One of genre cinema’s most unexpected franchises expands beyond its humble roots in Jenn Wexler’s The Last Temptation of Becky. The titular teen with a serious attitude problem is off to Poland this time, when a Nazi scion with dreams of global domination comes across her radar. The action is just as bloody, but definitely a little sillier than its predecessors’ in this raucous revenge thriller.
At the end of 2023’s The Wrath of Becky, our heroine (Lulu Wilson) was approached by CIA agent Kate Montana (Kate Siegel) to become the agency’s youngest specialist, an offer she accepted. We now find her several years later as the CIA’s most notorious problem child, barreling through intricately planned espionage missions with the grace of a bull in a china shop. Though she is a perpetual cause of consternation for her superiors, she also gets the job done, which means when a particularly sticky situation presents itself, Becky’s the girl for the job.
It seems that Wilhelm Reuss (Neil Patrick Harris), the grandson of a Nazi scientist, has his sights set on resurrecting the Reich, and he’s a bit too close for comfort. Becky gets sent in on a covert mission to take Reuss’s organization down, but it won’t be easy and she won’t have any backup. Reuss’s family Inn in Poland serves as a secret base for his nefarious plans and a hideout for a cadre of Nazi goons working on the next final solution. Becky shows up and before long her cover is blown and it’s an all-out war between one very pissed off teenager and the entire Fourth Reich. Heads will roll, along with other body parts, as this time Becky has to not only save herself, but the entire world from fucking Nazis. Again.
It seems reasonable to say that at the time of Becky’s first appearance back in 2020, when Wilson was only 14, few expected it to spawn a series of sequels, but he we are. What seemed like a one off has turned into a franchise of one girl against violent right-wing extremists, and I can’t think of a concept more aptly suited to the insane time in which we find ourselves. Where the first film took its concept very seriously, the sequels have increasingly leaned into the exploitation and borderline camp potential of Becky’s bloody adventures.
For the most part it is successful, the script from Becky creators Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote creates a coherent through line for the character that grounds her in a way that very easily could’ve gotten lost with the new film’s grander ambitions. Wilson is Becky, a rage-fueled angsty teen with a very particular sore spot for Nazis, the actress understands this character that she’s lived with for nearly a decade – she first saw the concept when she was eleven years old – and it shows. Though Angel and Coote have leaned into the comedic potential over the years, they also smartly retain some genuine menace for their heavies, and Neil Patrick Harris really delivers.
The enmity between Becky and Reuss is palpable, and when the fight gets triggered in earnest, the glee Becky takes in dispatching her foe’s henchmen is visible. As much as this is the Lulu Wilson show, Harris proves once again that he can do anything and is one of entertainment’s great all-around performers. He’s effectively portrayed the villain before, but this is no Dr. Horrible, Reuss is a real piece of work, and while the film around him seems to revel in the glorious splatter, Harris never blinks. He delivers a chilling performance even when the film gets occasionally shaky around him, and all it takes is for the camera to cut back to him for a few words, and you’re back in it.
Becky’s previous antics have become known for their inventive ways of dispatching Nazis, and The Last Temptation of Becky follows that template while also delivering a few necessary speed runs to get to the point efficiently. Heads are taken, people are poisoned, there are straightforward shootings, and yes, Virginia, people explode. Because it is Becky, most of these maneuvers are delivered with a sense of righteous delight, and also because it is Becky, there is plenty of cathartic overkill for villains who really deserve it.
One of my biggest irks in the film was the fact that some of the violence unfortunately felt a bit toothless; obvious CGI blood stands out like a sore thumb, and this was the first film to feature extensive use of gunplay, much of which lacked oomph. Normally I would look past some of these foibles, but it happened enough that by the end I just wanted them to ditch the guns and stab some baddies.
While I have my quibbles, The Last Temptation of Becky is overall a good time sticking it to Nazis. Wilson gets a chance to stretch a little bit in a few early scenes where she is undercover, but even then, you can see Becky ready to burst through the façade, which I liked. The film stands up to its predecessors handsomely and its final reel delivers an explosive release that viewers will certainly enjoy. As Becky creeps into camp in this third entry, a few fans may find the film to got a bit too far, but I think is strikes a decent balance that is nothing if not a fun ride.