Reviews
‘Don’t Mess With Grandma’ Review – Home Invasion Goes Awry in Violent Comedy [FF 2024]
Home invasion films are a dime a dozen nowadays, with this year alone seeing the wide releases of The Strangers: Chapter One and Abigail. But surplus can often breed creativity, with filmmakers forced to seek innovative ways to make their films stand out from the pack. That’s just what Jason Krawczyk (He Never Died) does with Don’t Mess With Grandma, a gleefully violent comedy that has fun subverting various home invasion tropes.
While working for his company Trusted Trays, a meal delivery service that caters to the elderly, mild-mannered Jasper (Michael Jai White) also drives two hours outside of his hometown every night to do chores for his cantankerous grandmother Granna (Jackie Richardson). While fixing her bathroom sink one evening, Granna’s house falls victim to a home invasion by a ragtag group of bumbling thieves led by Stan (a nearly unrecognizable Billy Zane). Little do these masked burglars know that Jasper is a decorated marksman who will go to any lengths to protect his Granna, including working overtime to ensure that she never finds out the invasion is even happening.
Krawczyk, who also penned the screenplay, subverts expectations by eschewing the terror from the home invasion in favor of a gleefully violent comedy anchored by a very game White, who proves himself to be as good a comedian as he is a martial artist (though this should come as no surprise to anyone who has seen Black Dynamite). There is a distinct lack of suspense to the proceedings, as there is never any point where the burglars have the upper hand on the situation. This forces Krawczyk to put a heavier emphasis on comedy, which reduces the film to a(n albeit humorous) series of gags. There is a slight mystery as to why the burglars specifically targeted Granna, but it’s just that: slight.
This means that the success of the film relies solely on its effectiveness as a comedy, and Grandma earns solid marks in that department. It is at its funniest during Jasper’s dialogue-driven interactions with Stan’s crew, who shoot out as many social niceties as they do bullets. There hasn’t been a group of criminals this incompetent since the Wet Bandits in Home Alone, and the film gets a lot of mileage out of their misguided attempts to enter Granna’s house (a running gag involving Jasper throwing them out of doors and windows never gets old). Given the Billy Zane of it all, it’s surprising that Krawczyk gives each member of his crew their own moment to shine. This unfortunately means that focus is pulled from Zane in favor of the ensemble, but Zane, who spends most of the movie with several rolls of toilet paper strapped to his mauled ass cheek, is just as effective a comedian as White.
It is White who carries the film, though, and watching Grandma reminds one of not only how talented he is, but also how Hollywood has underutilized him for years. Krawczyk’s screenplay sometimes fails the actor, with Jasper frequently talking to himself for the sole reason of spelling things out to the audience, but White is so charming he is able to overcome the occasionally stilted dialogue. This is to say nothing of Rufus, Granna’s dog who is initially aggressive towards Jasper, but slowly comes to embrace him as the night goes on, aiding him in his takedowns of the robbers. It’s this relationship, rather than the one between Jasper and Granna, that unexpectedly forms the heart of the film.
Don’t Mess With Grandma is another solid product from the consistently surprising Tubi, a streamer that is really starting to corner the market in better-than-you’d-expect low budget genre fare. Leaning into heartfelt sincerity, hilariously awkward confrontations and plenty of violence, Krawczyk has crafted an enjoyable crowd-pleaser that’s sure to earn plenty of laughs.
Don’t Mess With Grandma had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest and will debut exclusively on Tubi. No release date has been set.
Movies
‘Tha Rae: The Exorcist’ Review: Gory Thai Possession Horror Faithfully Adheres to the Tropes [NYAFF 2026]
Possession films are an exceedingly common subgenre in horror to the point that far too many of them feel far too familiar. This is a generalization, obviously, but it too often seems that someone is possessed, a representative from the area’s dominant religion is called in, and a fierce spiritual battle comes to a dramatic conclusion. The idea that the demon in question always happens to be of the exorcist’s faith and denomination is simply chalked up to plot necessity.
Tha Rae: The Exorcist adds an intriguing wrinkle into that trope by introducing a demonic entity that rebuffs both a Catholic priest and a local Yao shaman. It’s only when the two join forces that they’re able to put up a fight against the evil being.
The film opens with a Catholic exorcist out of options. A possessed child writhes before him, pustules and other signs of devilish control wracking the little girl’s body with snarls and contortions. Unable to beat the demon, and unwilling to let it grow stronger and move to another host, the priest convinces the child’s mother that death is the only choice left – so they plunge a knife into the girl’s heart.
Forty years later, it’s that same priest, Ming (Thaneth Warakulnukroh), who’s become possessed to the point of attacking and trying to eat other villagers. His daughter Malee (Nichaphat Chatchaipholra) arrives to check in on her father, but she too soon falls prey to a possessive entity with a taste for flesh. Two exorcists with wildly differing faiths and styles are called in – Sopha (Phiravich Attachitsataporn) is a self-described Yao witch doctor and TikTok exorcist who uses props, dance, theatricality, and ancestral spirits to combat the forces of evil, while Father Paolo (Jirayu Tangsrisuk) is entrenched in the traditions and rituals of the Catholic Church.
Photo: © 2025 SAHAMONGKOLFILM INTERNATIONAL COMPANY LIMITED ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. North American Premiere
There’s both tragedy and betrayal at play in the narrative of Tha Rae: The Exorcist, but director/co-writer Taweewat Wantha puts the thematic focus on the collaboration and understanding required to go toe to toe with a deviously malevolent force. It’s an interesting spin on the expected formula, and while the rest of the film stumbles in its supporting players and follows more traditional beats – albeit with some fun, gooey gore – that core element is enough to make it stand apart from the crowd.
Wantha broke onto the film scene with 2004’s memorably titled Sars Wars: Bangkok Zombie Crisis and continued that trend with oddball genre comedies like The Sperm and Kindergarten War, but he found major success with the one-two horror punch of Death Whisperer and Death Whisperer 2. His latest is more in line with those hits as jump scares and local mythologies play into his creepy tale of possession and generational punishment.
Tha Rae: The Exorcist arguably has more personality and humor, and both are due in large part to the character of Sopha and the playful but sincere performance that brings it to life. Where Tangsrisuk is saddled with the more straightlaced priest, Attachitsataporn’s witch doctor enjoys his local celebrity and has fun while aiding his community. Sopha’s social media followers expect a show, and he delivers, but there’s an engaging dynamic at play within him.
Photo: © 2025 SAHAMONGKOLFILM INTERNATIONAL COMPANY LIMITED ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. North American Premiere
Sopha’s grandmother was the original witch doctor, and he was just her apprentice. When she passed – and subsequently became the primary ancestral spirit that he calls upon during his rituals – Sopha took up the mantle. For one reason or another, continuing her legacy requires him to carry on with his more feminine foot forward. Makeup, costumes, and a feminine lilt to the way he walks and talks are all part of the show. He apologizes to Paulo for it, but there’s no shame in his words or tone as he embraces the gifts he holds and the power he wields.
There’s no disdain between the two even as they seem initially unimpressed by each other’s efforts. Eventually, though, after each has struck out in dramatic and painful fashion, they realize a combined approach to fighting this particular demon is the only way forward. It’s here where the film shines brightest with the idea that beliefs can intermingle and co-exist without the need for disdain or dismissal.
The two of them are the heart of Tha Rae: The Exorcist, but the meat and potatoes of the genre come in the form of creepy antics and a bit of the ol’ gut munching. Intestines are nibbled, a feral man bursts through floorboards to terrorize young girls, and the possessed have a generally unsettling look about them. Wantha too often neuters his atmosphere and mood, though, by jumping quickly to the gore. It cuts into the horror of it all, leaving the film to work in fits and bursts rather than as a cohesive, propulsive whole.
Shortcomings in both the script and direction prevent the film from coming close to denser, more memorable, and atmospheric possession horrors like It Comes or The Wailing, but its main theme and dual lead characters still offer up an intriguing combination.
Genre tropes exist for a reason, but Tha Rae: The Exorcist is a good reminder that they also exist to be twisted, teased, and, when necessary, torn to shreds.
Tha Rae: The Exorcist made its North American premiere at the 25th New York Asian Film Festival.
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