The Wrath of Becky

The Wrath of Becky is a 2023 American action thriller film directed by Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote. Angel wrote the screenplay based on a story by himself and Coote. The film is a sequel to the 2020 film Becky, and features Lulu Wilson returning as the eponymous Becky, alongside Seann William Scott.

The Wrath of Becky premiered at the South by Southwest film festival on March 11, 2023. It was released in the United States on May 26, 2023. The film received positive reviews from critics.

Plot
Three years after the harrowing ordeal with four Neo-Nazis that killed her father, 16-year-old Becky continues living life off the grid while escaping from successive foster homes and honing her survival skills. Picked up while hitchhiking, Becky and her dog Diego eventually settle in with a matronly woman named Elena Cahn, who treats Becky like a responsible daughter and does not pry about her past.

Anthony, DJ, and Sean, three members of an extremist group called the Noble Men, stop at the diner where Becky works as a waitress. Angered by their insulting misogyny, Becky purposefully dumps a hot cup of coffee in Anthony's lap, so the three men secretly follow Becky home. Despite claiming he only wanted to scare the girl, upon breaking into her house, Anthony ends up shooting Elena in her head, knocking Becky unconscious, and dognapping Diego. After Becky recovers, she vows to find her dog and take revenge for Elena's death.

Remembering that the men previously mentioned meeting with someone named Darryl, Becky finds two local addresses linked to that name. The first location leads Becky to an elderly woman identified as Darryl Sr. The second leads Becky to a remote cabin where Noble Men cell leader Darryl hosts a meeting with Anthony, DJ, Sean, and another militia member known as Twig. Becky sneaks into the cabin and finds evidence that a town hall protest planned for the next day will actually be an armed insurrection against Senator Hernandez. Becky also steals a secret thumb drive containing membership information on everyone associated with the Noble Men.

Becky leaves a cellphone on Darryl's doorstep that she uses to taunt the men. Becky's arrival forces Anthony, DJ, and Sean to confess to dognapping her dog, but they do not say anything to Darryl about having murdered Elena.

Darryl makes Anthony go after Becky. Becky leads Anthony into a hidden pit in the forest. She then rigs Anthony with a grenade trap that blows up his head when Darryl reopens the front door. After Darryl turns his gun on them to demand the truth about Becky, DJ and Sean reveal Elena's murder. Realizing the rally will actually be a violent insurrection, Sean has a change of heart and tries abandoning the group, but Darryl beats Sean and breaks his neck, killing him.

Becky calls Darryl to continue taunting him. She threatens to expose the plot against Senator Hernandez and also reveals that she stole Darryl's incriminating thumb drive. Twig goes outside looking for Becky. Becky fires a crossbow bolt through Twig's cheeks. Fearful of both Becky and Darryl, DJ runs to their truck and drives away.

Twig and Becky have a protracted faceoff ultimately ending with Becky using a machete to hack Twig to death. However, Darryl uses a tranquilizer dart to take Becky captive.

Becky wakes to find herself tied to a chair. Darryl shows Becky that he stole her keepsake key, and that a hidden shaft inside the key's cylinder contains engraved numbers he presumes to be coordinates. Revealing herself to be Darryl's mother as well as the secret mastermind behind the Noble Men, the elderly woman Becky previously met as Darryl Sr. arrives at the cabin. Darryl Sr. uses Becky's dog to taunt Becky while demanding to know where the thumb drive is.

Becky breaks free from her restraints. Darryl leaves the room to recover after Becky sprays him with mace. Darryl Sr. moves to shoot Diego, but Becky throws a knife into her forehead. Darryl Jr. chases Becky into the forest outside. Becky leads Darryl into animal traps that pin his legs and clamp around his throat. He whispers "Well done" and dies. Becky retrieves her key. Becky returns to the cabin for Diego and discovers that Darryl Sr. survived. Darryl Sr. tries to shoot Becky, but is unable to aim properly due to her head injury. Becky has Diego maul Darryl Sr. to death.

Twenty-four hours later, CIA agent Kate Montana interviews Becky about the thumb drive and singlehandedly taking down a Noble Men cell. Agent Montana offers to recruit Becky and Becky agrees. Montana then asks if Becky is ready to find out what her key belongs to.

DJ is trying to get back on the road after his truck breaks down when a law enforcement vehicle pulls over behind him. He reaches for a gun to confront the officer but sees that it's Becky, dressed in a black suit and aiming a rocket launcher at him. She fires the rocket launcher at DJ, blowing up his truck and killing him.

Development
Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote were approached to write and direct a sequel to Becky in December 2021 by producer J.D. Lifshitz. Given no further direction and only three weeks to write the script, Angel watched Kill Bill for guidance in the film's tone and characters. Lulu Wilson worked closely with the filmmakers to soften the edges of Becky. Having two years pass between films, Wilson hoped to see a more mature iteration of the character. Inspired by films like Kick-Ass and the filmography of Edgar Wright, the filmmakers adopted a more comedic tone for the sequel. The duo worked to toe the line between the "comic book levity" elements and the "apparent" dangerousness of the film's threats. In June 2022, the film was officially announced under the title Becky 2: The Wrath of Becky. Seann William Scott was revealed to be playing the film's villain, as well as serving as an executive producer alongside Wilson. Nick Morris, co-writer on the first film, and directing pair Jonathan Milot and Cary Murnion were also on board as executive producers.

Filming
Production took place in secret in New Jersey, spanning 18 days. Additional filming occurred in the town of Scotch Plains in early June. Angel and Coote, as well as their cinematographer Julia Swain, decided to drop the hand-held methods of filming utilized in the previous film and instead use slicker camera movements and steadicam.

Release
The Wrath of Becky debuted at the South by Southwest film festival on March 11, 2023. The film, previously expected to release in early 2023, was distributed by Quiver Distribution on May 26, 2023.

Reception
Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting praised the comedic shift in tone, calling the film an "irreverently delightful time". For RogerEbert.com, Brian Tallerico found the film to be an improvement over its predecessor, writing, "Angel & Coote know how to pace and deliver this kind of gut punch of a movie." Anton Bitel of Little White Lies called The Wrath of Becky "bloody satisfaction" while critiquing the film as "filler" for another sequel. Matt Donato, writing for /Film, said the film is "a fun-filled slaughter-fest, even considering the lulls before Becky unleashes her fury."

Kate Erbland of IndieWire said, "Kills are gruesome and clever, Wilson is a wonder, the bad guys all deserve what's coming, and it all feels undercooked."

Potential sequel
In March 2023, Matt Angel stated that there are ongoing discussions for a third Becky film. By May of the same year, Wilson confirmed development for a sequel, while expressing hopes that Kate Siegel will reprise her role from the second installment. Confirming that the end of The Wrath of Becky is intended to set up events of a sequel, the actress further stated that she, the co-directors, and the producers are discussing the story of the next film, while reporting that Siegel has expressed interest in the project.