Black Christmas, I gave you, my heart.
The very next....13 years later, you gave it away.
This is 2019's Black Christmas, a Film that was, well, not received well. I've gone all of this time without watching it.
That said, it took me 17 years from its release date to watch the 2006 Remake. This one was only 6 years.
The Plot, well, is a loose Remake of the original Bob Clark Film. Much like the so-called Prom Night Remake, it takes some elements, uses the name and...that's it.
This one has ladies in peril on Christmas, but not from an unseen killer, not trapped in the House...and not with a bizarre, tacked on Third Act in the Hospital.
So, if you want to be mad at this Film, do it for different reasons than 'It's another Remake. LOL. Hollywood has no original ideas anymore!'
Can our vastly different Cast of would-be Victims stop the killer (or killers) before it is too late?
To find out, read on...
In the (wintery) Cold Open, a person is stalking a woman down the Street and sending threatening texts.
She thinks she escapes...but fails.
The Story follows a Sorority that has some issues with many people on campus.
One of them is a Student who 'took advantage' of Riley here.
The other is a Teacher (Cary Elwes) who is accused of misogyny.
But who cares- it is Christmas!
After a satirical remake of the Christmas song from 'Mean Girls,' they start getting threatening texts from...the Founder of the School.
Said Founder is obviously dead, but they did force the Campus to remove his bust from display.
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| 'Do you like Christmas Movies?' |
Things escalate when some of the girls go missing.
Riley begins to suspect that the guy she (accurately) accused of assault is behind things.
Is he?
We also get some light homages to the original (and possibly
Exorcist 3).
The group manages to band together when the killer breaks into their Sorority House.
Just like in the Original...kind of.
However, things take a turn when more than one killer appears...and it only gets weirder from there.
This is one of those Films with a bizarre turn (or 3) in Act 3 that you will either love or hate.
I'll share my thoughts on it shortly.
Until then, feel free to (festively) stream it now...
A Film that I honestly liked more than the official Remake from 2006.
Should I set the bar higher?
For me, this has all of the now-classic elements of a Modern Slasher.
The only thing missing for me is the excessive gore.
Don't mistake this for a Family Film, but some Scenes- like, say, an arrow to the face- are far more subdued than you would expect from this kind of Film.
This Film is one that really benefits those that pay attention to the little details and can make some interesting, logical leaps too. I won't SPOIL the big Twists, but they are hiding in plain sight.
I know that the whole 'Girl Power/Girl Boss' energy turned many people away. You do you.
Said Twists do elevate this one for me from, say, another Scream Film or one of its ilk. It is a freaking bonkers twist, but I liked it.
It is what I call 'a big reach' and it worked out for me.
If you're burnt out on Remakes, consider a Film like this that is less paint-by-numbers than many. Whether you let this Film play out or not, there's something there to see- even if it is well hidden.
A 'Remake' that gave me lots of bizarre joy. It's definitely 'a lot' though!
A Merry Christmas to all who read this, whether you give this Film a chance or not.
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