Movie Review: “Better Watch Out”

This post contains affiliate links. See affiliate disclaimer here. 

Unfortunately, we had to make a jaunt to Denver for a funeral this past weekend. Well, I say unfortunate because death is sad. Usually. There are exceptions to that rule –for good and bad reasons.

In this case it was a good reason . My husband’s grandma lived a very long, full life –into her late 90s. (97 to be exact.) She was even watering skiing into her late 80s! (She was 88 the last time she got up on skis –and slalom at that!)

Somehow the fact that she lived such a long, pretty much healthy life made saying goodbye a little less difficult. Because the end is coming for us all eventually. Some people we’re blessed to spend more time with than others. We’re thankful we had so much time with her.

As I usually do when I travel, I had my Kindle with me. I had planned to read Finders Keepers, and started to, but I was shocked and appalled to find it wasn’t holding my interest.

What?! Stephen King is one of my all time favorite writers. I’ve maybe liked some of his work better than others, but I’ve never been downright bored with any of it.

I figured maybe I just wasn’t in a reading frame of mind and should try a movie instead. (Sadly, I tried to read the book again on the way home. We got stuck in the airport due to flight delays. I forced myself to get 40% in before I decided to stop trying to force it. I just wasn’t into the plot. Wow. Still reeling about this one. But that may be a post for another day…)

Anyway, I decided maybe I was in more of a movie watching frame of mind. So I went to my videos and decided to give one I’d downloaded from my Shudder playlist a try: Better Watch Out.

Ho Ho…Whoa!

Olivia DeJonge plays Ashley, the hot babysitter that twelve-year old Luke (played by Levi Miller) is crushing on. But when Luke’s parents head out for the night, Luke has a plan to make Ashley see why he’s worthy of her affections.

Except, you don’t know any of that in the beginning. Shortly after Ashley and Luke are left alone in the house, weird things begin happening. Starting with Luke opening a bottle of champagne, which is out of character for the seemingly mild-mannered kid.

The phone rings and no one’s on the other end. A pizza shows up, even though they didn’t order one. Someone knocks on the door, but when they open it no one’s there.

It escalates from there until Ashley and Luke are cowering in the room near the Christmas tree and they see a man’s shadow lurking in the window.

Glass breaks. They flee upstairs, hoping to hide from the intruder –or intruders– who are now in the house.

It appears this will be a home invasion type horror movie –until Ashley recognizes the mask the intruder is wearing. It’s Luke’s. She abandons their hiding spot in the closet and confronts the man, ripping off his mask to expose Luke’s BFF, Garrett, played by Ed Oxenbould.

This was all a ploy so Luke could play the hero to impress Ashley and potentially win her heart.

Or is it?

Twistier Than a Candy Cane

That’s the first of a couple plot twists that make Better Watch Out fun. I’m not going to say more to avoid spoilers, but just when you think you know where this is going, it changes.

Basically. It does eventually reach a point where the ending is predictable. But even that has a fun little twist.

Overall it was a good movie to forget my troubles for a while –and get a break from the heat. It’s set during Christmastime, so that tricked my brain into thinking of cooler thoughts. But there were also a couple of thrilling scenes that sent a shiver up my spine.

The best I can sum it up is sort of like a Home Alone with a psychotic side. I give it 3.5 out of 4 skulls.