I must admit, I was a little surprised that the 2021 action-thriller film Becky was getting a sequel.
Becky had the unique twist of a 13-year-old girl taking her murderous revenge on Neo-Nazis invading her home and attacking her family, but it never really dawned on me of a movie that deserved, or warranted, a sequel. While I label Becky a fine movie, it is one that I have not forgotten about, yet wasn’t one I ever raved about after viewing.
I’m really pleased to report that the sequel, The Wrath of Becky is such a surprisingly welcome addition and I’m so glad that it actually exists, and I had an absolute blast watching it.
Continuing three years after the events of the first film and after losing her parents, Becky (Lulu Wilson) is now somewhat of a runaway, jumping from foster parents to foster parents and living where she can, forever changed into an angsty teen full of fight and anger. Becky finally seeks refuge by hiring out a room for rent on offer from an older lady, Elena (Denise Burse).
While eventually Becky secures a job at the local diner and tries to live a normal life, this doesn’t last for very long when a group of men who refer to themselves as the ‘Noble Men’ attack both Becky and Elena, kidnapping her partner in crime, Becky’s dog, Diego.
Full of rage and fury more than ever, it’s here that Becky plots her revenge much like the last time, deciding to confront and eliminate not only the three men who kidnapped her dog, but also the mysterious leader of the Noble Men, Darryl (Sean William Scott).
The first thing I instantly noticed was the genre shift in tone compared to the first movie. Whilst 2021’s Becky was mostly action thriller; The Wrath of Becky is more humorous and, dare I say, campy (in the best way) 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 Wrath of Becky’s comedic chops and quick-witted writing made this film for me a much more thrilling and fun experience over the first. Writers Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote are responsible for The Wrath of Becky’s storytelling, and as people who had no connection to the first film, they have succeeded very well in managing to turn around the sequel to a funnier and more thrilling experience.
Lulu Wilson returns as the titular character, 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. It is very clear that Wilson had a blast portraying this spunky and outrageous teen again, providing audiences with an engaging and appealing main character that you can’t help but cheer for from start to finish. There’s definitely a bright future ahead for Wilson and I believe she’s one to look out for in the next chapter of her acting career, especially when it comes to the comedy department.
Sean William Scott as Darryl, the somewhat terrifying leader of the fascist organisation also provides a decent performance that really showcased a side of I’ve never seen before. I was pleasantly surprised at how well he can play a role that’s menacing and scary. I’ve always thought of him as ‘that comedic actor’ in the American Pie series, I was impressed at how well he could switch it up and play something completely opposite to what he is known for.
The Wrath of Becky is a solid sequel that surprisingly exceeds its predecessor in many ways. It’s a much more exciting and thrilling movie in terms of action sequences while also not taking itself too seriously and just providing a damn good time, which I believe is the film’s best attribute. The Wrath of Becky is well worth the watch.
The Wrath of Becky is playing as part of the Sydney Film Festival which is on until June 18, 2023.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://www.sff.org.au
https://www.sff.org.au/program/browse/the-wrath-of-becky