6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
On a quiet suburban street, a babysitter must defend a twelve-year-old boy from intruders, only to discover it's far from a normal home invasion.
Starring: Virginia Madsen, Patrick Warburton, Olivia DeJonge, Dacre Montgomery, Levi Miller (II)Horror | 100% |
Holiday | 6% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (384 kbps)
BDInfo verified
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
It’s kind of interesting that neither Silent Night, Deadly Night nor Better Watch Out, two holiday themed horror outings whose titles refer to classic Christmas songs, really go out of their way to hide the identity of their maniacal culprits, and it’s further kind of interesting that the culprits in both films are very badly behaved young(er) boys. Silent Night, Deadly Night perhaps had the misfortune of taking itself seriously, including positing a “killer” Santa Claus, something that evidently didn’t sit well with the general (adult) populace at the time of the film’s initial release, but Better Watch Out takes a somewhat more whimsical approach to the exploits of one Luke Lerner (Levi Miller), a hormonal pre-teen who deserves a lot of coal in his stocking. Luke’s well meaning but basically brain dead parents Robert (Patrick Warburton) and Deandra (Virginia Madsen) are going out for the evening, and despite the fact that Luke is at an age when many parents would let him fend for himself at the home front, babysitter Ashley (Olivia DeJonge) has been employed to keep an eye on Luke, perhaps because Deandra is worried that Luke has been sleepwalking. Sleepwalking is the last thing on Luke’s mind, as he is planning to lose his virginity with Ashley (without Ashley’s foreknowledge, of course), a “plan” that is greeted with some considerable skepticism by Luke’s best friend Garrett (Ed Oxenbould). Because it’s the 21st century and legalization is all the rage, Garrett openly tries to suggest that getting stoned is a much better (and more realistic) alternative for Luke in his parents’ absence, though seemingly random and threatening events intervene, something that prevents both potentialities from occurring.
Better Watch Out is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Well Go USA (in what is a somewhat unusual offering from the label which typically features Asian fare) with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. I haven't been able to track down authoritative data on the shoot, but a couple of online sites mention the Arri Alexa in passing (though I wouldn't call either of the attributions I found "authoritative"). One way or the other, this has a sleek, smooth and fairly glossy presentation that provides ample detail levels when lighting conditions allow. A lot of the interior sequences are actually fairly well lit, at least until later in the film, and fine detail actually tends to pop fairly well, especially in terms of elements like pill on sweaters or the fabrics on some of the furniture. The palette is pretty robust at times, with scenes like the "paint can experiment" from Home Alone delivering a glut of hues in vivid saturation. There are some issues with noise in darker moments, and a lot of the dimly lit material has very little visual information at all, let alone things like "detail levels". The candy colored production design helps to elevate the film's visual allure, though, providing a suitably festive looking presentation.
Better Watch Out features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that springs into sporadic life during some of the film's manic set pieces, places where the sound design offers some playful effects that are typically well placed in the surround channels. Some of the film is relatively more tamped down, sonically speaking, with "talky bits" that can still offer discrete channelization for isolated effects but which tend not to provide any overwhelming amount of immersion. Fidelity is fine throughout, with no problems of any kind to report.
- Green Band Trailer (1080p; 2:03)
- Red Band Trailer (1080p; 2:02)
I have an admittedly (and unapologetically) very dark and jaded sense of humor, and so the whole underlying premise of Better Watch Out played to my curmudgeonly tendencies. Those who think of the holidays as a sweet, nostalgic time of family, friends and faith had best stay far, far away from this film, but those with my same penchant for laughing at horrifying events may find at least a smile or two in this film. There's nothing too innovative in anything presented here, but the cast is fun and director Chris Peckover keeps things moving briskly. Technical merits are generally strong, and Better Watch Out comes Recommended.
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