Movie Review: ‘The Last Temptation Of Becky’

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Review by James Lindorf

“Becky” was a scrappy 2020 indie that turned a thirteen-year-old Lulu Wilson loose on a house full of neo-Nazis, and “The Wrath of Becky” upped the ante in 2023 with a domestic terrorist cell. Now the trilogy wraps with “The Last Temptation of Becky.” It is the first entry with a solo director, Jenn Wexler, working from a script she co-wrote with Matt Angel, who returns from the previous film. “The Last Temptation of Becky” opens in limited theaters November 4th through Quiver Distribution.

With each entry, this trilogy has given Becky a bigger target, and this time she is a CIA agent going undercover in Poland at one of Hitler’s secret WWII bunkers. Becky (Wilson) infiltrates the nearby inn run by the Reuss family. She discovers that the father, General Wilhelm Reuss (Neil Patrick Harris), is planning the rise of the Fourth Reich. Becky must use all her new skills and tech to make sure it doesn’t happen. The supporting cast includes Kate Siegel as her handler, Agent Kate Montana; James Urbaniak as Dr. Friedrich Metzger; Brandon Flynn as Becky’s partner, Jordan Rigby; Catherine Walker as Helga Reuss; and Fiona Marr as the CIA Director.

Wilson and Harris are both hamming it up. Of the two, Harris better understood the level of performance the movie needed. Still, he was a better Fascist in “Starship Troopers.” I don’t love his performance here, but it grows on me as the film goes on. Wilson has been very good in movies and TV shows outside this world, and she’s been fine in this series, but this is the low point. The character feels the least consistent of the three films, and the performance lacks joy. I wouldn’t expect Oscar-worthy monologues, but neither she nor the director seem to have put much thought into how the dialogue is delivered. Beyond a couple of funny lines, she is underwhelming throughout, making her the most underserved character in her own movie.

Marr does a solid job as the mean director you understand, sometimes disagree with, and occasionally hate. Flynn is very good, but Rigby disappears for large portions of the film. Kate Siegel has never been less than great and is easily the best performer here. She stays on the periphery of the main storyline, but she projects competence at her job and compassion for her agents when she is on screen. Walker and Urbaniak are close behind, both over the top in good ways, understanding the silliness and darkness in the story. The best moment is the confrontation between Walker’s character Helga and Becky. It has the best dialogue and the most shock value of any scene in the film.

The Helga and Becky confrontation also has the least action of any fight in the film, and that isn’t the problem. The action itself is, unfortunately, at an all-time low for the franchise. Everything feels sloppy and unprepared. The choreography is middling at best, and it feels like Wilson is doing all her own stunts without anyone giving her time to train or get into fighting shape. This level of killer incompetence made sense for the girl in the first movie. Now she is a woman with years of CIA training, and she should be incredibly capable. Instead, she feels luckier than ever to make it out of a single fight.

“The Last Temptation of Becky” is a spy film. However, it lacks the budget and scope of the Bond or “Mission: Impossible” movies Wexler cites as influences. The over-the-top tone puts it closer to the “Kingsman” franchise, just a few tiers down. The Wolf’s Lair setting looks good; the film is well lit and in focus, and the costumes are very good, since uniforms are the only thing that group got right. Unfortunately, the camera work doesn’t do much to help the action. It is competent but not exciting. The score is fine, and it is always nice to see them bring back the theme from the first two movies. One of the best selling points is the runtime of just 89 minutes, and you wouldn’t want it any longer, not without the story or excitement levels to support it.

The series has escalated from a home invasion to domestic terrorism to a worldwide takeover, and that is the only substantial growth on display. “The Wrath of Becky” is my favorite of the three, with the original not far behind, and then there is a big drop before this one. I haven’t seen Wexler’s earlier films; critics seem to like them, but I get the feeling she didn’t really get the character. For example, Becky doesn’t feel like a character who should be using popular slang. She is so far removed from average society that it feels unnatural to be normal. Being the only director and a writer puts a lot of weight on her shoulders, and it was too much. It isn’t hateable. It’s worse; it is forgettable. A three-film buildup and a payoff that’s nothing big or personal is incredibly underwhelming. Fans may not regret watching it, but they won’t get the satisfying conclusion or the fun and adrenaline of the first two films, which is why “The Last Temptation of Becky” earns a 2.5 out of 5.

Rating: Not Yet Rated
Genre: Action, Comedy, Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): November 4th, 2026, Limited
Runtime: 1h 29m
Director: Jenn Wexler
Producer: Russ Posternak, Chadd Harbold, Lawrence Greenberg, Bannor Michael MacGregor
Screenwriter: Jenn Wexler, Matt Angel
Distributor: Quiver Distribution
Production Co: Dominion Pictures, Media Finance Capital, American Picture House, BoulderLight Pictures, One Man Army Productions, Northern Ireland Screen, Creativity Capital, Post Film