FILM REVIEW: SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT (18) ESP RATING: 3/5

A festive flasher that never quite lets loose.

This reimagining of the 1984 cult original still feels deliciously transgressive – and an obvious candidate for a modern remake – with Rohan Campbell (Halloween Ends) stepping into the blood-soaked boots of Billy Chapman.

After witnessing his parents’ brutal murder at the hands of a man dressed as Santa, Billy grows up haunted by the trauma, eventually embracing the red suit himself as he sets out to punish those he deems naughty on a Christmas Eve killing spree.

Along the way, he forms a complicated relationship with Pamela (Ruby Modine) – which adds an unexpected emotional through-line to the carnage – as director Mike P Nelson (who indeed impressed with the 2021 remake of Wrong Turn) takes the reigns.

Going in, I was expecting something far more outrageous. The poster promised chaos, the trailer leaned heavily into grindhouse excess, and the marketing proudly touted the same studio that brought us Terrifier 3 – a film that was such a wildly fun cinema experience and one that clearly revelled in pushing its gore and insanity as far as possible. But what we get instead is something much more restrained – and, at times, frustratingly bland.

That’s not to say this doesn’t work at all. There are moments where you catch glimpses of the riotous movie this could have been. A standout sequence involving Santa violently dispatching a group of Nazis is exactly the sort of gleefully tasteless fun audiences sign up for with a killer-Santa movie.

Unfortunately, those moments are few and far between. Much of the runtime feels unnecessarily slow, with long stretches that sap the film of momentum. I’m all for indie, low-budget filmmaking – some of the best horror ever made thrives within limitations –

 but here, certain choices feel oddly misjudged.

Tonally, the film also struggles to find its footing. It flirts with psychological horror, romance, and straight-up slasher mayhem, but never quite commits to any of them. Compared to the unapologetic nastiness of the original – which knew exactly what it was and leaned into it – this remake often feels hesitant, as if it’s holding itself back.

With a bit more confidence, speed, and willingness to go completely over the top, this could have been a modern cult classic.

As it stands, it’s a mildly entertaining, occasionally fun – but ultimately uneven holiday horror.

ESP Rating: 3/5

Mike Clarke

Showcase Cinema De Lux Peterborough & Odeon Luxe Peterborough, Out Now

Cast: Rohan Campbell, Ruby Modine, David Lawrence Brown, Mark Acheson & David Tomlinson

Running Time: 1 Hr 36 Mins

Director: Mike P Nelson

Film Review Venue: Showcase Cinema De Lux Peterborough

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