Better Watch Out
Well Go USA Entertainment | Release Date: October 6, 2017 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
67
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
10
Mixed:
1
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
Village VoiceApril WolfeOct 5, 2017
It’s only October, but Christmas has come early for horror fans. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesNoel MurrayOct 5, 2017
From the shockingly raunchy dialogue to the ironic yuletide pop songs, this movie is a fun kind of nasty. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyClark CollisOct 5, 2017
Peckover’s sharp directing keeps things nicely nasty without ever going too far over the top — though it’s possible some gore-averse Scrooges may disagree. If you want to gift yourself a holiday film that decks the halls with blood, this is one to put under the tree. Read full review
80
Total FilmJamie GrahamDec 11, 2017
This is also a Christmas horror-comedy – and one of the best since Gremlins. Read full review
80
TheWrapAlonso DuraldeOct 3, 2017
Delightfully unpredictable and surprisingly shocking, this is the kind of wintry wickedness that will see you through both Halloween and Christmas, especially if you like those holiday flavors together. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubKatie RifeOct 3, 2017
The film will continue to defy your expectations. Read full review
70
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzOct 5, 2017
Co-writer and director Chris Peckover clearly knows his way around both the holiday and horror genres, and while this isn’t the first time someone has blended the two, it is one of the more-effective efforts. It’s scary and fun, if your idea of fun involves occasional gore and torture, things like that. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterJordan MintzerAug 16, 2017
The sadistic horror comedy Safe Neighborhood is the kind of film that’s tough to categorize but easy to enjoy, especially if you like watching teenagers do some very twisted things for the holiday season. Read full review
70
VarietyDennis HarveyAug 16, 2017
What starts out looking like a prank run amuck gradually grows more sinister, with director Chris Peckover (“Undocumented”) nicely handling the swerves toward dramatic peril and fatal consequences while still maintaining a confectionary “family entertainment” veneer of antic doings in a glossy suburban setting. Read full review
70
We Got This CoveredMatt DonatoAug 16, 2017
Better Watch Out is a good movie you should watch knowing nothing about, like a spoiler-free Christmas morning. Read full review
58
The Film StageJared MobarakAug 16, 2017
Only when I was certain of the stakes could I sit back and let the proceedings unfold, my skepticism evaporating to appreciate the sadistically laid plans. Read full review
25
RogerEbert.comSimon AbramsOct 6, 2017
The Christmas-themed home-invasion movie Better Watch Out starts out as one kind of unpleasant, then switches gears to a higher level of unearned nastiness. Read full review
25
San Francisco ChronicleG. Allen JohnsonOct 4, 2017
A horror “comedy” about a deranged 12-year-old boy with a script that feels like it was written by a deranged 12-year-old boy. Read full review
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