Welcome to KIWIreviews - product reviews
•  click here to return to the homepage  •
Welcome visitor.Join us or log in

Product reviews on kiwireviews.nz : Friday 29th March 2024 - 07:57:17

QuickSearch for:    What is QuickSearch?
QuickJump to:    What is QuickJump?
logon name: p/w:  

I want to:

You Are Here...

Home > Categories > Movies > Horror > Better Watch Out review

« Build-a-Bot : Bugs reviewBuild-a-Bot : BugsOutlander: The Complete Third Season reviewOutlander: The Complete Third Season »

Score: 8.0/10  [1 review]
3 out of 5
ProdID: 7901 - Better Watch Out
Directed by Chris Peckover

Better Watch Out
Price:
$39.95 (DVD)
Sample/s Supplied by:
Click to search for all products supplied by Universal Pictures NZ

Disclosure StatementFULL DISCLOSURE: A number of units of this product have, at some time, been provided to KIWIreviews by Universal Pictures NZ or their agents for the sole purposes of unbiased, independent reviews. No fee was requested, offered nor accepted by KIWIreviews or the reviewers themselves - these are genuine, unpaid consumer reviews.
Available:
March 2018

Better Watch Out product reviews

Ashley travels to the suburban home of the Lerners to baby-sit their 12-year-old son Luke at Christmastime. She must soon defend herself and the young boy when unwelcome intruders announce their arrival.

Check out Universal Pictures NZ onlineClick here to see all the listings for Universal Pictures NZ Visit their website They do not have a Twitter account Check them out on Facebook They do not have a YouTube Channel They do not have a Pinterest board They do not have an Instagram channel They do not have a TikTok channel



Tags:
better watch out   chris peckover   christmas   ed oxenbould   horrow   levi miller   olivia dejonge   psychological
Other listings you may be interested in:
StormbreakerStormbreaker
Rating: 7.5
PriestPriest
Rating: 5.3
AbductionAbduction
Rating: 5.0
John CarterJohn Carter
Rating: 7.1
Silver Linings PlaybookSilver Linings Playbook
Rating: 9.0
You Don't Mess With the ZohanYou Don't Mess With the Zohan
Rating: 4.0
Wolf Creek 2Wolf Creek 2
Rating: 3.5
Non-StopNon-Stop
Rating: 8.2
CoralineCoraline
Rating: 8.9
Man UpMan Up
Rating: 9.0
Thor: RagnarokThor: Ragnarok
Rating: 9.3
Peppa Pig: Sailing BoatPeppa Pig: Sailing Boat
Rating: 9.5
Halloween (2018)Halloween (2018)
Rating: 7.0

Product reviews...

Everyone is welcome to post a review. You will need to Join up or log in to post yours.

Click here to read the profile of alexmoulton

Review by: alexmoulton (Alex)
Dated: 24th of March, 2018

Link to this review Report this review

 

This Review: 8.0/10
Pay to see it again:
Score 8 out of 10
Attention Span:
Score 9 out of 10
Believeability:
Score 8 out of 10
Fright Factor:
Score 7 out of 10

Better Watch Out is a psychological thriller/horror. Another film that is based around Christmas time to try to provide the world with alternative choices in Christmas film, this is not a family-friendly wholesome choice by any means. Best described as a dark, twisted home invasion that tips it's hat to Home Alone, Better Watch Out provides a variety of twists that will leave you scratching your head.

Taking place within the confines of a single property, you would expect this Australian-shot 90-minute film to feel claustrophobic, and to an extent, it is (which helps to build suspension and tension), but to an even greater extent, the layout of the house and the camera angles give the illusion of space and connectedness that prevents the film from feeling monotonous and repetitive.

Going into a horror, you expect to receive shocks but remain in the dark as to when the horror will begin. So until you know the terror has begun, you find yourself taking note of every quick movement, every loud noise, every "red flag". Director Chris Peckover does a brilliant job stretching this portion of the film out, teasing the audience with false starts leaving you questioning what is relevant or not in respect to the overall plot.

The initial twist caught me off-guard, and the Peckover did a great job working the script to keep me guessing as the film progressed. With a film that only primarily consists of 7 cast members, to keep the direction of the film open for so long is a challenge that is well navigated. The film will leave you questioning the effects of our dependence on technology, and the imbalance between knowledge & intelligence with emotional maturity.

Cast-wise Olivia de Jonge does a brilliant job as the protagonist, caught between a rock and a hard place, and spending much of the film tied up with her mouth taped, she does an amazing job conveying emotion through her eyes. The young actors Levi Miller and Ed Oxenbould show incredible maturity in their acting while still maintaining the youthfulness necessary for their parts. Their trust in each other is one of the important facets of the film.

There is not much more I can mention without giving away the plot, so I will mention the extras. The DVD only includes one extra; the "Making Of" feature. Now unlike many films that have a two-to-three minute featurette that has already been online for months that was used as a teaser prior to the film's theatrical release, the "Making Of" included in the special features is actually a full blown 50-minute piece looking at the choice in casting, collaborative writing with the cast, shooting winter "snow" scenes in the heat of Australia, and stunts, among other things. It gives a much greater appreciation for the film when you see how much work was put into it. One thing I loved was learning that Olivia de Jonge did five takes with a real tarantula-sized spider crawling across her face, despite her fear of spiders, to save the studio an exorbitant amount of money to try create CGI spiders.

So this isn't a 90-minute film. It's a 140-minute film+featurette, which is integral to achieving the full attraction of the film. There are so many aspects that you look over in a horror/thriller because your eyes aren't on the details, but there is a definite satisfaction gained by understanding the efforts put in after you have seen the finished product.

Random listing from 'Movies'...

Score: 10.0
Product reviews for listing 6844: Elf - Buddy's Musical Christmas -  Directed by Warner Brothers

Product image for Elf - Buddy's Musical ChristmasElf: Buddy's Musical Christmas tells the story of Buddy the Elf, and his quest to reunite with the human father he never knew existed. While Buddy's sincerity and idealism are commonplace at the North Pole, these attributes are rejected in cynical New York City. But through song, dance, and relentless good cheer, Buddy rekindles the spirit of Christmas for the entire city

Go to the listing

General Disclaimer...

Protected by Copyscape Plagiarism Checker - Do not copy content from this page. Creative Commons Licence All trademarks, images and copyrights on this site are owned by their respective companies.
KIWIreviews is an independent entity, part of the Knock Out News Group. This is a free public forum presenting user opinions on selected products, and as such the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinion of kiwireviews.nz and are protected under New Zealand law by the "Honest Opinion" clause of the Defamation Act of 1992. KIWIreviews accepts no liability for statements made on this site, on the premise that they have been submitted as the true and honest opinions of the individual posters. In most cases, prices and dates stated are approximate and should be considered as only guidelines.

"Whose idea was it to put an 'S' in the word 'lisp'?"
unattributed