Writer: Jayson Rothwell
Director: Steven C Miller
You better watch out
Silent Night is a Christmas slasher. Someone dressed as Santa Claus is going round a small town killing people off messily. Shouldn’t be too difficult to spot the perp – but this is Christmas Eve and the town is holding it’s annual Santa competition…
It’s billed as a comedy horror and certainly has its funny moments. As well as some nice one-liners there are some amusingly obnoxious characters (such as the refreshingly not-cute kid) and some interesting murders.
It also has some genuinely good and atmospheric scenes, especially near the end. And, against the odds, it actually does have a satisfying ending (as long as you don’t think about it for too long).
Acting is undeniably good. Jaime King performs well in the lead role as police deputy Aubrey Bradimore, but the show is comprehensively stolen by Malcolm McDowell in top form as the grizzled Sheriff Cooper.
It’s decently made and there are a few laughs, but makes the mistake of falling between stools. The problem is that there isn’t enough humour for a comedy or enough frights for a horror.
It’s too silly for a ‘straight’ horror story, but as a comedy it needed a lot more gags to succeed. For example the comic possibilities of the Santa competition are tragically overlooked.
So Silent Night ends up being slightly funny, slightly scary and mildly entertaining.