Metro Australia — January 2018

http://www.metromagazine.com.au | © ATOM | Metro Magazine 195• 29

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!DSSDQ 6@SBG .TS(2016) is an immensely fun black
comedy replete with horror tropes – as humorous as
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surrounding adolescence, particularly the surge of
hormones that leads to volatile emotions and risky
behaviour. It also serves as a derisive critique of
privilege, depicting the darkness concealed behind
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suburban houses – and the dangerous expectation
of male teens that they can do and have what they
want, without consequence.
After a limited festival release under the fairly ge
neric title of2@ED -DHFGANTQGNNC,!DSSDQ 6@SBG .TS
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themed terrors. This is unambiguously a Christmas
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adorned with festive decorations. Carollers wander

and children play alone outdoors, seemingly delightful

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signal of the violence ahead. But, while!DSSDQ 6@SBG

.TSis clearly indebted to Chris Columbus’ beloved

family holiday movie'NLD KNMD LW DOVR H[

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house slasher!K@BJ "GQHRSL@R(Bob Clark, 1974) and

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1984). Additionally, it mirrors more explicit yuletide of

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appearing inside a house and, later, a hostage tied

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the supervising art director of,@C ,@W %TQX 1N@C

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SPOTLIGHT ON

GENRE FILM

HORRORTROPESANDMALEPRIVILEGE

INCHRISPECKOVER’SBETTERWATCHOUT

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, WRITESKATE ROBERTSON.

Be

Boys