Carl Roberts 
“While it’s a remake in name only, Silent Night, Deadly Night does enough to chill, excite and laugh at throughout. Get ready for a slay ride”
The reimagining/ remake/ reboot of horror movies from the 1970s and 1980s isn’t anything new. It’s been happening for quite a while now. Take the Silent Night, Deadly Night franchise. After the first three movies, the franchise spun off into films that had nothing to do with the original trilogy. The original movie has already undergone one remake over the past twenty years. Gone are the days when, in 1984, parents protested outside cinemas showing the original film, complaining that Santa wasn’t a serial killer, and that filmmakers were destroying the myth of him for kids. The film was withdrawn, giving it a cult status among film fans and horror aficionados.
Now, we have a new remake/ reimagining of the original film. Again named Silent Night, Deadly Night, this latest version features Rohan Campbell as Billy Chapman, the serial killer from the original movie. Ably supported by Ruby Modine, the film isn’t so much a remake as it is an almost complete reimagining of the first film. But can the film become another Christmas-themed horror movie that is one we will go back to every holiday season? Or should this Santa have stayed in the North Pole? Is it on the naughty or the nice list?
THE PREMISE
SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT reimagines a 1984 cult horror classic. In this film, a young boy witnesses the murder of his parents by a man dressed as Santa. He then grows up and becomes a killer himself. Haunted by trauma and fuelled by a twisted sense of justice, he dons the red suit. He turns the Advent calendar into a series of nights of terror.
As Christmas Eve approaches, a small town becomes his latest hunting ground, where the naughty and bad pay the ultimate price. Blending psychological horror, brutal slasher thrills, a touch of the supernatural, and – more shockingly still – a sprinkle of romance, the film delivers a modern, chilling new take on the ultimate holiday nightmare.
THOUGHTS
While the title remains the same, and some of what we saw in the original film is brought into play, this is a totally different take on the material. For one thing, Billy isn’t a mentally disturbed young man, slaughtering people for the sake of it (though for the most part, we actually think he is.) Instead, revealed in a neat little twist three-quarters of the way through the movie, is that Billy has a genuine reason for offing these people. Of course, I’m not going to divulge this reason he has for killing various members of the cast during proceedings. But it manages to turn a routine slasher flick into a supernatural horror film that actually (and I mean this loosely) makes sense.
Horror movie fans and fans of the original will want to know whether the film is as nasty and violent as its source material. The answer is yes. But in a dark twist of fate, some of these deaths are actually comedic. I was surprised to find myself laughing at several of these scenes, and not in a laugh-as-it ‘s-so-awful way.
The film contains many moments of dark, black comedy that resonate with the audience. That being said, it is gory, nasty and chock full of blood. It also feels like it’s emerged from the 1970s at times. However, it most certainly isn’t ‘Garbage Day!’ (Horror fans will get the reference!)
ROHAN CAMPBELL
Let’s get this out of the way. After the disaster that was Halloween Ends, I wasn’t a fan of Rohan Campbell. Throughout that film, he annoyed me so much. It wasn’t his fault; it’s just the material he had to work with and the way he was directed in the film. I’m happy to report that the actor has redeemed himself. From the first time we meet him to the finale, we are rooting for Campbell’s Billy. This isn’t the Billy from the 1984 version; this Billy seems to be mentally unstable, but is far from it. Yes, he hears a voice in his head telling him to kill (a brilliant vocal and occasional physical performance from Mark Acheson), but there is a reason for this (again, no spoilers.)
Instead, Billy is a kind person, hiding the violent exterior he has at night. Campbell has us rooting for him, wanting this version of the character to get the girl, survive and walk away at the end. Rohan Campbell, I apologise. He is a standout performer here, in a role that suits him perfectly. While the character does witness the murders of his mother and father, just like in the original film, this time, it serves a different purpose to the film’s events, one that we don’t see coming. Campbell is extremely effective in the film, giving a heartfelt and often emotional performance that surprises us.
RUBY MODINE
Ruby Modine as Pamela “Pam” Varo is also great here. This version of Pam doesn’t get brutally murdered by Billy in a toy store stockroom like the original. Here, she runs a shop with her father in a small town. Pam has a reputation in the town, one that she seems to play up to, but is innocent of. Instead, after her initial hostility towards Billy, she becomes his friend, someone Billy can talk to, enjoy being in the company of, and someone Billy will do anything to protect. It isn’t a spoiler to say that she and Billy become intimate. However, it feels so natural, so down-to-earth, that we actually can believe it. Ruby Modine is a perfect foil for Rohan Campbell. Both play off each other brilliantly, and the pairing is a strong one.
The actress also gets to show her physical side at times. We can’t help but feel for Pam, knowing what Billy does at night. But, in a neat twist on the original, Billy won’t hurt her, won’t do anything to her except love and protect her. Despite the voice in his head telling him not to get too close to her, Billy can’t help himself. These scenes between the pair are strong, giving the relationship a firm footing. Ruby Modine throws herself into her role, looking like she had a lot of fun on the set making the movie. And for once, apart from a scene near the climax, she isn’t a damsel in distress. She even manages to put several over on her slimy police officer ex, Max (a neat performance from David Tomlinson).
WRITING AND DIRECTING
Based on the original Silent Night, Deadly Night by Michael Hickey and Paul Caimi, writer and director Mike P. Nelson has gone his own way with his remake. Again, some scenes hark back to the original film (impaling on a mounted deer’s antlers, death by bow and arrow), but Nelson has changed things around enough for the film to be somewhat original. He also infuses the film with a great sense of dark humour, memorable kills, and a plotline that is akin to the original yet diverges to become its own thing. In a way, the film is more of an ‘inspired by’ than a full-on remake. And that isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it is actually refreshing to see one that actually works. The PG-13 remake of The Fog, this ain’t. Instead, it is a R-rated horror movie that has more than enough to offer.
Nelson’s direction is assured. He takes the premise of the original film and updates it into a neat little horror movie that shines. He manages his actors and locations well, films the death scenes with a grisly sense of style and manages to make a horror movie we can’t take our eyes off. Despite this, however, the film does take its time to really get going. Nelson hasn’t been lazy with the film, making it a decent chiller that shows us some horror while building up the suspense. But at times, it goes a little too slow, making us want to shout, ‘get on with it’. But when the carnage starts in earnest, and the truth of the film is revealed, Nelson grabs us, taking us for a ride we couldn’t get off, even if we wanted to.
VERDICT
While it’s a remake in name only, Silent Night, Deadly Night does enough to chill, excite and laugh at throughout. Get ready for a slay ride, Santa’s gonna slay, alright. Just not in the way we expected. Instead of being a straight-up remake of a forty-one-year-old slasher flick, it is a well-thought-out and enjoyable reimagining that deserves to be on our list of more adult Christmas movies in years to come. It is the kind of film that we would watch late at night when the kids are fast asleep, with a few snacks and an alcoholic beverage or two at our sides. It will become a guilty pleasure for us adults, and not just for Christmas viewing, either.
The film deserves to find its audience, and not just amongst horror movie fans. It is almost the perfect date-night movie… if you enjoy jump scares, gore, violence, and dismemberment. With that in mind, though, the film isn’t as violent or as nasty as you may think. Don’t go in expecting buckets of blood being tossed around all over the sets. While there is plenty of bloodletting, it isn’t as graphic as some horror movies are. Instead, while it does display some nasty scenes, it is more restrained in its approach, making it an enjoyable experience. This isn’t a Terrifier 3 level of gore and violence; this is a more subtle horror film, if you can call it that. Instead, while it is nasty in many places, this version of Silent Night, Deadly Night deserves a spot on the movie-watching nice list. A good early Christmas present.
Silent Night, Deadly Night will be in cinemas from this Friday.
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
