The Wrath of Becky (2023) Review!!

Synopsis – Three years after she escaped a violent attack on her family, Becky attempts to rebuild her life in the care of an older woman – a kindred spirit named Elena. 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.

My Take – If Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016), Annabelle: Creation (2017), and the television series adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House (2018) proved anything, it is that Lulu Wilson is a gem to watch, vicious for her age and very entertaining, particularly in the horror genre.

A fact that doubled down in Becky (2020), a surprising little hit during the COVID-19 period that provided a unique twist of a 13-year-old girl taking her murderous revenge on a bunch of Neo-Nazis (led by a very effective Kevin James) invading her home and attacking her family.

While I was personally not a fan of the film, apparently the twisted sense of humor was enough to warrant a sequel. And though, for the most part, the sequel feels exactly the same, it thankfully results in a better film. The structure of the first film has been whittles down into something leaner and perfects the protagonist.

Yes, the film is unoriginal set up wise, but it is almost as ridiculous as the last one. Filled with over the top violence and decent kill shots, the writing and directing team of Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote (The Open House) deliver exactly what fans of the earlier film can expect.

It’s a much more exciting and thrilling film in terms of action sequences while also not taking itself too seriously and just concerned with providing a damn good time, which I believe is the film’s best attribute.

Set three years after the events of the last film, the story once again follows Becky (Lulu Wilson), who is now somewhat of a runaway, jumping from one foster parents to another and living where she can, forever changed into an angsty teen full of fight and anger. Only to finally seek refuge by hiring out a room for rent on offer from an older lady, Elena (Denise Burse), who treats Becky like a responsible daughter and does not pry about her past.

However, her peaceful life is disrupted when Becky intentionally spills a cup of coffee on one rude customer of a group of three ‘Noble Men’ (Michael Sirow, Aaron Dalla Villa, and Matt Angel), who belong to a sleeper cell of white supremacists planning an insurrection. Though she plays it off with apologies, the three men secretly follow Becky home, ends up shooting Elena in her head, and kidnap her dog Diego.

Full of rage and fury more than ever, Becky ends up deciding to confront and eliminate not only the three men, but also the mysterious leader of the Noble Men, Darryl Jr. (Sean William Scott). Of course, it once again helps that her adversaries underestimate her.

Unraveling its mayhem in 83 minutes, not a second is wasted on fluff. With origins out of the way and better villainy present, this is a rare sequel that counts as a noticeable improvement from its predecessor, complete with an open door for more chapters. Whilst its 2020 predecessor was mostly action thriller; the sequel is more humorous and, almost feels satirical with its dialogue and action set pieces.

Yes, there are still people getting attacked with blood and gore spraying everywhere similarly to the first film, but here it is done in such a hilarious way much better suited way of its story. Especially given the context that the film tells of a 16-year-old girl is planning the downfall of a fascist group.

The kills to come are as uproarious and savage as imagined and advertised. We even observe her aforementioned active imagination dreaming up more innovative ways to kill people and measure out the proper suffering along the way.

The final few minutes sees the CIA, in the form of Agent Montana (Kate Siegel), getting involved in what would obviously be an FBI issue, and the picture just doubles down on the dumb. But by that point you’re either on board with Becky and her wrath or you aren’t.

Without a doubt, Lulu Wilson is incredible yet again as the sarcastic and sadistic teenager, providing a once-again fantastic and solid performance. Wilson gets to shine and really showcase more of her comedic skills, clearly having a lot of fun with the surprisingly hilarious script provided. Unlike the first film, this one even provides a wider dialogue between her and the audience.

Though Seann William Scott lacks Kevin James‘ intensity from the first, he manages to hold his own. He particularly shines in a chilling monologue he delivers to one of the other Noble Men over the course of the film. That is until, Jill Larson steals his thunder in scenes that feature them both.

In supporting roles, Denise Burse, Courtney Gains, Michael Sirow, Aaron Dalla Villa, and Matt Angel are effective. Kate Siegel is alright in a cameo. On the whole, ‘The Wrath of Becky’ is a decent twisted sequel that surprisingly exceeds its predecessor in both its humor and brutal action.