Movie review - Silent Night, Deadly Night

Silent Night, Deadly Night ***1/2 (out of 5) Are you getting some déjà vu from seeing the title? That’s because there have been a morgueful of sequels and derivatives from the original 1984 X-mas splatterfest of the same name. Besides its five sequels, and a 2012 remake (just called Silent Night), there have been a slew of other Seasonal slashing sprees like Santa’s Slay, Nightmare on 34th St., Silent Night, Bloody Night, and Axemas, to name a few. The juxtaposition of innocent holiday cheer and gruesome gore makes for a proven formula.

So, this one is a reboot of the original, with eight-year-old Billy horrified by the sight of his parents being slain by a psycho in a Santa suit. (I wonder if Bruce Wayne would have turned into a serial killer instead of Batman if his parents’ murderer had been similarly attired? Discuss among yourselves.) Flash-forward to adult Billy (Rohan Campbell) doing a mashup between the original plot and Dexter. He’s been traveling around for years, guided by a voice in his head (Mark Acheson) like Dexter’s “dark passenger” who leads him to recognizing the bad people to target for their December spree, plus mentoring on how to do it without getting caught. That detection is like a Spidey Sense, but for a significantly different purpose. Bullies, corrupt officials, cheating spouses and others belonging on the Naughty List, including the occasional supremely bratty kid, are all fair game for Billy’s Santa suit and his axe or other weapon of mess destruction.

In this current December, he arrives in a small Wisconsin town and is quickly drawn to a babe named Pamela (Ruby Modine; yes, Matthew’s daughter). He starts working with her in her dad’s Christmas shop. Billy has an Advent Calendar to keep track of his killing regimen by putting a drop of each victim’s blood under the flap for the day, much like Dexter’s collection of blood drops on microscope slides. He’s also got a full closet of Santa suits and beards, because each gets soaked in more blood than anyone could clean before the next mission. Or ever.

The killings are plentiful and grisly, with some darkly comic aspects running throughout, so no gorefest fan will be disappointed. There are a couple of highlights, including a murder montage and a group scene on top of the standard one-on-ones. But if you’re hoping for nudity in the titillation mix, look elsewhere – like the 2012 remake, which featured flashes of boobage.

Campbell looks like a young Tom Berenger, playing his character close to the vest. He’s devoted to his “calling”, but starting to chafe at the rootless lifestyle, especially when his interest in Pamela starts appearing to be mutual. His killings come from a righteous determination to remove the scumbags from each year’s venue, rather than sadistic glee. Ms. Modine plays a much more interesting role. She reminds me of a young Juliette Lewis, simultaneously sweet, sexy and borderline crazy, with the latter two mostly bubbling under the surface – all in one petite package.

So, if you’re seeking respite from the ubiquitous holiday music and décor providing a backdrop for miles and miles of mindless smiles, here’s a quick fix that oughta do the trick.

(Silent Night, Deadly Night opens in theaters 12/12/25.)