The mix of holidays and horror never really gets old for me, especially when it comes to a slasher Santa Claus. The original Silent Night, Deadly Night has always been a fun rompy slasher to watch during the holidays, but now we get a fresh remake of the 1984 film. This new take on the horror classic, has a new feel and that can be good, or bad.
A child witnesses his parents’ murder by a man in a Santa suit. Years later, as an adult, he dons a Santa costume himself and embarks on a violent quest for retribution against those responsible for the traumatic event from his childhood.
While this remake starts off in similar fashion, explaining the reasoning behind why the main character hates Christmas, Santa in particular, it finds a new story thread to push the film along. This film sees more character development, more emotion, and increased kills.
I honestly don’t know what I was expecting when sitting down to watch this film, all I knew was that I had fun with the original film and that I was looking forward to Santa killing people. I go that, even Santa slashing up some Nazis. The juxtaposition of a festive Santa going on a killing spree during the Christmas season will never get old. The deaths themselves are a mix of traditional slashings and unique kills.
We cannot expect much from films such as Silent Night, Deadly Night, so personally if it is well-crafted and features good acting, great practical effects, and at least some resemblance of a story, I will be here for each and every time. This film meets the criteria and was just what I needed for the holiday season.
The creative team builds off the original story, adding a Vemon-esque style voice in the head, and crafts a fun slasher film fit for the holidays. An effective remake of the classic holiday horror.
The film was written and directed by Mike P. Nelson and stars Rohan Campbell as Billy Chapman, along with Ruby Modine as Pamela Sims, David Lawrence Brown as Mr. Sims, David Tomlinson as Max Benedict, and Mark Acheson as Charlie.
Silent Night, Deadly Night hit theaters on December 12, 2025.
