Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Lucky’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘Lucky’.
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It is definitely safe to say, that the horror genre is one of the bravest and boldest genres in storytelling. Because there is no other genre out there, that is willing to tackle important issues facing everyday people in a manner as direct and bold as scary stories do, and its desire to do this on a consistent basis, has allowed for some incredible and powerful stories to come to life from this genre. The kind that have put the worst parts of humanity on display, and allowed for us to face our collective fears in a surprisingly safe environment. And horror’s ability to do this in such a seamless and dynamic manner, is what motivates audiences to return to its waiting and rotten arms. Simply because they know they’re going to enjoy a powerful and moving experience, one that will give them something to chew upon long after the scares have come to an end. 

But what is truly fascinating about this particular genre, is that its newfound popularity is allowing for it to grow in a way that few ever expected. Because rather than get comfortable and tell stories that simply satisfy, the filmmakers that populate this genre are now eager to push the envelope and tackle topics that we struggle to discuss in our everyday lives. Which has led to horror films that now explore the nature and the power of trauma. Or they’ve begun to examine topics such as systemic racism and how it continues to permeate American life in 2021 or they are outright starting to go after taboo topics. The kind that we collectively avoid because we simply don’t want to acknowledge their existence or are terrified to acknowledge the problem, and it just so happens that Shudder is host to a brand-new horror film that takes the time to examine a very real and widely ignored issue in America, specifically, domestic violence in… Lucky.

Now in this particular film we are introduced to a woman named May who is at quite the fascinating crossroads in life her. Because her writing career is in slight jeopardy, thanks to some slowed down sales of her first book, and her marriage is in a tense place thanks to a touch of infidelity from a year ago and oh yeah, she also has to deal with the fact that a strange, masked man tries to break into her home nightly to kill her and her husband. But despite her and her husband Tim’s best efforts to kill the intruder or get him arrested… he just keeps re-appearing, night after night to try and put them both down. And the nonchalant nature in which Tim handles this wild reality, leads to a fight that leaves May alone in the home to face this monster on her own, and now she will have to rely on her creativity in a whole new way, in order to finally put an end to this horrific, living nightmare. 

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Which is a plot line that really doesn’t seem as though it is going to address domestic violence in the slightest but that is all part of the plan. Because Brea Grant’s magnificent script is designed to make the audience comfortable and curious, so that the commentary in question outright surprises the viewer and it definitely accomplishes that particular goal no problem. For early on, the viewer will likely find themselves chuckling at all the right times and hooting and hollering over the gore that appears when May and Tim fight their intruder off in a violent and visceral manner. But once Tim steps away, the tone of the film immediately changes, and suddenly the gags involving incompetent cops aren’t as funny as they were a second ago and the danger becomes quite real, and just that like, you begin to realize that May is suffering from physical abuse from her husband, and that’s precisely when this tale transforms into the quite the horrifying experience. One that holds nothing back in its examination of what domestic violence actually looks like.

A feat that this story accomplishes by allowing for us to see this mess from May's perspective. For she is often in denial about what is really happening in her life and that doesn’t make her dumb or weak, but a victim that has been gaslighted and manipulated into believing that she is being punished and for her sins and deserves this. Which is a harsh reality that tends to accompany this situation since the abuser uses those elements to gain power in order to abuse again. But while that makes for some sobering and powerful moments, this movie also examines how we don't take this matter seriously enough in modern America, and that is handled by way of the uncomfortable interactions that May deals with when she is open about her problem. For everyone that hears what she has to say, really doesn’t listen to the words coming out of her mouth and is eager to brush off the importance of what’s happening by calling her ‘brave’ and ‘lucky’, when in fact what she actually needs is genuine help to escape her horrific situation before it escalates to the worst-case scenario.

Which is another unfortunate reality that accompanies this grotesque situation, since so many keep their distance from this matter, in the hopes that it will either resolve itself or because they don't believe that this is their problem and that leads us to the most powerful message that this movie has to offer up. In that, apathy and hand washing are the worst ways to approach this. Because a human being is under attack and living in fear and we need to be better about supporting one another and helping one another when we discover that someone is going through that. Because it clearly isn’t easy for someone to wake up from it and just walk away from it, and all of these elements make this a powerful and unsettling motion picture for certain. One that genuinely handles this topic in a brave and brilliant manner, and it is a film that needs to be seen, so that we can finally have some legitimate conversations on a matter that can no longer be ignored.
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‘Lucky’ is streaming now, exclusively on Shudder.    

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