Better Watch Out

As the festive atmosphere of Christmas night envelops the sleepy neighborhood, 17-year-old Ashley finds herself in the midst of an unsettling babysitting gig with precocious 12-year-old Luke Lerner. Luke's crush on Ashley becomes increasingly apparent as he attempts to woo her while watching a horror film together, but his efforts fall flat. Meanwhile, strange occurrences outside only serve to heighten Ashley's unease, until it appears that they are simply the result of Garrett, Luke's best friend, dropping by for an unexpected visit.

However, their tranquility is soon shattered when a window upstairs shatters, and the trio discovers a sinister message scrawled on the brick: "U leave and U die." Panic sets in as Garrett frantically flees out the back door, only to meet a gruesome fate at the hands of an unseen assassin. Overwhelmed with shock and fear, Ashley and Luke take refuge in the attic, where they narrowly avoid disaster when Ashley takes a tumble and Luke intervenes just in time.

As they scramble to safety, they stumble upon Luke's room and hide out in his closet, praying for the chaos outside to subside. But their respite is short-lived, as a masked intruder brandishing a shotgun crashes the party, only to reveal himself as Garrett. Ashley's anger and betrayal boil over when she realizes that Luke had orchestrated this ordeal to win her affection by staging a daring rescue. Her outrage soon gives way to a fierce rebuke, which leaves Luke feeling chastened but undeterred.

Ashley's boyfriend Ricky arrives at the scene, alerted by an earlier text message from Ashley herself. When he fails to find her, his instincts scream that something is amiss. Luke makes a valiant effort to take Ricky down but ultimately falls short. In a desperate bid for dominance, Ricky launches himself at Luke, only to be met with a shotgun-wielding Garrett who holds him at bay. Luke then deals Ricky a crushing blow with a paint can, leaving him lifeless beside Ashley.

As Ashley seizes the opportunity to free herself from her duct-taped restraints using a shard of glass, Luke delivers a fatal blow to Ricky's skull, sending her into a state of horrified shock. When she recovers sufficiently to take aim at Luke with a gun, she's shocked to discover it's empty. Realizing her predicament, Ashley attempts to make a break for the group of carolers outside, but Luke is one step ahead, using the same brick that had earlier heralded Garrett's demise to knock her unconscious once more.

As Luke initiates a sinister game of manipulation, he contrives a ruse by contacting Jeremy (Ashley's ex-boyfriend), feigning Ashley's request for an apology letter. Meanwhile, Luke executes his plan with calculated precision, crafting a deceitful scenario where Jeremy unwittingly pens what appears to be a suicide note. Unbeknownst to Jeremy, Luke has him dangling precariously from a tree branch, ensuring the fake apology takes on a tragic tone.

As Garrett begins to reevaluate his allegiance and starts working to free Ashley, Luke seizes the opportunity to strike, brutally ending Garrett's life in a ruthless display of power. With an eerie calm, Luke then turns his attention to Ashley, plunging a knife deep into her neck before orchestrating the scene to frame Jeremy for her apparent murder.

With his diabolical scheme seemingly set in motion, Luke retires to bed, anticipating the return of his parents and the subsequent police investigation that will further solidify his deception. But unbeknownst to him, Ashley's remarkable resilience allows her to survive the brutal attack, having instinctively applied duct tape to stem the bleeding.

As night gives way to dawn, Luke watches from the comfort of his bedroom window as Ashley is whisked away in an ambulance, her defiant spirit evident even amidst the chaos and trauma. Her middle finger raised in a gesture of defiance, Ashley's departure serves as a stark reminder that even in the darkest of situations, the human spirit can persevere.