liking this film, I guarantee the reasons won’t be particularly intellectual. Instead, what it has to offer is the best kind of shut-your-brain-off fun, and if you meet it at that level, it’s sure to entertain. It’s extremely niche and will work wonders for its target audience. That being said, I have a feeling even the most blindly loyal fans of the genre will still spot a handful of filmmaking blunders. Fun, but deeply flawed. C+