By Martin Unsworth
Following the murder of her father at the hands of neo-Nazis (and single-handedly getting her revenge), young Becky (Lulu Wilson) is trying to put her life together. With her dog, Diego, she bounces from several foster homes before renting a room with Elena, an older woman who accepts Becky’s ways. Not only has she honed her skills with a knife, her bating and hunting skills have come along leaps and bounds. One day, a group of far-right nut-jobs, part of a group called ‘The Noble Men’, come into the diner where Becky works. She often fantasises about harming the customers in an exaggeratedly bloody manner. Still, the horrendous verbal abuse she endures from these pricks pushes her to act out her dream to an extent, so she drops hot coffee in the lap of the ringleader. Angered and humiliated, they follow Becky home with the intention of teaching her a lesson. That’s when things get crazy, and they steal Diego. Becky sets out to find her dog, but this puts her in the centre of the Noble Men’s plotting and she must fight once more for Diego and her own life.
2020’s Becky was a wonderfully extreme treat that, like the titular character, punched well above its weight. It’s a pleasure to say that this follow-up is just as crazy and enjoyable. Writer/directors Suzanne Coote and Matt Angel (who also plays the less committed of the main Noble Men) give the film a knowing, meta edge. Becky’s narration is aimed at people who are familiar with the first film but don’t worry, if you’re not, you’ll still have a lot of fun. Sean William Scott (American Pie) gives a remarkable turn as the chief bad guy, a revelation for those used to seeing him as a dim-witted, humorous character. He’s a really nasty piece of work, and positing the antagonists as the kind of self-righteous group that is becoming far too common in the real world is a step up from the thugs of the first movie. Lulu Wilson, once more, is the standout here. Handling the action as easily as the sass, she’s a joy to watch.
Outrageously over the top, The Wrath of Becky goes against the grain when it comes to sequels – particularly when they don’t contain input from the core behind-the-scenes crew – in that it’s even more fun than the original.
The Wrath of Becky premiered at SXSW and will be released later this year.
