Kevin James is better known as a comedian. A light and airy often bumbling jovial in film and television. I’d almost forgotten he was starring in the 2020 thriller-action movie Becky except that the film itself manages lighter moments despite its heavy and practically executed violence. Becky is for better or worse, a divisive film. One that takes a girl of 13 and personifies her angst to give her the ability to take down Nazi foe.
Kevin James is no Laughing Matter in “Becky”
In the “Becky” movie, Kevin James plays Dominick. His voice is different in this role as a bearded steely-eyed bald man. Not to mention he has a massive swastika tattooed on the back of his head. In his first role as the bad guy, he puts his versatility on show. Dominick and his pals escape from a local jail and set off to recover a key that for some reason is hidden in a family’s holiday cabin.
This is not a film for those who like the whys placed neatly in front of them. You will never find out how the key ended up where it did. What the Nazis wanted it for or who might have known about it will also remain a tightly kept secret.
The character of Dominick and his cronies up against a young girl putting her inside rage on the outside acts as a mirror of opposites. For example, Becky is what happens when you take a sweet teen and give her a makeover in the style of D-Fens from the iconic title, “Falling Down”. Dominick is what happens when you take Doug Heffernan (“The King of Queens”) freshly raised by a bunch of white supremacists. The result of the two battles of wills is oddly satisfying. It’s also absolutely filled with many instances of graphic carnage that come across with a cartoonish air.
As far as any type of intricate storyline, the premise is simple. Rebecca (Lulu Wilson) is not having a very good year. “Don’t call me Chipmonk;” Becky wears her recent trauma like a badge of honor as life continues around her while she’s still in the depths of irreparable despair. Her breaking point is palpable as she turns into a rabid evil Mighty Mouse with nothing left to lose.
I Knew a B*@ch Called Becky
Unhinged Nazis In The Best Revenge Movies
The film begins in media res intermingled with scenes of just how this group of unhinged thugs broke free. The final phase of their years of planning has begun and they kill anyone in their way. The short introduction meshes with an almost prologue of sorts with Becky sitting before two appointed officers as they ask her questions about the men dressed in orange jumpsuits. A massive improvement compared with the use of flashbacks and voiceovers, the filmmakers catch you up within the first few minutes of the movie.
The effective commencement paves the way for some tense and exciting pacing. No one’s stopping for heart-felt speeches or cuddles as they hide in the bushes. What’s more, there’s no interference from trying to get to know other characters, apart from Becky. You simply get to follow her while she gets amongst her torturous headspace and cakes herself in blood from a neck wound made with a wooden school ruler.
Becky sounds like a film to give a hard pass to. However, the balance between two unfathomable forces works somehow. There is no time to think about who to cross your fingers for in this story. Nazis are bad and Becky, no matter how many eyes she gouges out, or how many brutes she mows down with outboard motors, you want her to survive.
The fact she is body-slammed and punched in the face numerous times gives weight to the idea this movie is not one to be taken wholly seriously. It’s graphic R-Rated violence that uses neo-Nazis as props to showcase its only character with depth, Becky. I could see this as a series or being followed up with a sequel.
Is There A Becky Sequel?
The tiny blonde with a powerful punch is back, and this time she’s angrier. The sequel was released at the SXSW Film Festival in March (2023) titled THE WRATH OF BECKY. In the meantime, here is the teaser trailer for the new sequel to Becky.
The Wrath of Becky, Watch the Trailer
The Becky film is rated
4 hands over my eyes out of 5
More revenge movies with graphic violence: The Furies / Trespassers
- Becky’s movie cast includes Kevin James, Lulu Wilson, Joel McHale, Amanda Brugel, and, Robert Maillet.
- Directed by Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion (who previously worked together on Cooties.)
- Written by Nick Morris, Ruckus Skye, and Lane Skye.
- The violent title is available on digital platforms as a rental or purchase.
“There was a little girl
Who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
She was very, very good,
And when she was bad,
She was horrid.”
Quote from Becky 2020
