The Wrath Of Becky Review: A Reverse Slasher Comic Book Panel Massacre [SXSW 2023]

Where 2020's "Becky" is an underage child's fight for survival based on primal instincts, Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote's sequel "The Wrath of Becky" plays more like a comic book panel massacre. That's not a bad thing if you're into watching a Girl Scout assassin brutalize Proud Boys lookalikes with a smile on her face. Violence emphasizes excessive gore, real bad dudes get what's coming, and the action hero mold is flipped on its head with Becky front and center. Angel and Coote brighten the mood versus "Becky" and embrace the B-movie nature of Becky's somewhat unstoppable spree. Still, this time, there's less suspenseful impact by trading feral ferocity for this almost superhero nature that leans into Becky's franchise potential.

Lulu Wilson returns as a now older, now deadlier Becky, the survivor of an attack that left her father dead (RIP Joel McHale) and the Neo-Nazis responsible. After an introductory montage where Becky escapes from foster homes and trains her survivor skills in the wilderness, we understand she's much tougher and ready to hunt. Her next target? A group of Noble Men anti-feminists cross Becky, steal her dog Diego and unite with other group members led by ex-military vet Darryl (Seann William Scott) — except this time, she's on the offensive. It's Becky vs. misogynist insurrection trash, with plenty of crossbow wounds and grenade explosions.

Angel and Coote make easy comparisons to "John Wick" or rogue special agent movies in "The Wrath of Becky," which will be a tonal shift that doesn't work for everyone. Lulu Wilson is fighting for her life but not breaking a sweat — she's experienced, taunts her fascist foes, and seemingly always has the upper hand. Everything plays out like a game for Becky, who narrates over violence with no remorse, even talking through sadistic fantasies where the killings are infinitely more brutal. Becky deserves to be more of an action hero after the trauma she endured in the far fiercer, more straightforward defense nature of "Becky," but there's also tension left behind.

The kills themselves do deliver, although there's a lull before Becky reaches Darryl's isolated cabin base camp. "The Wrath of Becky" operates as a reverse slasher where the hero picks off Noble Men alpha males one by one, a rather excellent commentary about these macho types who spout hateful rhetoric and fly threatening flags off their dirt-covered pickup trucks — and die horrendously painful deaths with sometimes the bare minimum energy put in by Becky. Bear traps, tarp-covered pits, and traditional hunting equipment lead to bloody-explosive, bloody-gratuitous death scenes that blend both practical crafting and digital enhancements that slather on thick red juices. These Noble Boys aren't spared mercy by Becky's All-American Girl gone maniac as the mutilations don't skimp — sorry, genre veteran Courtney Gains — and that's the vibe.

On the flip side, while the pulpy nature of this guns-blazing kill 'em all slice of catharsis does entertain, it feels like a disservice to tension. Wilson plays her character with a badass bend typically reserved for burly men with bulging muscles who aren't afraid of henchmen with terrible aim — completed by a red jumpsuit fitted with Hot Topic patches that say "F*** Off & Die" — but it's oddly anticlimactic on multiple occasions. A mean-mugging Sean William Scott and his other backwoods buffoons cycle through racial slurs and anti-women rhetoric to prove how vile they are, but it's one of those films that has nothing further to say, showing us what we already know. Aaron Dalla Villa might stand out as a piece of patriotic filth — shout out to Dalla Villa's continued work playing these types of entertaining scumbags (watch "Pledge," please) — but everything about "The Wrath of Becky" feels oddly one-note as there's hardly ever any struggle for power until the end, and even then, Becky's able to turn the tide so effortlessly.

"The Wrath of Becky" ultimately works for reasons entirely opposite of "Becky," which might not resonate with all viewers. Lulu Wilson's shaping Becky into a franchise heroine who could be a mainstay around midnight movie marathons in ways that are a mixed tonal bag as gut-wrenching tension is tossed to the side in favor of righteous kills. Don't get me wrong — the gore is gonzo, and messages are received loud and clear. "The Wrath of Becky" is still a fun-filled slaughter-fest, even considering the lulls before Becky unleashes her fury. Becky takes the simplest approach when fighting back against the worst our country has to offer, one that hits the right survival action notes and goes all-in on over-the-top violence as the primary matter of importance.

/Film Rating: 7 out of 10