Director: Chris
Peckover
Notable Cast: Levi
Miller, Olivia DeJonge, Ed Oxenbould, Patrick Warburton, Dacre Montgomery,
Viginia Madsen, Aleks Mikic
If a person digs through the $5 bin or stumbles into the
straight to home video section of their local Wal Mart, one is likely to see
that Christmas themed horror films are a dime a dozen in the last couple of
years. It’s an easy gimmick to grab and throwing on the word Krampus or a bad Christmas pun for a
tagline guarantees a handful of impulse buys in box stores looking for some counter
programing to the usual Christmas movies that bombard their TVs. Yet, it’s a
sub-genre of horror that does have its merits when properly utilized. This leads
to the hesitation and excitement for any new film that adheres to the Christmas
theme. Better Watch Out, a rare horror
release from our friends at Well Go USA who are known for distributing foreign
films usually of the action variety, marks an intriguing spin on the Christmas horror film. It’s a film
rooted in the Christmas film idea, at times even going as far as referencing a
famous Christmas film that I will talk about here in a bit, but also spins it
as a home invasion/survival film with a wickedly effective dark sense of humor.
Better Watch Out is a film that
somewhat takes its audience in different directions than expected and still
presents a film that grows on repeated viewings. Some fans may not love that it
doesn’t play its hands up front, but for those going into it with an open mind,
Better Watch Out will become an
instant holiday horror classic to revisit in years to come.