The first Becky film has gained a cult following thanks to its relentless — and enjoyably cathartic — use of violence to punish white supremacists. However, few likely expected it to be the type of film that would get a sequel.
The Wrath of Becky Interview
At this year’s SXSW, The Wrath of Becky is making its debut and amps up the mayhem. We asked the team behind the film why they think audiences should care to see the story of Becky continued.
“Because it’s the story of Becky continued!” exclaims Lulu Wilson, the actress who plays the titular role. “So much went down in the first one that… what do you expect to happen in the second? It’s only bloodier, and it’s only more of a wild ride. But also, Becky has been through this ginormous evolution. It’s been two years, but a lot has happened within this short amount of time. And she’s had to grow a lot as a person on her own without a family. And she’s been training and getting ready for whatever might come next.”
“I think when we saw the first film, it ended in such a way where, yes, you could have left it alone. But at the same time, it was a character I wanted to know where she goes. How does that girl deal with the trauma of the events of the first film? What is the key? Obviously, it was a MacGuffin in the first film, but what if you explore that further? I want to know more about that,” explains Matt Angel, one of the co-directors of The Wrath of Becky.
“But really, the humanity underneath Becky as a character is the trauma. I think we were intrigued by how we could take that and evolve it into a sequel that touches upon some of the stuff our favorite sequels do, which is to level up and introduce a new genre and a different style and a different hero costume.”
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One of the interesting things about the Becky films is that they take actors who are primarily known for their comedic work and turn them into menacing villains. In the first film, it was Kevin James, and for The Wrath of Becky, it was American Pie star Seann William Scott. However, Scott is no stranger to the horror genre, having been in the first Final Destination film as well as the Blumhouse flick Bloodline. We asked Mr. Scott what attracts him to these darker types of roles. “I think it’s kind of what I’ve always wanted to do. I have always wanted to do drama,” he explains.
“I have always liked darker movies. It’s funny, when I was a kid, my dad and I would watch dark horror movies all the time. I remember thinking sometimes in kindergarten and first grade, I knew if I pulled my tooth out, then I would get to go home. And then my dad would pick me up and we would go to the video store and we’d rent dark B-horror movies. So I grew up sitting with my dad watching this f****d up s**t like, ‘This is awesome!’ I think by the end of kindergarten, I had one tooth. I was just wiggling them around. I was like, ‘I gotta get this done before naptime.’ I think even as an actor, those are the things that were most appealing to me. And then of course,spending most of my time doing comedies, which I love and I’m so grateful for, getting the opportunity for something like this is really special for me, you know, because I like to tap into my dark side.”
The Wrath of Becky is screening at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 10-18 in Austin, TX.
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