SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT

4 stars

StudioCanal. Blu Ray. DVD. 2nd March

It is kind of weird reviewing a film set at Christmas, featuring a killer Santa, at the end of February – that being said SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT is an enjoyably bloody remake of the controversial 1984 slasher that spawned several sequels, and is well directed by Mike P. Nelson from his script – he also helmed the 2021 reimagining of WRONG TURN.

Young Billy is understandably somewhat traumatised when he witnesses his parents killed by a man dressed in a Santa suit – definitely not what he wanted for Christmas. Cut to present day and an adult Billy (Rohan Campbell) now goes about during the festive season killing people and marking them off with blood on an advent calendar – he dons a Father Christmas get up, whilst he is carrying out his killings. A voice in his head pushes him into these gory attacks – identifying people who have been naughty not nice!

Escaping from his latest escapade across the rooftop of a motel à la St. Nick, he ends up in a small town a few days before the 25th. He manages to get a job as stock boy at a knick knacks shop, currently selling Christmas decorations and the like, run by Mr Sims (David Lawrence Brown) and his daughter, the hot headed Pamela (Ruby Modine), who clearly has anger management issues.

Of course Billy is attracted to his new workmate – but the voice in his head demands that he continues his killing spree… and he tussles with this imperative as his relationship with Pamela blossoms.

But this is no romantic drama – this is a straight ahead gory horror but with nuance in its characters. There is plenty of fun to be had as our protagonist slices and dices with an axe often in hand. One sequence with a roomful of Nazis will keep the gorehounds happy whilst making a comment about where we are at in the world. Campbell is great as the central character, bringing a sympathetic edge to Billy and is well matched by Modine as feisty Pamela.