Kevin James has one of the most popular movies on streaming right now, and it’s one of the star’s more unusual projects.
Though he’s known for his comedic roles in TV shows like The King of Queens and films like Paul Blart: Mall Cop, James also occasionally tries his hand at more serious fare. Case in point: 2020’s action-thriller Becky, which is currently blowing up on Hulu. As of this Sunday, March 28th, it’s the sixth most-watched film on the platform.
Becky stars Lulu Wilson as the eponymous character, a bullied 13-year-old girl who’s staying with her dad Jeff (Joel McHale) at their lake house in order to reconnect after the death of Becky’s mother. But things take a turn when vicious neo-Nazi Dominick (James) and his cronies escape from jail and come to the home to retrieve a key, which Becky found in the woods. With her father, his girlfriend and her young son held hostage by the convicts, it’s up to Becky to rescue them.
As directed by Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion, the pic was received pretty well when it was released via VOD last summer. It currently sits at a solid 71% on Rotten Tomatoes. As per the critics consensus: “Becky isn’t quite able to sustain enough intensity to fully take advantage of its premise, though it serves up entertainingly nasty thrills for genre fans.” On the other hand, viewers seem to be less open to it than critics, with its audience score being just 56%.
Wilson’s leading performance was widely praised, as the young actress has to carry the film on her back, though James’ rare villainous turn drew mixed reviews, as some struggled to take him seriously or didn’t find him intimidating enough as a bad guy. Still, Hulu subscribers are clearly enjoying it and finding it to be an entertaining ride.
For those who prefer to watch Kevin James in his natural habitat, meanwhile, his latest sitcom, The Crew, debuted on Netflix in February.