PopHorror Let's Get Scared
When Becky came along back in 2020, it was a most pleasant surprise. I decided to rent it and review it on a whim (you can read that review here), and what can I say? I loved it. Lulu Wilson and Kevin James caught lightning in a bottle and gave us a delightful, John Wick-inspired ass-kicking fest. It’s hard to believe that was three years ago already. To be honest with you, as good as it was, I did not expect to ever see a sequel. Imagine my surprise when I was scrolling through my Twitter feed a month or so back and saw someone post a trailer for The Wrath of Becky. She’s back! I knew I had to check it out. Lucky for me, the folks at Quiver Distribution were kind enough to set me up with an advanced screening.
So how was it? Were they able to recreate the magic of the original? Let’s find out!
The Wrath of Becky (2023) Synopsis
Two years after she escaped a violent attack on her family, 16-year-old Becky attempts to rebuild her life in the care of an older woman — a kindred spirit named Elena. However, when a violent group known as the Noble Men break into their home, attack them and take their beloved dog, Becky must return to her old ways to protect herself and her loved ones.
Suzanne Coote and Matt Angel directed the film. Lulu Wilson returns as Becky, starring alongside Seann William Scott (American Pie), Courtney Gains (Children of the Corn), and Michael Sirow (The Midnight Man).
The Setup
As the sequel opens, we find our hero (anti-hero?) Becky getting introduced to her newest foster family in a hilarious fashion. As her voiceover narrative unfolds, we find out she’s been in and out of the foster system since the last time we caught up with her, but baby, she was born to run. And run she does. Fast forward to the present, and Becky has settled down with a waitressing gig and rented a room, courtesy of an elderly woman named Elena. She’s still very much into survival and practices her particular set of skills regularly in a nearby wooded area.
One day, three men come into the restaurant where Becky works These guys are “Noble Men,” the cinematic equivalent to the real-life Proud Boys and other militant, white supremacist d-bags we’ve been hearing so much about in the news over the past several years. They’re in town to stir up trouble, and trouble they find in the form of one take-no-shit waitress. Things get ugly, and these three shitheels follow Becky back to her benefactor’s house after work for Round number 2.
The trio attack and wind up taking Becky’s dog, Diego, on a road trip to meet up with a Noble Men bigwig (Seann William Scott). Have these guys learned nothing from John Wick? You just don’t mess with someone’s dog. That was their first mistake. And it might be their last.
What Works
Lulu Wilson’s “Becky” is as cynical and badass as ever. Mayhem ensues when she clashes with the Noble Men in their compound, and it all unfolds in a gloriously bloody fashion. Do you want crazy, over-the-top (but in a fun way) blood and guts? You got it! It’s all very satisfying, and often laugh-out-loud funny. The Wrath of Becky is a briskly-paced action film, with little fat to trim. The direction is tight and has a great, almost comic-book style to it. I found myself smiling all the way through.
One of the complaints I had about the original Becky was that the bad guys came off as generic cannon fodder. In The Wrath of Becky, the bad guys are much better-defined characters you’ll absolutely love to hate. A hero is only as good as their villain(s), after all. To that end, Seann William Scott does a fine job as the ringleader here, proving Kevin James isn’t the only one who can play against type as a white supremacist asshole. The whole crew is detestable, but Courtney Gains is the real standout bad guy. He pretty much steals every scene he’s in.
What Doesn’t Work
At the risk of venturing slightly into spoiler territory, I found the final showdown between Becky and Seann William Scott’s “Darryl” to be somewhat unsatisfying, Scott’s character is portrayed as a true badass throughout the film, and we are constantly reminded of Becky’s lethality, so as an audience, you are really expecting to see the proverbial irresistible force crash head-on into the immovable object in the final act.
Unfortunately, that’s not really how it plays out. I liken it to setting up Reynard, the villain who can’t feel pain in The World Is Not Enough, for a showdown with Bond and then having him drown before the “no pain” theory can be put to the test. In The Wrath of Becky as with that Bond film, I feel they missed a chance to take things to 11 when the hero and villain finally face off in earnest.
The Wrath of Becky also carries with it the same animal cruelty trigger warning I gave the original film. If you don’t like seeing animals mistreated and/or in peril, you may think twice before watching this one. It is, however, only a movie, and you’ll find the “No Animals Were Harmed” disclaimer in the credits. Whew!
The Wrath of Becky (2023) Final Thoughts
Fans of Becky (2020) will absolutely love The Wrath of Becky. It’s smart and funny and ridiculously over the top in the best possible way. The film features solid performances from Lulu Wilson, Seann William Scott, and pretty much all of the bad guys. If you delight in seeing white supremacist assholes meet a grisly end in increasingly bloody, creative ways, this one’s for you. It’s got action, humor, and enough twists and turns to keep things interesting. I loved it, and I sincerely hope to see Becky’s adventures continue in a third film and beyond.
The Wrath of Becky is set to release on May 26, 2023. Watch for it! You can watch the official trailer below.
