Two years have passed since Becky (Lulu Wilson) confronted a group of Nazis and lost her father. After several escapes from foster families, the teenager settles down with an elderly woman named Elena (Denise Burse). Life finally seems to be returning to normal: a job at a diner, warm evenings with her hostess, and her beloved dog by her side. But everything changes when Becky serves a group of rude men at the cafe. Unable to contain her rage, the waitress pours hot coffee on one of them. The men decide to teach the stranger a lesson, track her down, and invade the house. Another tragedy strikes: Elena is killed, and the dog Diego is kidnapped by the gang. Becky embarks on a path of revenge and discovers that she is dealing with a far-right group called “The Noble Men.”
Lulu Wilson as Becky in a still from “The Wrath of Becky”
The sequel is structured in much the same way as the first film: it all starts with a home invasion trope and ends with bloody revenge. However, the main action is not focused in Becky’s home, but on the territory of the offenders, where the heroine herself breaks in. The group that suffers at the hands of the vengeful teenager this time is not much different from the extremists in the original. “The Noble Men” are a bunch of men who consider themselves helpers of God, plan to seize the administration building, and broadcast misogyny in every conversation. Add to this the son of one of the organization’s members named Adolf and a copy of Mein Kampf in the trunk of their car.
Sean William Scott as Darryl in a still from “The Wrath of Becky”
In the first film, Lulu Wilson’s character appeared as a lonely teenager resentful of the world: her mother died, and her father was going to marry another woman. The accumulated anger was unleashed on the criminals who took the girl’s family hostage. The second part depicts Becky as a more mature individual who, at first glance, has calmed her inner rage. Acts of violence now only arise in fantasies when diner customers allow themselves inappropriate phrases. Only after another loss (the girl had become attached to Elena) and the kidnapping of her pet (dogs in the franchise suffer far too much!) does a new cycle of hatred begin. The rage, like the trauma, has multiplied, and the methods of killing have become more sophisticated.
Lulu Wilson as Becky in a still from “The Wrath of Becky”
A child against a company of villains, the former always wins, and the latter fall into the set traps. Sound familiar? Yes, the Becky franchise is structurally reminiscent of the holiday hit “Home Alone.” But don’t delude yourself: Wilson’s character is similar to Kevin McCallister only in her resourcefulness and fantastic luck. Otherwise, we have a determined young lady who is eager to punish and send villains to the next world. The creators of the film (by the way, Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion were responsible for the first part, and Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote for the second) understand that blood splatters are the main feature of the story. There seem to be even more spectacular reprisals in the sequel: after all, the fighting girl is growing up, and the world, like herself, is becoming an even more cruel place.
Themes and Potential Future
Of course, one should not expect a full disclosure of philosophical themes in the dilogy. “The Wrath of Becky” is a genre entertainment with a dynamic narrative that is difficult to tear yourself away from. One can consider Becky’s story as a difficult coming of age after a traumatic episode (a kind of bloodthirsty coming-of-age film) or as a revenge thriller where the girl is not afraid to challenge misogynists. The series of films has every chance to turn into a long saga. After all, we still don’t know what the mysterious key from the first film unlocks, and the finale of the sequel opens up completely new doors and opportunities for the main character. In general, at the moment, the franchise manages to maintain the bar that was set back in 2020: the action is there, the villains are again disgusting, and Becky is furious.