Natty Knocks (2023)

When Wyatt and his friend Robbie decide to ditch school, his little sister Joely overhears them and forces them to take her with them. They steal some copper wire hoping they can sell it so Wyatt can pay his cell phone bill.  Then they decide to play Natty Knocks.

Legend has it Natty was burned as a witch and cursed the town as she died. While that may make you think of the 1600s and the Salem witch trials, this witch burning appears to take place in the 1970s.  Also it’s not clear why they thought Natty was a witch since she was an unsuccessful actress who slept with men for money.

To call Natty, you knock on the door nine times. That seems inconvenient and excessive. When they knock on the door of her abandoned house, no one answers. They peer inside and see a man beating a woman.  Wyatt thinks the man may have killed her so they anonymously call the cops. The cops don’t even log the call.

Wyatt and Joely have a babysitter named Britt, which is odd since Wyatt appears to be almost the same age as Britt. The whole relationship is confusing as she seems to live with them, but I’m not sure why. Did I miss it or did they not explain? The parents are in the midst of a divorce and the father has moved out. Are they paying her or is it a free room and board scenario?

Britt’s boyfriend made a figure of Natty which he keeps in the back of his pickup. He’s going to light it on fire on Halloween. You’d think this is a relevant plot point, but nope.

The most questionable decision is made by Wyatt after Robbie figures out who the killer is and they go to the old house to rescue Britt. As Wyatt walks from room to room, he provides exposition regarding who the killer is and why he’s doing this.  Thus announcing exactly where he is to the very psycho he seeks.