MOVIE REVIEW: We See If 'It's A Wonderful Knife' Is A Christmas Horror Classic
Taking inspiration from the Christmas classic It's a Wonderful Life and giving it a spooky horror twist isn't the worst idea in the world.
But if you want to pay homage to such an iconic film, you'll need to make sure your film is good.
The efforts of director Tyler McIntyre ( Tragedy Girls ) and screenwriter Michael Kennedy ( Freaky ) remain on the good side of the quality scale, but they don't even come close to some of their previous work in the genre, much less work pioneers. by James Stewart. Tent stake. Dear.
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After fighting to save her small town from a killer, Winnie (Jane Widdup) wishes she had never been born and finds herself in a parallel universe where things would be much worse without her.
The star of the show here is big businessman Justin Long, gleaming white-toothed Henry , and other horror stars also appear: Katherine Isabelle ( Ginger Snips ), Cassandra Nodd ( Influencer ), Joel McHale ( Becky ) and William P. Davis. ( Secret Materials ).
Widdop is a likeable and tough hero, but the real heart of the film is Jess McLeod's Bernie , who also has the best jokes.
After a while, everything changes as the town refuses to accept its dark past and current problems.
The film wears its influences proudly on its cover art - one character even says to another "You're George Bailey " - but the plot, tone and family sensibility reminded me more of The Last Assassin, released earlier this year.
McIntyre directs well and delivers creative images. The murderous white color contrasts with Vinnie's bright red and white coat as Santa, and there's an awesome sequence where the murders are seen through camera flashes, and I loved the use of old-fashioned movies.
It's a great film that has a lot of merit and does a good job of provoking hearty laughs, but don't expect a classic Black Christmas -style holiday horror film compared to the original.
● Which Christmas and New Year films do you like the most?
Email me at ian.bunting@reachplc.com and I'll pass your comments – along with any movie or TV recommendations – on to your fellow readers.
● It’s a Nice Knife is now streaming on Shudder.
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