For Day 7 of #31daysofhorror review, I present to you Black Christmas (2019). Apparently, this is a remake of a remake of the original (1974). Try wrapping your head around that one.
The Story: Hawthorne College is quieting down for the holidays as students travel home to spend time with their families. But as Riley (Imogen Poots) and her sorority sisters prepare to deck the halls with seasonal parties, a mysterious cloaked figure starts to leave a bloody trail throughout the campus. Refusing to become hapless victims, Riley and her friends decide to band together and fight back against the psychotic Christmas killer. (Google)
What I liked: It’s not often we are gifted with a horror movie during the dead of winter. Anything out of season like that is bound to get my attention. I remember seeing this trailer and thinking, “Looks interesting.” And the film lived up to my expectations.
It had the makings of a cult classic with it 80s horror homages. (This was before I realized it was a remake of a remake.) And it was unabashedly feminist. Ten minutes into the film diva cups are mentioned. Horror from a feminist lens can be progressive and more chilling than anything out there. So i appreciate this progressive take on an old slasher. I love the diverse cast and the characters. I loved the issues they attempted to tackle.
What I didn’t like: Slashers are mysteries at their core. Black Christmas had all the making of something promising by the point is the audience needs to be kept in the dark along with our Scream Queens. Our main queen signs something is off almost immediately and we the viewer knows what’s happening even if they are covered in cloaks.
So without that mystery there isn’t much to stab at. This remake of a remake might have bitten off more than it could chew. They never really did have much to say about campus culture and sexism.
Verdict: Maybe I’ll watch the original (1974) and compare.