Secret Santa

At a glance, this is another super low budget holiday slasher flick, and while those are becoming a dime a dozen, I still think this one stands out for several reasons. For starters, it is void of slasher Santas (despite the box art) while still being festively linked to the holiday season. Second, the filmmakers clearly knew their budget limitations and decided to give it more of an 80s B horror/comedy grindhouse throwback kind of vibe, which absolutely works. Likewise, they had to improvise on the gore and I'm sensing some PA ended up hitting the grocery store for assorted shredded meats and maybe some Spam. Again, it works. Last, it doesn't take itself too seriously and that actually is really important with a low budget film. The acting is amateur but a lot of the characters are intentionally over the top which ends up making it a pretty fun movie. Overall, if you don't mind low budget and campy, definitely give this one a shot.

This was titled Christmassacre on Prime, and it should not be confused with the 2018 Adam Marcus-directed comedy/horror Secret Santa on the same platform. Regardless this one is an amateur slasher comedy. And considering that this film's budget was apparently expired foodstamps, some of the dialogue is actually pretty funny and the quasi-professional actors deliver relatively decent performances. Unfortunately the story is trite, the practical effects look silly and the budgetary constraints detract from virtually every scene. There's a sense that the people involved in the production have real talent, but there wasn't the time or money available to develop their ideas into something entertaining or even fully coherent.

Secret Santa (2015) is currently available on Tubi. The story follows a group of friends who come together for the holidays. During their Secret Santa gift exchange, tensions rise as they discover someone has a sinister agenda. The festivities soon turn deadly as one of the friends is revealed to be a ruthless killer-but who?

Written and directed by Mike McMurran (The Final Ride), the film stars Annette Wozniak (The Final Ride), Keegan Chambers (Age of the Living Dead), Niki Kerro (Escape the Field), and Tony Nash (Blood & Treasure).

This is one of those films that's clunky and awkwardly executed, yet still keeps you curious enough to see where it's going. The humor often misses the mark, creating several awkward moments, and there's an overuse of unnecessary vomit scenes that add little to the story. On the other hand, the horror elements are well done, with a fantastic throat-slashing sequence and some enjoyable blood splatter and stabbing scenes that stand out.

In conclusion, Secret Santa is far from a great movie, but its solid horror effects may appeal to fans of the Christmas-horror genre. I'd score this a 5/10 and only recommend it with tempered expectations.

Indie horror flicks seem to be getting churned out at such an alarming pace these days that it's hard to keep up, but I'm glad I caught Secret Santa. It at least attempts a little character development here and there, has a great lead (Annette Wozniak), and has a sense of humor to go along with all the blood and guts. It does do the rather annoying "let's add dust and scratches to make it look like an old grindhouse print" thing, which makes no sense since the film takes place in modern day and would never be confused for a film of that era, but that's a small nitpick when there was obviously a good deal of heart and enthusiasm put into this movie. Also, major props for the killer reveal. It's been a long time since I've been that surprised by a slasher movie killer reveal.

Also titled Secret Santa. Early 90s Straight to video college buddy let's make a horror movie fan film schlock. Direction and editing make it interesting, but the comedy is juvenile and tries hard to hijack the film. Instead of using 16mm scratch effects, the better choice would have been VHS tracking lines. The acting is clumsy and immature and no actor separates themselves with any charisma, which is probably right so that you root for the next clumsy kill. One plus is the use of practical effects, the hairdryer scene being the highlight. Random note: eggnog, like blood is supposed to be thicker than water. Music vacillates between nintendocore and synth used in Eli Roth Thanksgiving trailer. As we reach the final 20 mins of the film one wonders if this was filmed as a stream of consciousness with the sole purpose to make some gore effects. No knock on that. I've done that. Best served earlier in a movie marathon, 1/4 in the bag, with a few friends. Or better yet on some horror film fest circuit. Maybe then the humor would sputter a bit better. Survived with a couple drams of Old Soul. Warning: The closing credits may cause seizures or flashbacks.