Directed By Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote

Starring – Lulu Wilson, Seann William Scott, Denise Burse

The Plot – Two years after she escaped a violent attack on her family, Becky (Wilson) attempts to rebuild her life in the care of an older woman – a kindred spirit named Elena (Burse). But, when a group known as the “Noble Men” break into their home, attack them, and take her beloved dog, Diego, Becky must return to her old ways to protect herself and her loved ones.

Rated R for strong bloody violence and gore, pervasive language and some sexual references

(65) The Wrath of Becky | Official Trailer – YouTube

POSITIVES

As to where 2020’s “Becky” was a much-needed shot of adrenaline in the all-time worst movie year in history, “The Wrath of Becky” shines on a stage of stability, proving the value of this franchise during a time when it matters the most. It does this in a lot of ways, but mostly once more in the visceral carnage candy that this film unloads on its horror hounds, with an integral combination of creative kills and entirely practical effect-springing brutality so brutal that it gushes all over the canvas of the film’s presentation. What is so satisfying about this on a universal level is that those who wrong Becky are often the worst and lowest kind of scum on the planet, so in watching each of them get what they so definitely deserve, it’s considered poetic justice of sorts, especially since in this installment the group abuses a dog, and kills the elderly. This also crafts an appreciation for our titular protagonist, which wasn’t something I felt in its predecessor, this time with a teenage Becky sedating the annoyances in immaturity that weren’t always rewarding for her arc, previously. Part of this certainly lends itself to the much-improved dialogue and tonal plausibilities of this film now wholeheartedly embracing the campy carlessness of its established world, but even more kudos lends itself to Wilson’s evolved range, which here doesn’t feel as forced or spoon-fed as her previous entanglement. Wilson’s unbridled rage and caustic wit make for a delightful combination that serve as the summoning of all that her character has lost along the way, in turn giving us an ass-kicking female whom we not only believe in the capabilities of her devastation, but also a much-improved control for Wilson, which prove her brightest days might be ahead of her, as an adult. In addition to Wilson, Seann William Scott is a welcome addition, and like Kevin James before him, imbeds an unforeseen grit and menace to his antagonist that feels like experiencing him for the first time, without a shred of Seann’s familiarity for crude humor that has dominated his career thus far. Beyond the performances, the pacing thrives on urgency once more, inside of an 80 minute run time that never gives audiences a chance to be bored with the constant pushing of the storytelling, and the technical merits, especially the editing, produce some sharply emphasized intuitions to sequences of devastation, which feel more palpable than an uninterupted blunt blow simply ever could. There is a compromise to such a short run time that I will get to in a second, but in an age where phones easily distract people trying to focus on escapism in entertainment, “The Wrath of Becky” never has that problem, making the most of each vital minute with unfiltered anxiety that catapaults the chaos sky high, to which it consistently embraces.

NEGATIVES

On the other side of that run time tug-of-war, the constant rush often undercuts the development of storylines and character arcs, respectively, leading to sudden resolutions and halted progress so abrupt that the storytelling never has enough time to breathe an essence of naturalism to the sequencing of events. On a character stance, this is most evident in an introduced arc of one antagonist character with a heart quite literally going nowhere, as well as the characterization of Scott’s leader, which isn’t half as compelling or contrasting as James’ during the first film, but from an evolving and enveloping narrative, it completely omits tension or even momentary uncertainty for Becky, which in turn dramatically undervalues the conflict in ways that never flirt with speculation among the predictability that plagues the proceedings. There’s even a macguffin introduced midway through the film (Isn’t there always?), which is meant to not only even the playing field, but also open the door of vulnerability to our protagonists, whom as previously mentioned, we know very little about, to this point. Beyond this, if you haven’t seen “Becky”, have no fear, as the film features many cut-flash sequences conveying events from that predecessor that constantly intrude upon the duration of the foreground. If this is done once during the film’s introduction, as usually intended in sequels, it serves as a nice review from the three years that have passed since the previous film, but eating away vital minutes from an already limited engagement only further dwindles the creative possibilities, leaving an even smaller piece of the pie that all but conveys how twenty additional minutes would serve this film, especially.

OVERALL
“The Wrath of Becky” isn’t always firing on the same kind of cylinders as its predecessor, thanks to an even shorter run time limiting extensive storytelling, but it’s still a devilishly violent hike of a bloodbath into the woods, with an outragiously over the top tonal consistency that frequently reminds us how fun it is to watch a Nazi suffer.

My Grade: 7/10 or B-