Like Black Christmas, Christmas Evil, and Gremlins, 1984’s Silent Night, Deadly Night is a holiday favorite among horror fans. It even spawned several sequels, despite the fact it had such a short theatrical run upon its release, due to outcry from religious groups. In the years since, its cult following has only grown. So, rebooting and reimagining the slasher was a risky movie. Thankfully, writer/director Mike P. Nelson’s Silent Night, Deadly Night is a solid film, one that pays homage to the original, especially some of its most iconic kills, while carving its own path and opening up the potential for sequels.
The film stars Rohan Campbell, best known as Corey from Halloween Ends, as Billy. As a kid, Billy witnessed a maniac in a Santa suit murder his mother right in front of him. Since that gruesome night, Billy has struggled with the holiday season and also floated in and out of foster homes. In that regard, Nelson’s film has a familiar set-up to the original, but from there, it traverses its own merry path of carnage. Like another notable fictional serial killer, Dexter Morgan, Billy has his own Dark Passenger sort of code. Essentially, he only kills people that deserve it during the month of December. His first kill, shown during a flashback, entailed an abusive foster mother and echoes the original film’s most iconic murder. I’m talking about impalement upon a deer’s antlers. If you know, you know.
Additionally, and like Dexter, Billy collects blood samples from his victims, and he’s also guided by a voice (Mark Acheson), who helps to ensure he’s not caught. The voice keeps his moral compass straight, well, as straight as it can be, considering the body count Billy racks up every December. The voice is a bit overdone, but it does add a new twist to the franchise. After his latest murder, Billy escapes to the town of Hackett, where he can start over. There, he lands a job at a cutesy Christmas trinket shop and develops a relationship with Pamela (Ruby Modine). The two are oddballs and outcasts of sorts, and one of the movie’s core strengths is that their relationship is given real heft and weight. It’s allowed space to breathe and develop among all of the Christmas mayhem.
As for the key performances, Campbell and Modine are solid in their roles. Despite wielding an ax and playing a murderous Santa, Campbell conveys an infectious sort of charm, and Modine is equally as good. They’re strong in every scene they have together, and luckily, that’s a lot of the film. Don’t worry though, slasher fans, there’s plenty of kills in this movie and a whole lot of bloodshed. Nelson doesn’t skimp, and though the film recreates some of the deaths from the original movie, it also includes several creative and original sequences. The ending specifically is much different than the original and opens up the potential for additional films, should this one do well.
The film also sets the perfect Christmas vibe, thanks to the holly jolly set designs, various uses of Christmas music, and Nick Junkersfeld’s cinematography. In short, while this is a remake of an 80s B movie, the film looks good, which is a credit to the overall production design. It’ll make for a fun rewatch every holiday season.
While Nelson’s Silent Night, Deadly Night recreates some of the most iconic moments in the franchise, including a Garbage Day shoutout, this movie injects some new life into the series and leaves behind a high yuletide body count. As the latest version of the traumatized Billy, Campbell wields the ax and wears the Santa suit well, while Modine is a great counterpart. Add this to the holiday horror watchlist and enjoy the Christmas carnage. It’s an entertaining, festive, and bloody remake.
Silent Night, Deadly Night slashes its way into theaters on December 12.
