The Dark Red (2019) Review

The Dark Red is possibly my favourite film of the latest Frightfest Presents slate – boasting great performances, a well constructed central idea and some genuinely frightening moments.

Synopsis: A young woman is committed to a psychiatric hospital and claims her newborn was stolen by a secret society to harvest its supernatural blood.

The concept of the secret society entrapping a woman to steal her unborn child is nothing new within horror and it is a real strength of The Dark Red that it manages to make that idea feel different. Director and co-writer Dan Bush has crafted a film which utilises both action and emotion to great effect. Genuinely emotional but also fast-paced and featuring plenty of forward movement, The Dark Red really is something special.

There are a few moments that didn’t quite hang together for me which I won’t go too far into for fear of spoilers but the rest of the film is just so good that this was easily overlooked. Some of the ways in which the supernatural elements work are a little fuzzy and some elements withheld until near to the end making it feel a bit sudden. Still, this in no way impacted on my enjoyment as the rest of it is just so strong. The benefit of using supernatural elements is that suspending disbelief is easy enough to overlook things that aren’t quite fully developed.

April Billingsley as Sybil is excellent – able to portray Sybil’s intense trauma in both emotional and physical manifestations. Kelsey Scott is also very impressive as Dr Deluce, tasked with assessing the increasingly unstable Sybil. The two women anchor the first half of the film in the form of emotionally-charged counselling sessions and it is this section that is perhaps the most powerful and refreshing as Sybil’s story emerges. Flashbacks punctuate the otherwise sober atmosphere of the sessions which is really effective. Conal Byrne as Sybil’s love interest David takes a strong supporting role and his chemistry with Billingsley is believable. Byrne’s writing credit means he is perhaps more connected to the material and so the performance is that much stronger.

The film contains one scare which really shook me and it is excellent that this was achieved without the use of loud noises. Rather it is an excellent use of makeup and an uncanny use of movement and imagery which causes the scare. I’ve found it has really lingered in my mind since watching, which is always the mark of a strong film.

Overall, it is difficult to write too much about The Dark Red without straying into spoilers but it is a very strong entry into the supernatural sub genre which should receive a great deal of attention.

My rating: 5/5 stars – *****/*****

Signature Entertainment releases The Dark Red on Digital HD 18th November 2019 with Frightfest Presents.

Feedback (2019) Review

Feedback is a hostage thriller chamber piece which boasts a solid cast and a knack for gradual storytelling to create a gripping exercise in tension.

Synopsis: Radio star Jarvis Dolan (Eddie Marsan) experiences the worst night of his life when masked figures storm the studio during a broadcast.

The film, aside from a few scenes at the outset the action takes place within the radio studio making this something of a chamber piece. This adds a huge amount of atmosphere as it traps the viewer along with the characters. The beauty of using a radio studio is that it does allow for some separation between characters between the technical area and the live environment. This allows short moments of breathing space and opportunities to progress the plot without losing any of the tension. The moments where characters are separated and sometimes denied the ability to hear what is happening fuels the plot developments.

The other strength is using the radio station location is the layers of sound that it allows. Duelling dialogue from prerecorded radio adverts, the captors and other intrusions create confusion and really emphasise the panic taking place. The radio station itself looks glossy and expensive with plenty of well-designed areas to draw the eye as well as providing a strong sense of claustrophobia necessary for this kind of story.

The film balances the often frenetic and chaotic energy with the stability of Eddie Marsan’s performance. Obviously, with an actor like Marsan you know you are in safe hands and he anchors everything incredibly well. Even when some plot points don’t quite work or become a bit muddled, Marsan remains consistent and his performance keeps everything on track. Paul Anderson as Dolan’s former co-host Andrew offers a satisfying contrast to Marsan’s quieter energy with more swagger and volume. Due to the risk of spoiling considerable plot points, the supporting cast all perform incredibly well, moving from conventional, near-stereotypical roles into something more interesting.

Feedback skilfully manages to conceal and reveal information and it was this careful balance that won me over. Grounding itself in current ideas about post-truth, victimhood, as well as political and social tensions it tackles dark subject matter and while some of those bigger themes don’t quite pay off, it’s a gripping journey all the same.

My rating: 3/5 stars – ***/*****

Signature Entertainment releases Feedback on Digital HD 26th August 2019 through Frightfest Presents.

Dark Encounter (2019) Review

Dark Encounter uses the lens of a personal tragedy to create a film which at first seems simplistic and all too familiar, but soon morphs into something far more interesting.

Synopsis: A year after the mysterious disappearance of an 8 year-old girl, we meet her grieving family as they return home from her memorial service in their small town. Later that evening, strange lights appear in the nearby forest and the family is exposed to an inexplicably strange phenomenon that rattles them to the core. The origin of the lights appear to be visitors from another world that seemingly terrorise the family.

If, like me, you can largely take or leave sci-fi elements in your horror a decent stretch of Dark Encounter might feel like a bit of a trial. However, even for those who feel that way, I would recommend sticking with this one. Without veering too far into spoiler territory, this is a film which very much plays with viewer expectations and knows its genre (and subgenres) well enough to be able to pull off a change that would seem too severe if done clumsily. Happily, Dark Encounter manages this change with ease and it is easy to be swept along.

The element that most impressed me within the film was the use of light. Torch light, car headlights and other sources of illumination are confrontational – placed full focus on the screen and the effect of this as a viewer is that you are frequently dazzled by the intensity of them. This dazzling puts you in the same position as the family and it genuinely feels like you too, are caught in the experience.

Some of the later stylistic choices too are very impressive and evoke this sense of closeness to the central family. This is furthered by a emotionally-heavy performance by Laura Fraser as Olivia – the grieving mother at the centre of the tale. The film also boasts a rare non-comedic performance by Alice Lowe. This is a UK film and so the decision to set the action outside of Britain and have the whole cast take on accents seems like a strange decision, but the performances work well enough.

The word that keeps returning to me about this film is graceful. It handles it’s initial direction in a kind of by-the-numbers way but the journey it takes, despite being a departure feels very smooth. It very carefully weaves its narrative so that the louder, more energetic start gradually slows to something more quiet and subdued. In fact, the film boasts some very impressive scenes that are almost entirely silent which really offer the film a great deal in terms of atmosphere.

For anyone looking for a film that shows how powerful playing with genre conventions can be, Dark Encounter is definitely worthy of your time.

My rating: 4/5 stars – ****/*****

Signature Entertainment releases Dark Encounter on DVD & Digital HD 21st October 2019 with Frightfest Presents.

The Wind (2019) Review

Synopsis: A plains-woman faces the harshness and isolation of the untamed land in the Western frontier of the late 1800s.

My somewhat negative view of this film is mostly down to one element in terms of the sound. It is a pet peeve of mine when films mix their volume so that the dialogue is so quiet, yet all other sound seems to boom. The issue is made worse here by the fact that the film involves a great deal of whispered dialogue. The moments of incredibly loud noise render even the well-earned jump scares a bit cheap which is a real shame. I appreciate I’m very sensitive to this kind of thing and so others may not find the same issue.

In terms of atmosphere, the film has it in spades and carefully constructs a very real sense of dread as central figure Lizzy’s paranoia begins to overwhelm her. Caitlin Gerard does well to create a believable representation of a woman struggling against the elements and isolation. Julia Goldani Telles as Emma provides an interesting contrast to Lizzy in a strong supporting performance.

In terms of narrative construction, the time-jumps work really well to tell the story. The method means that the viewer has to devote a lot of attention to it, but this is really rewarded. Despite my issues with the louder, jump scares, director Emma Tammi is able to construct some incredibly creepy moments. The effects are simple, but effective, allowing the atmosphere to take centre stage. The pacing occasionally suffers but this is remedied by the shifts in time.

Overall, The Wind works incredibly well as a tense horror with a focus on a central figure battling against the effects of isolation, grief and loneliness. I can see why it has been compared to other films like The Babadook and The Witch and while it doesn’t quite hit those heights for me it is certainly a solid piece of work.

My rating: 3/5 stars – ***/*****

Signature Entertainment releases The Wind on Digital HD 2nd September 2019 through Frightfest Presents.

Come To Daddy (2019) Review

Come To Daddy combines great comic timing from a stellar cast and some outrageous moments in a fun and occasionally wince-worthy film that will delight genre audiences.

Synopsis: Norval (Elijah Wood) travels to a remote location to visit his estranged father after receiving a letter. When he arrives, it doesn’t take long for tensions to escalate between Norval and Gordon (Stephen McHattie) and soon Norval finds himself in an unimaginable situation.

Come To Daddy immediately sets its tone from the first few seconds through the use of two wildly contrasting quotes about fatherhood. I won’t share them here as it seems a shame to spoil one of the film’s first laughs and I won’t be discussing the plot too much here either as it really deserves to be seen to unfold without any prior knowledge for full effect.

Elijah Wood is undoubtedly doing some incredible work here. Norval is a meek and quiet figure, coddled by his mother in the absence of a father figure but plagued by alcohol dependency and suicidal ideation. His journey throughout the film is immensely satisfying and that is buoyed by Wood’s easy chemistry with the rest of the cast. Stephen McHattie is wonderfully abrasive but for me, Michael Smiley is the absolute standout here as the frankly horrible Jethro. The performance and the wider styling of the character is great – he’s massively unlikeable without impacting on the comic elements.

The film has lashings of pitch-black humour, and doesn’t shy away from grim elements. The violence is explosive, graphic and pretty repulsive but somehow still works within the darkly comic tone which so many fall short in trying to achieve. Somehow, within this it also manages a few genuinely touching moments which is a testament to director Ant Timpson and writer Toby Harvard’s instincts in constructing it.

While the dark comedy and violence won’t be for everyone Come To Daddy is an engaging and entertaining piece of work. There is a confidence in this film – it knows exactly what it wants to be and executes that without missing a beat.

My rating: 5/5 stars – *****/*****

Signature Entertainment will release Come to Daddy on DVD & Digital in early 2020 through Frightfest Presents.

Frightfest Picks

For the first time ever I’ll be heading to Frightfest this August. The 20th edition of the festival has revealed a jam-packed schedule with lots of variety, so I wanted to post something about the films I’m particularly looking forward to. There are still more fun things to be announced, so this post might be edited in time.

Ever since the first trailer for Alexandre Aja’s Crawl dropped I’ve been eager to see it. Aja is no stranger to the gory and overblown (see Switchblade Romance and Piranha 3D) and so the slightly silly premise of two people trapped in a house increasingly inhabited by alligators should be carried off well.

I have not heard too much about Knives and Skin but a Lynch-inspired story of a missing teenager sounds exactly like the sort of thing I would really connect with. A short clip of a rendition of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun positions the film as both cathartic and sinister.

Speaking of things I really connect with – Frightfest features a new film from Lucky McKee – a film-maker with a body of work I thoroughly enjoy. Kindred Spirits also features Thora Birch – an actress who usually delivers on complex performances. McKee’s emphasis is always on complicity and the threat of a long-held family secret seems like it would work incredibly well within his style.

In addition to Kindred Spirits, there is also the sequel to 2011’s The Woman – Darlin’. Star of The Woman Pollyanna McIntosh helms the follow-up which is really interesting in terms of linking to the original work. I’ve made no secret of how excited I am for this project and cannot wait to see it. I’m slightly concerned that this is on a Discovery screen as it might limit the numbers able to see it, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed! The trailer alone promises The Woman on a rampage, as well as Darlin’ herself taking some action against the religious group she finds herself with.

Another film that I’ve not heard or read too much about is Sadistic Intentions but the description makes it sound like a claustrophobic face-off which offers the chance for lots of tension. The presence of genre legend Larry Fessenden is also a good sign. Another Discovery option here, so no guarantees.

There seemed to be a lot of buzz around Freaks from Glasgow Frightfest so I’m really excited to see it represented at the London event too. The initial idea of a paranoid father keeping his daughter away from the outside world is creepy enough, but the trailer hints at there being a very good reason for this.

I have already seen and reviewed I Trapped the Devil and you can read my review here. I would hugely recommend this slow-burn tale driven by some really excellent performances when it plays on the Saturday.

Twitter reactions to Daniel Isn’t Real from other festivals have really made it a must-see for me in terms of it being an exploration of madness with aspects of fairytale and horror. The fact that I can’t find a full trailer for this one is kind of a relief as it sounds like something that should be seen with as little knowledge beforehand as possible.

Ready or Not offers some great laughs in the trailer surrounding a very extreme game of hide and seek. The trailer very much made me think of You’re Next which I enjoyed despite not expecting to. Ready or Not looks like it will throw everything at the screen and if the tone is similar to the trailer, looks like it’ll be a fun crowd-pleaser.

Unfortunately, I’m quite likely to miss this one as it runs against Daniel Isn’t Real, but documentaries are probably my favourite area of film other than horror so The Magnificent Obsession of Michael Reeves definitely appeals. Reeves is a fascinating figure, with a huge amount of success in a short space of time before meeting a tragic end. It is worth pointing out that this has also been selected for the Abertoir Horror Film Festival in Aberystwyth in November and for anyone unable to make Frightfest, should definitely be on the list of festivals to visit.

Staying on the subject of documentaries for the moment, Master of Dark Shadows should be an excellent piece of work. Director David Gregory excellently brought the story of Richard Stanley’s doomed production of The Island of Dr Moreau with affection in Lost Souls. This look at the work of Dan Curtis promises a view of a figure that some are perhaps unfamiliar with.

Bloodline is likely to grab some headlines for featuring Sean William-Scott in a darker role than his traditionally comedic career has allowed for. Promising to be very disturbing, this could be a real highlight.

Satanic Panic caught my eye a little while ago. As a Fangoria Presents film it’s safe to say that it will be a film which knows, understands and loves the genre and so the combination of that, with a great cast should make this a real highlight.

The Soskas’ Rabid has been one of my most anticipated films of this year so it is really great to see that the film will be playing the festival. A remake of a David Cronenberg film is no easy sell but the trailer mixes high-fashion gloss with surgery and a side of violence which makes me think this will be a very interesting piece of work. So excited for this one.

In ‘films that you can’t believe made it past the pitching stage’ is The Banana Splits movie, which takes a cuddly children’s show and turns it into a violent bloodbath. This one looks like a lot of fun and given that I’m already pretty terrified of people in these kind of mascot costumes will do nothing to relieve those fears.

So that concludes the films that really caught my eye on my first look at the Frightfest schedule. I’m sure by the time the festival rolls around I might have found others that I also need to see and already the sheer variety of the schedule has me reeling so let me know in the comments or on Twitter if I’ve missed something I really need to see.

Terror of Hallow’s Eve (2018) Review

Terror of Hallow’s Eve is a pleasantly dark surprise, elevated by the film’s attention to detail in character and set design.

Synopsis: When 15-year-old Tim is brutally beaten up by High School bullies, his intense yearning for revenge unintentionally summons up evil supernatural forces offering to scare his despised enemies to actual death.

Tim (Caleb Thomas) is lonely, seeking solace in his fascination with crafting monsters and becoming progressively angry with his lot in life. His mother (Sarah Lancaster) is fiercely protective of him, consistently naming him Timmy and stepping in to fight his corner when she sees him being bullied by a group of boys. Of course, this only makes Tim’s situation worse, culminating in a beating which spurs him to seek revenge. Caleb Thomas gives an impressive performance as Tim, holding back seething anger under an awkward outer shell. It would be easy to over or under play each side and upset the balance, but he handles it incredibly well.

Terror of Hallow’s Eve is a pretty short film (1hr20mins including credits) and that isn’t a bad thing. While the concept is fun and there is definitely enough material to fill it, stretching the time any further would just be padding. It is always refreshing when the creators of a story know where to draw the line and this is all the better for it.

Doug Jones features as two different creatures within the film and does excellent work as both, proving what an absolute treasure he is in terms of bringing monsters to life with immense amounts of charm. He is helped considerably by the fact that a great deal of love has clearly gone into the construction and presentation of the creatures. The Trickster’s soft, child-like voice adds a great deal to his menace. Jones’ further appearance as Scarecrow is another example of an effectively creepy monster introduced to the narrative.

The design supports some excellent sequences, including one involving a puppet show, which is absorbing. For a moment, it seems that the film is going down the path of getting everyone in the house to off them one-by-one, but makes some interesting choices in terms of switching up the settings and constructing themes for each person, which is certainly more inventive than the first option.

There are soundtrack and more obvious audio and visual references to Halloween. For the most part, these work as they are woven into the original material. A character mentioning Haddonfield mental hospital feels a little on the nose, as it only functions as a wink to the audience, rather than furthering anything. Similarly, time-stamping the action as being in the 1980s feels like a strange choice, although it ties in well with the theme of childhood nostalgia, escapism and looking back picked at throughout the film. As the film unfolds, there is more of a reason for this which makes sense.

Terror of Hallow’s Eve is a revenge story with a darker edge. The dedication to craft something which has it’s own look and lore rewards viewers with something which feels rather different. Definitely one to watch on a Halloween night, although you’ll be able to watch it on Digital HD from June 10th through the Frightfest Presents strand.

Videoman (2018) Review

The 1980s VHS nostalgia wave is showing no signs of slowing, with a number of recent horror (and other genre) films employing synth soundtracks, neon fashions and fond media memories to great commercial and often critical success. More specifically within horror there has been something of a resurgence in the ‘giallo’ film subgenre. The attraction of filmmakers to it is perhaps no surprise given the form’s ample opportunity for lurid scenes, pulsing soundtracks and the fact that young, upcoming filmmakers likely took at least some of their film education from their earlier viewership and it has informed their work. Videoman both embraces and critiques this current movement.

Synopsis: Ennio, a VHS collector with a drinking problem, finds a valuable movie that could save him from eviction. When the movie gets stolen he starts a desperate hunt for a perpetrator and meets an alcoholic woman obsessed with the 80s. These outsiders, joined by nostalgia and broken dreams, initiates a romance while Ennio’s life starts turning into an Italian horror film.

For me, the above synopsis is a little misleading and does the film a slight disservice. While there are certain segments which invoke the mystery element of some Euro-horror, the film is most comfortable and effective when exploring the relationship between Ennio (Stefan Sauk) and Simone (Lena Nilsson). Their characters are focused on their obsessions for collecting VHS films and the 1980s respectively and the film highlights how their passions have isolated them, leaving them out of step with the world they find themselves in. Rather than films which seek to exploit this nostalgia by setting the action in the 1980s, Videoman has a modern setting, offset by the interior worlds of the characters. Ennio’s basement video shop location evokes the lighting trends of the films he hoards, in contrast to the other spaces within the film. Similarly, Simone’s heavy makeup turns her into an anachronism in her workplace.

Director and writer Kristian A. Söderström clearly has a great deal of knowledge of the films the characters reference and there are some stylistic choices which clearly echo the subgenre. There is also some exploration of how the fetishisation of old media and the process through which it is cleaned and re-released on new formats does something to take away the romance and illusion of the original versions. This is handled somewhat crudely in terms of the study of a hardcore insert which reveals a body double, but demonstrates the depth of study that Ennio and his associates undertake in terms of these films, but how easily this care and attention to detail can morph into something much darker and obsessive. Similarly, a scene in which Ennio denies a VHS to a customer until he proves he has had his player cleaned points to the oxymoronic nature of the format as durable, yet fragile. A few references to chemical addictions are slightly too heavy-handed to say anything particularly meaningful that isn’t already expressed. Similarly, the thread of an older woman struggling with the demands of feeling validated by social media isn’t groundbreaking, but offers more in terms of keeping the setting a modern one.

During the film, Ennio receives an opportunity to sell a highly-valuable VHS to a mysterious figure called Faceless. Faceless offers high prices for sought-after titles and so the sale means he will be able to pay off his debts. However, when he loses the video, his paranoia drives him to some dark acts. While it feels like the loss of and search for this title is what should drive the film, it almost gets lost in the shuffle of the far more charming and interesting interplay between Ennio and Simone. The film meanders, rather than drives and a few non-sequitur ‘visions’ further slow the pace. The pursuit of the VHS is almost entirely forgotten at times, which feels like a misstep in terms of how important it should be to the central character. However, Sauk and Nilsson’s interactions are just charming and diverting enough that you would rather spend time on their relationship and inner motives than the wider Faceless story.

Overall, if you want to watch a reference-heavy, fast-paced recreation of 1980s Euro-horror, Videoman will offer very little. However, if you’re willing to spend some time meditating on the nature of isolation and the elements that drive us to that then you’ll almost certainly find something here.

Videoman is released on Digital HD & DVD 18th February 2019 from Frightfest Presents.

The Dark Review (2018)

The Dark is an incredibly affecting film about the long-lasting trauma of abuse and its young main cast members deserve high praise for taking on such brave roles in such an impressive way.

Mina is a young girl who rises from the grave after her untimely death. She roams the forest to feed her blood lust but when she finds Alex, a young boy who is suffering just as badly as her, things begin to change.

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I cannot give Nadia Alexander high enough praise for her work within the film. Mina is a taxing role in both physical and emotional terms, but Alexander plays it note-perfect. As we spend the majority of the screen time with her, this is so important, as is her chemistry with Toby Nichols as Alex. Nichols is particularly impressive, given that the damage to his eyes means that he cannot use them, yet still manages to pull off a suitably subtle performance. Some would use the lack of eyes to emote to turn up the volume on the rest of the performance and it shows a real confidence to not do that.

Alexander manages to use a carefully controlled energy, as Mina is prone to rushes of energy, combined with long moments of contemplation. She is also able to match the brutality with a softness, showing real range and giving the film real emotional weight. I look forward to seeing far more of her work.

Director/writer Justin P Lange (and his co-director Klemens Hufnagel) are in no rush with The Dark and the whole thing is built on mood. Despite the shocking subject matter, it is handled with care and given the appropriate time to let the horror of the situation sink in. In more clumsy hands, it could be exploitative, but the line is clearly drawn and the more unpleasant elements are restrained. One scene will shock, but the groundwork for what happens has already been laid earlier in the film without being overt.

The makeup and design of Mina is excellent and make the moments in flashback where we see her as a normal girl all the more upsetting. Similarly, times within the film when we receive flashes of what Mina could be are impactful. The contrast between Mina, who has no one looking for her, coupled with Alex’s desperate mother’s pleas for him to be brought back further the duo’s grim situation. However, there is a care to not dwell on horrific details, handing over instead to the rather more uplifting chance for them to bond.

The overall sound of the film deserves praise too, with a perfectly haunting song chosen to reflect Mina’s troubles. The way in which Mina uses sound to protect herself and Alex is also well constructed.  Similarly, the early moments in which Mina is presented as a monster utilises sound and more traditional ways of representing monsters.

I would hugely recommend that people who enjoy films with a slower pace and focus more on the interplay between the two hugely talented leads check out this film. The Dark is a film which deserves to find its way into a number of yearly top 10 lists and shows just how capable the horror genre is of turning out thoughtful, considered films which deal with taboo subjects in ultimately cathartic ways.

The Dark plays at Frightfest 2018 on August 27th and will receive a home-entertainment release in October 2018 courtesy of Frightfest Presents.

Secret Santa Review (2018)

Secret Santa is an audacious piece which juggles bad taste and a rising body count after a Christmas family retreat goes very wrong.

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April Pope (A Leslie Kies) wants to get her family together for Christmas to try and heal some rifts. However, old rivalries and problems soon rise to the surface, resulting in an outpouring of physical violence and some vicious home truths.

Director Adam Marcus is perhaps best known for his directorial debut Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, a film I have to admit to not seeing. However, Secret Santa feels very much like a throwback to that early 1990s kind of horror in terms of its presentation and I feel that fans of late 80s and 90s gore will have considerable fun with this.

The snappy and often close to the bone dialogue allows us to settle in for Christmas with an incredibly dysfunctional family for quite some time before the action fully kicks off. Given that the later violence is quite excessive this shows a level of restraint, which contributes to the early feeling of unease in how the night will play out. Thanks to the dialogue this time feels well-spent and the pace does not suffer for it.

Each character is close to (if not entirely) some kind of bawdy stereotype and the acid-tongued comments are very broad. The escalation in their strange behaviour comes some way into the film, which shows a remarkable level of restraint. Still, it is effective as even though most (if not all) the characters are inherently unlikeable, we know them well enough as the threat levels rise to have some understanding of how they’ll respond and everyone does appear to be giving the material their all. Drew Lynch as younger brother Kyle puts in a great performance as one of few characters who are remotely sympathetic, along with Michelle Renee Allaire as Jacqueline. Still, there is a lot of fun to be had with Debra Sullivan’s ultra-bitchy matriarch Shari and hyper-sexed, hammed up Jackson (Nathan Hedrick).

Decent gore effects make the action fairly enjoyable and fights are well choreographed. Still, there is not enough polish to spoil the more grimy, exploitative presentation which adds to the overall feel of the film. It also is not afraid to go full-on with the violence, in ways that frequently slip into overkill, but it suits the tone.

I can imagine that this would play better to a late night festival crowd, rather than a screen at home. Certainly there is room for the broad comedy to travel better within that environment and the level of violence works well in a ‘midnight movie’ capacity. I can’t say that it has made me a fan, but it will certainly find an appreciative audience.

Secret Santa plays at Frightfest 2018 on August 27th and will receive a home-entertainment release in November 2018 courtesy of Frightfest Presents.