Page 31 - Metro

SPOTLIGHT ON
GENRE FILM

Boys

Be

HORROR TROPES AND MALE PRIVILEGE
IN CHRIS PECKOVER’S BETTER WATCH OUT

WRITER/DIRECTOR CHRIS PECKOVER MAY HAVE PEPPERED HIS SOPHOMORE
FEATURE WITH RECOGNISABLE HORROR TROPES, BUT THE RESULTING FILM IS
AS MUCH AN EXAMPLE OF THE GENRE AS IT IS A METATEXT ABOUT IT. WITH ITS
DEPRAVED YOUNG PROTAGONIST, IT ALSO DEPLOYS CRITIQUES OF ADOLESCENT
UNPREDICTABILITY AND MASCULINE ENTITLEMENT, WRITES KATE ROBERTSON.

$Q $XVWUDOLDQt86 FR SURGXFWLRQ GLUHFWHG E\ &KULV adorned with festive decorations. Carollers wander
3HFNRYHU ZKR FR ZURWH WKH VFULSW ZLWK =DFN .DKQ and children play alone outdoors, seemingly delightful
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comedy replete with horror tropes – as humorous as signal of the violence ahead. But, while !DSSDQ 6@SBG
LW LV GLVWXUELQJ ,W VHWV XS D W\SLFDO EDE\VLWWHU YHUVXV .TS is clearly indebted to Chris Columbus’ beloved
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surrounding adolescence, particularly the surge of house slasher !K@BJ "GQHRSL@R (Bob Clark, 1974) and
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behaviour. It also serves as a derisive critique of 1984). Additionally, it mirrors more explicit yuletide of
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suburban houses – and the dangerous expectation &KDUOHV ( 6HOOLHU -U DQG 2@MS@ "K@VR -RKQ $
of male teens that they can do and have what they 5XVVR 3HFNRYHU HPSKDVLVHV WKLV &KULVWPDV
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After a limited festival release under the fairly ge appearing inside a house and, later, a hostage tied
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themed terrors. This is unambiguously a Christmas KRPH D VW\OLVK SXUSRVH EXLOW VLQJOH ORFDWLRQ VHW
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