History Film / BetterWatchOut

* AssholeVictim: While the murder of TheDragon is debatable at worst [[spoiler:since he actually tried to right his wrongdoings]], [[spoiler:Jeremy]] did, indeed, spread a rumor that he had slept with Ashley either before or after their breakup. [[spoiler:So his death isn’t really one worth mourning.]]

* FrameUp: [[spoiler:Luke's endgame is to make it look like Jeremy went on a MurderSuicide spree and killed Ricky, Garrett, and Ashley. Since Ashley survived, it's implied this plan will fail.]]

-->'''EMT:''' [[spoiler: [[WhamLine This one’s still alive!]]

* ArtisticLicensePhysics: [[spoiler:Luke]] kills [[spoiler:Ricky]] by swinging a paint can at his head in a ShoutOut to ''Film/HomeAlone''. This is a CallBack to an earlier discussion about whether or not such an attack would be deadly in real life. While [[GoryDiscretionShot we don't clearly see the results]], [[spoiler:Luke]] states that [[spoiler:Ricky]]'s head "exploded." While being hit in the face with a paint can in such a way could indeed kill someone, it's highly unlikely that it'd actually make their head ''explode''. The most likely result would be [[https://www.sciencealert.com/the-science-of-home-alone-could-marv-and-harry-survive-their-injuries multiple fractures to the facial bones and probably losing some teeth]]. [[spoiler:Then again, Luke is a 12-year old boy who gets childish excitement out of his brutality and heinous acts. He was also smoking weed earlier. It's likely just childish hyperbole.]]
* AssholeVictim: While the murder of [[spoiler:Garrett]] is debatable at worst [[spoiler:since he actually tried to right his wrongdoings]], [[spoiler:Jeremy]] did, indeed, spread a rumor that he had slept with Ashley either before or after their breakup. [[spoiler:So his death isn’t really one worth mourning.]]
* AxCrazy: [[spoiler:Luke]] is HotBlooded, murderous, and will kill anyone who gets in the way of [[spoiler:his plans to seduce Ashley.]]

* DidntThinkThisThrough: [[spoiler: Luke's plans don't work out the way he thought they would. His original plan to fake a home invasion as a means of seducing her through fear (which is not only insanely creepy, but incredibly stupid) goes quickly goes out the window when Ashley notices the "home invader" is wearing one of Luke's masks.]]
** [[spoiler: When he tries to improvise, it almost always goes wrong for him. Ashley gets free at one point and almost escapes, and when Ricky shows up, he quickly figures out something's not right when he can't find Ashley. Then when Luke tries to kill him, he screws up and Ricky almost kills him, only being stopped by an armed Garrett. Garrett also has a change of heart and tries to free Ashley, forcing Luke to kill him. By the end, he fails to kill Ashley, who survives and is taken to the hospital.]]

* FauxAffablyEvil: [[spoiler:Luke]] is always polite to Ashley prior to his VillainousBreakdown, even after he knocks her unconscious and ties her to a chair. But it's all just a passive-aggressive mockery of real politeness, and all it does is make him that much more despicable.
* FlippingTheBird: [[spoiler: Ashley to Luke at the end, as she’s getting wheeled into an ambulance.]]

* GoryDiscretionShot: [[spoiler:Ricky]] has his head caved in by a paint can. The aftermath isn’t shown, but his blood leaks down onto his pants and mixes with the yellow paint, as though to resemble ketchup and mustard.

** [[spoiler:Luke is one of the most odious child villains ever put to screen. He stages a home invasion, then murders Ashley's boyfriend and ex-boyfriend in cold blood, and later Garrett, his own friend and accomplice for trying to save her when he sees the error of his ways, all in a twisted ploy to seduce Ashley, who he later tries to kill when he realizes she won't come around to him. As much as he might initially appear to be intelligent and a good planner, his petulance reveals itself whenever his plans go out the window.]]

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler:Garrett]] is killed with the same shotgun that [[spoiler:he wielded while helping Luke stage the home invasion.]]
* HopeSpot: A rare positive variation. At the end of the movie, as [[spoiler: Luke]] smirks, thinking he’s gotten away with all his various crimes, suddenly:
-->'''[[spoiler: EMT, offscreen:]]''' [[spoiler: [[WhamLine This one’s still alive!]]]]

* IfICantHaveYou: When [[spoiler:Luke]] finally realizes that Ashley will never come around to him, he [[spoiler:murders Ricky, and resolves to kill Ashley, as well.]]

* OhCrap: [[spoiler: Luke, upon hearing that he [[NotQuiteDead wasn’t as thorough in his crime spree as he thought.]]]]
* RealityEnsues: Of sorts. The paint can attack from ''Film/HomeAlone'' is re-enacted and PlayedForDrama to a gory, fatal result, but it [[https://www.sciencealert.com/the-science-of-home-alone-could-marv-and-harry-survive-their-injuries likely wouldn't]] turn [[spoiler:Ricky's]] head into salsa.
* RecklessGunUsage: [[spoiler:Luke]] casually brushes a pistol up against his own face and never observes proper trigger discipline. [[spoiler:Justified, it's unloaded the whole time.]]

* Didn't Think This Through: [[spoiler: Luke's plans don't work out the way he thought they would. His original plan to fake a home invasion as a means of seducing her through fear (which is not only insanely creepy, but incredibly stupid) goes quickly goes out the window when Ashley notices the "home invader" is wearing one of Luke's masks.]]

** [[spoiler: At one point, he molests Ashley over a game of Truth or Dare; precocious sexuality [[TruthinTelevision which is one of the early behavior problems typical of a sociopath.]]]]

** [[spoiler: At one point, he molests Ashley over a game of Truth or Dare; precocious sexuality [[TruthinTelevisionwhich is one of the early behavior problems typical of a sociopath.]]

* Didn't Think This Through: [[spoiler: Luke's plans don't work out the way he thought they would. Ashley gets free at one point and almost escapes, and when Ricky shows up, he quickly figures out something's not right when he can't find Ashley. Then when Luke tries to kill him, he screws up and Ricky almost kills him, only being stopped by an armed Garrett. Garrett also has a change of heart and tries to free Ashley, forcing Luke to kill him. By the end, he fails to kill Ashley, who survives and is taken to the hospital.]]

* Didn'tThinkThisThrough: [[spoiler: Luke's plans don't work out the way he thought they would. Ashley gets free at one point and almost escapes, and when Ricky shows up, he quickly figures out something's not right when he can't find Ashley. Then when Luke tries to kill him, he screws up and Ricky almost kills him, only being stopped by an armed Garrett. Garrett also has a change of heart and tries to free Ashley, forcing Luke to kill him. By the end, he fails to kill Ashley, who survives and is taken to the hospital.]]

** There's also one to ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime''. Luke and Garrett have a brief discussion about which girls from the series they'd like they'd want to have sex with.

** [[spoiler:Luke]] does not have a single good characteristic. He’s a [[spoiler:deranged little shit who manipulates his "friend", and his sole goal is to seduce a girl much older than him by arousing her fear]], and kills [[spoiler:Garrett]] for trying to rescue her, dismissing him as an annoyance. The closest thing he gets to a redeeming quality is a small PetTheDog moment when he [[spoiler:refuses to kill a spider on Ashley’s request because it did nothing wrong. Then again, the spider was ''his'' pet.]]

* AlliterativeName: It's never actually stated in the movie, but Luke's parents' surname is ''Lerner.''

* ArtisticLicensePhysics: [[spoiler:Luke]] kills [[spoiler:Ricky]] by swinging a paint can at his head in a ShoutOut to ''Film/HomeAlone''. This is a CallBack to an earlier discussion about whether or not such an attack would be deadly in real life. While [[GoryDiscretionShot we don't clearly see the results]], [[spoiler:Luke]] states that [[spoiler:Ricky]]'s head "exploded." While being hit in the face with a paint can in such a way could indeed kill someone, it's highly unlikely that it'd actually make their head ''explode''. The most likely result would be [[https://www.sciencealert.com/the-science-of-home-alone-could-marv-and-harry-survive-their-injuries multiple fractures to the facial bones and probably losing some teeth]].

** [[spoiler:Luke is a 12-year old boy who gets childish excitement out of his brutality and heinous acts. He was also smoking weed earlier. It's likely just childish hyperbole.]]

* FauxAffablyEvil: [[spoiler:Luke]] is always polite to Ashley, even when he has her tied to a chair. But it's all just a passive-aggressive mockery of real politeness, and all it does is make him that much more despicable.

* FauxAffablyEvil: [[spoiler:Luke]] acts civilized and charming for the most part, even when he has Ashley tied up. All it does is make him even creepier.

* RealityEnsues: Of sorts. The paint can attack from ''HomeAlone'' is re-enacted and PlayedForDrama to a gory, fatal result, but it [[https://www.sciencealert.com/the-science-of-home-alone-could-marv-and-harry-survive-their-injuries likely wouldn't]] turn [[spoiler:Ricky's]] head into salsa.

** There is simply nothing likable about [[spoiler:Luke.]] He’s a [[spoiler:deranged little shit who manipulates his "friend", and his sole goal is to seduce a girl much older than him by arousing her fear]], and kills [[spoiler:Garrett]] for trying to rescue her, dismissing him as an annoyance. The closest thing he gets to a redeeming quality is a small PetTheDog moment when he [[spoiler:refuses to kill a spider on Ashley’s request because it did nothing wrong. Then again, the spider was ''his'' pet.]]

* HateSink: There is simply nothing likable about [[spoiler:Luke.]] He’s a [[spoiler:deranged little shit who manipulates his "friend", and his sole goal is to seduce a girl much older than him by arousing her fear]], and kills [[spoiler:Garrett]] for trying to rescue her, dismissing him as an annoyance. The closest thing he gets to a redeeming quality is a small PetTheDog moment when he [[spoiler:refuses to kill a spider on Ashley’s request because it did nothing wrong. Then again, the spider was ''his'' pet.]]

* FauxAffablyEvil: [[spoiler:Luke]] acts civilized for the most part, even when he has Ashley tied up. All it does is make him even creepier.

* TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior: [[spoiler:Oh, ''[[UpToEleven sweet Jesus]].'']]

''Better Watch Out'' is a thriller/horror/BlackComedy released in 2016.

* RedHerring: [[spoiler:Garrett’s “bad influence”, the pizza man, Jeremy.]]

* TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior: [[spoiler:Oh, ''[[UpToEleven sweet Jesus]].''

* RedHerring: [[spoiler:Garrett’s “bad influence”, the pizza man, and Jeremy.]]

* DirtyCoward: [[spoiler: Luke hits Ricky with a baseball bat when his back is turned. When he realizes that he's failed to knock Ricky out, he starts panicking and runs away as Ricky takes the bat from him. Slightly justified, because Luke is a 12-year-old boy who could possible take out someone of Ricky's strength and stature with his bare hands.]]

* CountryMatters: As he's driving home with Deandra, Robert tells her that her friends were "being cunts".

* DirtyCoward: [[spoiler: Luke hits Ricky with a baseball bat when his back is turned. When he realizes that he's failed to knock Ricky out, he starts panicking and runs away as Ricky takes the bat from him.]]

* HorrorDoesntSettleForSimpleTuesday: Set around Christmas.
* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:In his own words, Luke is "the Harry Houdini of getting away with it." He gets away with killing Ricky, Jeremy, and Garrett, while making it look like Jeremy killed them all and hanged himself. The only thing preventing it from being an all-out instance where TheBadGuyWins is that Ashley survived and made it to the hospital, implying that she lived to report Luke's case to authorities.]]

** To ''Film/HomeAlone.'' Aside from being set around Christmas, [[spoiler:Luke]] sets up booby traps around the house, and at one point, even tries to reenact the paint can scene. [[spoiler:It works, with unseen, but obviously messy results.]]