Not a time to be on the naughty list!
This reimagination of the 1984 cult classic is an early Christmas present for lovers of slasher horror films as it searches for the ‘naughty’ in an entertaining blood splattered Santa suit entry into the genre.
Besides some character names and the beginning, director and screenwriter Mike P. Nelson takes this version of Silent Night, Deadly Night in an interestingly different direction while increasing the gore component of the original.
The film begins on familiar ground with young Billy (Logan Sawyer) and his parents visiting his grandfather in a nursing home and Billy witnessing his grandfather’s disturbing death. On the drive home the family is attacked by a man in a Santa suit and his parents are shot dead. The film then cuts to years later with adult Billy (Rohan Campbell) on a pre-Christmas killing spree and marking off the days prior to Christmas in blood on a seemingly demonic advent calendar while communicating to a voice in his head who is leading Billy through the killings.
Avoiding the police, Billy arrives at a small town where he becomes infatuated with a local woman, Pam (Ruby Modine), who works in a Christmas shop owned by her father (David Lawrence Brown) but she longs for greater adventure. To get closer to Pam, Billy takes a job working in her shop but meanwhile the voice inside Billy’s head reminds him of his gruesome duty to purge the world of the ‘naughty’ which there seems to be an abundance of in the small town – including local hockey mum, Delphine (Sharon Bajer), and her friends.
After a slow build up, Mike P. Nelson’ script intensifies as the carnage steps up reaching an over-the-top level at times especially with the scenes of Delphine and her associates. Rohan Campbell is excellent as the tormented Billy and seems to be completely at home in the slaughter. Ruby Modine is also engaging as Pam while Sharon Bajer is a scene-stealer as Delphine.
The original Silent Night, Deadly Night became elevated to cult level because of the newness of the genre at the time and its shock factor of being released before Christmas, whether this reboot reaches a similar status only time will tell. In the meantime, this version will be enjoyed by slasher horror enthusiasts as it offers an admirable take on the genre and even some comical moments.
Reviewed by Rob McKinnon
