Kevin James’ Craziest Movie Yet Airs on TV Tonight

The action-thriller Becky is airing on Showtime on Saturday night, and fans tuning in for expecting the usual Kevin James comedy fare may be a little surprised. Becky came out last year and caught viewers everywhere off guard with its grim, graphic violence. Those expecting to see the James they know from Paul Blart: Mall Cop may be disappointed.

Becky stars Lulu Wilson as 13-year-old Becky Hooper, a teenager on an awkward vacation with her father and his new girlfriend. James plays Dominick, an escaped convict and neo-Nazi attacking the family at their vacation home deep in the woods. He is the leader of the group, which also includes Apex (Robert Maillet), Hammond (James McDougall) and Cole (Ryan McDonald). Becky’s father is played by Joel McHale, his girlfriend Kayla is played by Amanda Brugel and her young son Ty is played by Isaiah Rockcliffe.

The movie is rated R, and it is not hard to see why. It is a bloody affair with all kinds of brutal violence carried out with household items in Home Alone-style stunts. On top of that, James’ character is not shy about the motivations behind his crimes, which have everything to do with his racist philosophy.

Becky was scheduled to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in April of 2020, but the event was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was ultimately released straight to video-on-demand in June, along with some screenings at drive-in movie theaters.

The movie itself got mixed reviews, although Wilson’s performance stood out. It was written by Nick Morris, Lane Skye and Ruckus Skye, and directed by Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion. It was a low-budget movie clearly intended for the indie circuit, but now that it is airing on TV, it might reach a wider audience.

“The lesson here is don’t mess with the inner rage of a teenage girl. But Becky‘s crazed kills get more and more gimmicky, and there’s nothing in the script to indicate what has turned her into a pint-sized death-dealer,” wrote critic Cath Clarke for The Guardian. Richard Roeper of The Chicago Sun Times added: “The King of Queens star makes a convincing monster in this gory horror-thriller.”

Becky is airing on Saturday, March 6 at 9 p.m. ET on Showtime. It is also available on the Showtime streaming app, or through the Showtime channel add-on on various other streaming services, like Amazon Prime Video or Hulu. Disclosure: PopCulture is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.