Film Review: Silent Night, Deadly Night

Christmas and horror are not exactly synonymous, and yet holiday genre flicks have become their own distinct category in the wake of 1974’s Black Christmas. One of the most infamous, having been pulled from theaters during its original run, was 1984’s Silent Night, Deadly Night. In a most unexpected turn of events, that twink-turned-killer-Santa slasher spawned an entire franchise consisting of five films. In 2012, a straight-to-video reboot, directed by Steven C. Miller, took a flamethrower to the sequels, and simply imagined a masked murderous Santa with a nasty mean streak. Leave it to writer/director Mike P. Nelson and the producers behind the Terrifier franchise to discover a third way to bring Billy Chapman’s yuletide saga to life. This take organically evolves the storyline of the original with a romantic comedy twist. Halloween Ends breakout Rohan Campbell pulls on Santa’s hat, ready to slice and dice through those on his naughty list. A Dexter-style twist gives Billy his own Dark Passenger of sorts. Billy has purpose to his slayings, taking away much of the randomness from Billy’s murder spree back in the original. With its retro soundtrack, committed performances from Rohan Campbell and Ruby Modine, and sharp editing, Silent Night, Deadly Night nails a nostalgic tone whilst forming fresh cheer of its own making.

The Billy of this iteration of Silent Night Deadly Night remains haunted by the ghosts of his childhood. Christmas memories are clouded by the deaths of Billy’s grandfather and his parents, the latter of which were savagely murdered by a Santa-clad killer on the side of a road. As the film begins, we find adult Billy on the run, having just murdered a victim whose corpse lays abandoned in his motel bathtub. Billy crudely jabs his finger into one of the body’s wounds, then ritualistically smears the blood onto a twisted advent calendar. Not only does this Billy catalogue each of his kills in that manner, but his moral compass goes far past declaring someone to be “naughty.” A brooding voice that only he can hear tells Billy how to channel his gifts, becoming a de facto guide for the audience. Campbell was clearly the perfect choice for this role. In a pivot from the jet blackness of his Corey in Halloween Ends, Christmas becomes Campbell’s next horror holiday. Billy allows for an even further romantic push. With his toothy grin and charming persona, Campbell creates a character that clashes spectacularly against that ominous inner voice.

After narrowly avoiding police, Billy slips into the small town of Hackett, immediately catching the eye of the equally cute Pamela (Ruby Modine). Pamela works at a local Christmas knick-knack shop with her father. Where better to nab a part time job? Billy finds a perfect spot to lay low for awhile as he finishes up his latest killing spree in the final days approaching Christmas. Billy’s internal voice, named Charlie (Mark Acheson), remains insistent about satiating the holiday-driven bloodlust. Slowly but surely, Billy begins to win over Pamela, who houses internal rage of her own that may make the idea of Charlie’s existence at least a little palatable. Bodies around town start dropping as, night after night, Billy dons an iconic costume to take out the naughty. Could Pamela’s love be the salve Billy has needed all these years? Modine, a scene stealer in Happy Death Day, gets her time to shine in a meaty role that plays on her chemistry with Campbell.

The charming banter and Pamela’s chaotic charms build a surprisingly sweet foundation between the duo. Their romance never feels forced, but it certainly moves away from the blackness of the original movie. Mike P. Nelson decides to focus on fun over heaviness—that thematic decision makes Silent Night Deadly Night an easy one to rewatch, and surely a destiny as a new holiday tradition. There are genuine crowd-pleasing moments that come tucked under the sheen of the Christmas vibes. What begins as a grim childhood trauma blossoms into a surprisingly character-driven story. The addition of a supernatural element may turn some people away, but for this viewer, it gives further purpose that clicks with the narrative in a way none of the sequels were able to touch. Charlie acts partially as the narrator of the chaos, adding an entirely different layer to Billy’s mania.

Speaking of what came before, there are plenty of references for those on the hunt for them. There are at least a couple neat nods to granddaddy Black Christmas, and at least a few of the kills are directly lifted from the original movie. They even mention garbage day! Thankfully, Nelson’s tight script knows exactly when to rein in the silliness for genuine moments of horror. On the editing front, Billy’s psychosis is perfectly displayed by vibrant shades of red, and quick cut flashes of trauma. Later, we get even further depth that redefines the meaning behind its unique structure. Each time Billy pursues a new mission, the film practically screams at the audience with onscreen text to display, such as KILL GEORGE. We also have direct title cards to tell us what December day we have arrived at next. In lesser hands, some of these stylistic choices could have come across either too jarring or hand-holding, depending on one’s perception. Instead, the masterful technical elements only add to the greater whole.

On this front, the score from composers Blitz//Berlin works wonders. Drenched in synth and retro textures, it amplifies the nostalgic 80s slasher DNA while still bringing a modern connectivity to bridge the romantic flourishes. As with any slasher, folks will no doubt be curious about the blood and gore. Being done by the same team as Terrifier may create an unfair set of expectations. Certainly, this isn’t an Art massacre, but plenty of the red stuff flies everywhere. There’s an extremely high body count and some truly epic kills, with the centerpiece taking place at a rather unique Christmas party. These slayings are all quite visceral—many arriving by way of montage—and all are epic to behold. The addition of the narrative thread tying them together tethers the randomness, with each murder feeling essential.

As far as remakes go, they really do not get much more outrageously entertaining (or ridiculously gory) than Silent Night Deadly Night. As one of the arbiters of holiday horror, expectations were high. Nelson completely destroys what could be a mere rehash of the property by gifting audiences with a wholly original feature that wears its heart on its sleeve. Even the ending has been nailed, ensuring that these characters will not soon be forgotten. Could there be more sequels in store? It certainly won’t be garbage day for the best entry in this decades-old series.

Don’t forget to leave the cookies out for the year’s sexiest Santa when Silent Night, Deadly Night unboxes exclusively in theaters on Friday, December 12th.