I enjoy seeing actors try roles completely outside their wheelhouse. Now, I don’t dislike Kevin James, but I don’t think he’s made anything I ever had an interest in watching. This brings me to the just-released Becky, directed by Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion. The King of Queens goes full-on neo-Nazi for this gory crime action thriller. I won’t say it completely works, but the film has some merits, even beyond the curiosity factor.
Lulu Wilson is our lead as the titular Becky. The young rebellious teen is angry with her father, Jeff (comedian Joel McHale, also trying out a dramatic role), for moving on after the recent death of her mother. In a move that angers her further, Jeff has invited his girlfriend, Kayla (Amanda Brugel), and her son, Ty (elementary-aged Isaiah Rockcliffe), for a getaway at the family’s remote lake house. Meanwhile, white supremacist Dominick (James, doing his best to project smoldering menace) and his underlings, Apex (hulking former professional wrestler and Non from Superman II lookalike Robert Maillet), Cole (Ryan McDonald), and Hammond (James McDougall) pull off an escape from prison. The two groups soon collide, with the ruthless fascists taking charge of the idyllic vacation home. Becky evades capture, though, and events soon push her over the edge in a bid for survival and revenge.
So how does James do? I’d say he’s solid but I don’t think this is going to be some sort of breakout role for him. His effort is laudable, but I just don’t think he has this kind of range. The schizophrenic tone of the picture doesn’t do him any favors. It feels like the filmmakers couldn’t decide between doing an intense thriller and a comic book-y splatter flick. I think if they had chosen a single aesthetic, either one of those approaches would’ve worked, but there is an obvious clash in effect. That being said, Nick Morris, Ruckus Skye, and Lane Skye’s script contains some nice twists and turns, using the tonal changeups to deploy legitimate shocks. On the other hand, there are also some plot points that are left frustratingly unclear. McHale and Maillet are fine but Brugel doesn’t get a lot to do. Wilson almost goes over the top but turns in an entertaining performance.
Greta Zozula’s photography ensures that this is a good looking movie. She’s not flashy, but she captures the house set and the wooded location competently, providing a sense of grounded and authentic realism. There’s a surprising amount of graphic violence and the gore effects are nicely realized. If you go in for that sort of thing, and I most certainly do, then they’re responsible for much of the film’s fun. Both credit sequences are pleasingly stylized and Alan Canant’s editing provides further flavor with lots of clever match cuts. Nima Fakhrara’s dissonant electronic score heaps on the dread and danger while making some interesting creative choices, like incorporating samples of heavy breathing.
Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion’s Becky isn’t a complete effort, but it certainly goes for the gusto. At 100 minutes, I was never bored and found myself ghoulishly grinning at more than one violent sequence. If you’re a Kevin James fan, you have to be impressed with his effort here, even if he’s not totally convincing. Recommended, with caveats, for fans of Toy Solider, Hard Candy, and Green Room.
Michael Cavender