Better Watch Out

Better Watch Out (formerly titled Safe Neighborhood[5]) is a 2016 Christmas psychological horror film directed by Chris Peckover, from a script he co-wrote with Zack Kahn.[6] It stars Olivia DeJonge, Levi Miller and Ed Oxenbould. The film had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest on September 22, 2016, and was released in the United States on October 6, 2017, by Well Go USA and in Australia on November 23, 2017, by Rialto Distribution.

For other uses, see Better Watch Out (disambiguation).

Better Watch Out
Theatrical release poster
Directed byChris Peckover
Screenplay by
  • Zack Kahn
  • Chris Peckover
Story byZack Kahn
Produced by
  • Brett Thornquest
  • Brion Hambel
  • Sidonie Abbene
  • Paul Jensen
Starring
CinematographyCarl Robertson
Edited byJulie-Anne de Ruvo
Music byBrian Cachia
Production
companies
  • Storm Vision Entertainment
  • Best Medicine Productions
Distributed by
  • Well Go USA (United States)
  • Rialto Distribution (Australia)
Release dates
  • September 22, 2016 (2016-09-22) (Fantastic Fest)
  • October 6, 2017 (2017-10-06) (United States)
  • November 23, 2017 (2017-11-23) (Australia)
Running time
89 minutes[1]
Countries
  • United States
  • Australia
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3 million[2]
Box office$188,756[3][4]

Plot

At Christmas time, 17-year-old Ashley is babysitting precocious 12-year-old Luke Lerner. Luke has romantic feelings for Ashley and unsuccessfully attempts to seduce her while watching a horror film. Strange happenings outside put Ashley on edge, but it ultimately appears to be just Luke's best friend, Garrett, who has arrived to visit. Hearing a window break upstairs, the trio find a brick inscribed with "U leave and U die." Garrett panics and runs out the back door, but is apparently killed by an unknown shooter.

Shocked, Ashley and Luke run upstairs and hide in the attic. Ashley almost breaks her neck from a fall but Luke catches her. After they run into Luke's room and hide in his closet, a masked intruder armed with a shotgun walks in. Ashley recognizes the mask as one of Luke's and tells the intruder to take it off, revealing Garrett. Ashley realizes that Luke was hoping to seduce her by scaring her and staging a rescue. Angered, Ashley yells at Luke, calling him mental and saying he needs therapy and tries to leave. Luke follows behind Ashley and once at the top of the stairs Luke slaps her, causing her to fall down the stairs and be knocked unconscious.

Luke binds Ashley with duct tape, forcing her to play truth or dare. Her boyfriend Ricky arrives at the house after receiving a text message sent by Ashley earlier. When Ricky fails to find Ashley, he realizes that something is wrong. Luke tries to knock him out but fails. After nearly killing Luke, Ricky is threatened by Garrett with the shotgun. Luke knocks Ricky out and they tie him up beside Ashley.

While Ashley uses a shard of glass to cut herself free, Luke tries to show Garrett what happens if you actually hit someone in the head with a swinging paint can, based on a scene from the film Home Alone. Luke tries to demonstrate with Ricky but misses on the first swing. Ashley gets free and threatens Luke with a gun. He releases the paint can, which hits and kills Ricky. When Ashley realizes the gun is empty, she tries to escape to a group of carolers outside. Luke uses the brick tossed through the upstairs window to knock her out again before she can alert them.

Luke calls Ashley's ex-boyfriend, Jeremy, claiming that she wants him to write an apology letter. While Jeremy does so, Luke hangs him from a tree, making the apology look like a suicide note. Garrett has a change of heart and starts to free Ashley, but is killed by Luke. Luke stabs Ashley in the neck and stages the scene to frame Jeremy. Later, he goes to bed and waits for the return of his parents, who contact the police. Ashley survives, having placed duct tape over the stab wound to stop the bleeding. Luke watches from his bedroom window as Ashley gives him the finger before being wheeled into the ambulance.

Cast

Production

The film was shot in Sydney, Australia, in January and February 2016. It was originally set to be filmed in South Carolina for $500,000 when director Chris Peckover was approached by Australian producer Brett Thornquest, who offered a $3 million budget to shoot the film in Australia after hearing Peckover's mother was an Australian native.[2]

Release

In May 2017, North American distribution rights to Better Watch Out were acquired by Well Go USA, which released the film theatrically and through video on demand on October 6, 2017.[7][8] In Australia, it was released in select theaters on November 23, 2017, by Rialto Distribution.[9][10]

Home media

The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray by Well Go USA on December 5, 2017.[11]

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Better Watch Out has an approval rating of 89% based on 65 reviews, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Carried by its charismatic young cast, Better Watch Out is an adorably sinister holiday horror film."[12] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 67 out of 100 based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[13]

Luke Buckmaster of The Guardian gave the film a rating of 4 stars out of 5 and praised the performances of the actors, saying that, "deranged mind games and faultless performances in Christmas horror".[14] Bill Goodykoontz of AZ Central praised the performances of the actors: "The performances are uniformly good" and concluded his review by saying that, "Better Watch Out is for fans of twisted, unhinged horror" and gave the film a rating of 3.5 stars out of 5.[15] Simon Abrams of RogerEbert.com was not impressed with the film and said that, "Better Watch Out is an infuriating sit because it requires you to invest in the programmatic bullying of a certain type of character, then cheer on that same stock type as he or she defies expectations and refuses to be pummeled into oblivion. [...] When the film ends, we've been traded one set of unchallenging cliches for another" and gave the film a rating of 1 star out of 4.[16]

Accolades
Award Date of ceremony Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
Saturn Awards June 27, 2018 Best Horror Film Better Watch Out Nominated [17]

See also

References
  1. "Better Watch Out". Australian Classification Board. October 24, 2017. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  2. Quinn, Karl (November 24, 2017). "American story, accents, and setting, yet Better Watch Out is considered Australian". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  3. "Better Watch Out". The Numbers. Archived from the original on September 13, 2019. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  4. "Better Watch Out (2016)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  5. Mintzer, Jordan (December 13, 2016). "'Safe Neighborhood': Film Review | Paris Fantastic Fest 2016". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  6. "Fantasia 2017 Interview: Director Chris Peckover Talks BETTER WATCH OUT". Screen Anarchy. Archived from the original on November 30, 2017. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  7. Hipes, Patrick (May 10, 2017). "Holiday Horror Pic 'Better Watch Out' Lands At Well Go USA". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  8. Miska, Brad (September 13, 2017). "Red Band 'Better Watch Out' Trailer Gives the Gift of Gore!". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  9. "Better Watch Out". Rialto Distribution. Archived from the original on February 26, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  10. Lines, Alex (November 27, 2017). ""Watching Your Movie With An Audience Is Probably The Best Film School You Can Have" – Interview With Chris Peckover, Director Of BETTER WATCH OUT". Film Inquiry. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2020. Better Watch Out is coming out via Rialto Distribution to Australian Cinemas on the 23rd November in selected cinemas.
  11. "Better Watch Out (2016) – Chris Peckover". AllMovie. Archived from the original on January 12, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  12. "Better Watch Out (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on August 27, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  13. "Better Watch Out Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 27, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  14. "Better Watch Out review". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 30, 2017. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  15. "Fun 'Better Watch Out' is for fans of twisted, unhinged horror". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  16. "Better Watch Out Movie Review". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  17. McNary, Dave (March 15, 2018). "'Black Panther,' 'Walking Dead' Rule Saturn Awards Nominations". Variety. Archived from the original on March 16, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
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