By Molly Freeman Published Dec 13, 2019. 97 minutes. Its tweaked tale gives a new verve to the urban legend origin, while suspense stirs in quiet moments ruthlessly robbed of their presumed privacy. Less gore than expected. Parents need to know that Black Christmas is a reboot of a 1974 holiday horror classic, which was previously remade in 2006.Characters are murdered, but very little blood is shown -- villains emit a weird, black goop instead. Critic Reviews for Black Christmas All Critics (110) | Top Critics (28) | Fresh (42) | Rotten (68) The entire finished product feels like it was just rushed out into theaters as quick as possible. Directed by Glen Morgan. Blended brilliantly, this remake of Black Christmas makes for holiday horror that's a tantalizing and terrifying treat. We now have a third iteration of the holiday horror film Black Christmas. Amazon's The Lord of the Rings Prequel: The Second Age Explained, Spider-Man: No Way Home: Alfred Molina Talks About His Return as Doctor Octopus, Winter Soldier Co-Creator Bemoans Marvel Studios' Treatment of Comic Writers, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier: Season 1, Episode 5 Review, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: The Secret History of That Surprise Cameo Character, Lord of the Rings Actors Reveal the Origin of One of Its Most Infamous Memes, Google Earth Update Lets You See How Climate Change Has Dramatically Altered Our World, Pentagon Confirms U.F.O. In 1974 Bob Clark, future director of 1983’s beloved A Christmas Story, tackled a different kind of holiday favorite. Bows and arrows are tough to make look scary onscreen, and a supernatural element — the college’s founder dabbled in the dark arts — undermines the movie’s grounding in the here and now. If all you wanted for Christmas was a smarter “Black Christmas,” you are in luck. Black Christmas Review - The movie will probably be most popular with females who are looking for "soft" horror, though viewers might not be able to get past the actual horror missing. Sophia Takal’s Black Christmas is a film full of good intentions marred by poor execution. Share Tweet. Black Christmas works best as a campy deconstruction of the genre than it does as a horror film. (This time, the police’s hand-waving of complaints is not portrayed as funny.) Despite the tiny budget, this is a highly polished horror film that genuinely belongs among the elite of the genre. This re-remake of Black Christmas isn't really a remake at all. Black Christmas 2 / 5 stars 2 out of 5 stars. We can easily imagine the robed threat creeping down our own hallways, hearths, and attic stairs. That is until the young sorority pledges discover that the killer is part of an underground college conspiracy. Review: Black Christmas (2019) PLOT: A group of sorority sisters are terrorized by a masked assailant during Christmas break.Yet as the attacks get worse, they begin to … Date rape is discussed (and ridiculed in a song), and there's lots of fighting, stabbing, and killing with weapons/blunt objects. Black Christmas' is also complimented wonderfully by strong acting performances from Olivia Hussey, Margot Kidder, John Saxon and a highly pleasant and amusing turn from Marian Waldman. Rated PG-13. This video was never uploaded to the Cinemassacre Youtube Channel. The bustle of activity mitigates a central implausibility of earlier versions, whose characters seemed slow to notice the missing women. Full Review Norman Gidney HorrorBuzz On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 38% based on 109 reviews, with an average rating of 4.6/10. Black Christmas is ultimately a missed opportunity and simply another in a long line of studio-approved PG-13 horror films for teens. Its a simple movie with poor effects, bad lighting, and crude holiday decor. My favorite part is the cringe-worthy recreation of their kiss from the film. And as for those who just want something scary and satisfying, this holiday slasher works on that level too. Same thing as the Child's Play remake, totally different movie that just happened to use the name to sell tickets. Additionally, the violence is extremely gruesome and lacks any subtlety. It offers a setting familiar--almost mundane--which makes the intrusion of the killer heart-poundingly harrowing. So while not everything works in “Black Christmas,” … Here's my review.#BlackChristmas But if the 2019 “Black Christmas” is not nearly as chilling as the original, it is genuinely barbed as gender satire, and it cleverly pre-empts obvious outrage. Footage Filmed by US Navy, Essential Tips for Getting Started in Valheim, Little Nightmares 2 Spoiler-Free Puzzle Guides, CoD Zombies: Outbreak Mode Weapon Unlocking, Things to Do First in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, How to Get the New Mario Items in Animal Crossing, Bowser's Fury: 12 Big Tips for Getting Started. Initially a sluggish … Fascinating as opposed to wholly enjoyable, Bob Clark's Canadian sorority house slasher is largely gore-free, but bolsters the anaemia with a … Sophia Takal’s film isn’t particularly scary, but it has plenty on its mind. (Cert 15) Peter Bradshaw @PeterBradshaw1 ... reviews Most popular. Directed by Sophia Takal. Instead of prank phone calls, it has strangers sliding into your direct messages. A group of female students is stalked by a stranger during their Christmas break. And that’s what makes it truly creepy. Running time: 1 hour 32 minutes. Black Christmas ends up being a lump of coal with its poor screenplay and weak character development, even if it has some fun moments. The director Sophia Takal, who wrote the screenplay with the film critic April Wolfe, has taken the 1974 Canadian sorority slasher standard — remade once before, in 2006 — and run with it, emerging with a movie significantly different in style and tone from its source. Carlos M Super Reviewer. We encourage you to read our updated PRIVACY POLICY and COOKIE POLICY. Violence, terror, thematic content involving sexual assault, language, sexual material and drinking. This should be a fun one to talk about. It's a completely different standalone movie that happens to piggyback on the Black Christmas franchise name. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/12/movies/black-christmas-review.html Certificate: 18. Uploaded for archival purposes. With Michelle Trachtenberg, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Lacey Chabert, Katie Cassidy. https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/12/13/black-christmas-movie-review Black Christmas Revisited (HD) (36:25) Hosted by Art Hindle and Lynne Griffin this documentary from the Critical Mass DVD follows the two actors as they revisit the house from the film. Black Christmas movie reviews & Metacritic score: Hawthorne College is quieting down for the holidays. Kris (Aleyse Shannon) is circulating a petition against a plummy professor (Cary Elwes) who favors white male authors. Horrified men may consider that its assessment is no more damning than that of “The Stepford Wives,” a male creation. On Christmas Eve, an escaped maniac returns to his childhood home, which is now a sorority house, and begins to murder the sorority sisters one by one. Share. With Imogen Poots, Aleyse Shannon, Lily Donoghue, Brittany O'Grady. But unlike Child's Play, this franchise only has one good installment, the original. When you purchase a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our site, we earn an affiliate commission. Review … By thoughtfully--and provocatively--addressing gender politics, Takal and Wolfe present a Black Christmas for horror fans that crave more than just scares, but also food for thought. The website's critics consensus reads, "Better than the 2006 remake yet not as sharp as the original, this Black Christmas stabs at timely feminist themes but mostly hits on familiar pulp." Some of the new ideas are silly. Another remake of BLACK CHRISTMAS; this time, with a social justice twist. Hear full reviews on horrormoviepodcast.com episode 188: Christmas Horror (2019 Edition) - Black Christmas (1974) vs Black Xmas (2006) vs Black Christmas (2019) and more! Film Books Music Art & design TV & radio Stage Classical Games News Those who've relished the layers in Get Out, Cabin In The Woods, Midsommar, and Us will have new cause to rejoice this holiday season. The slasher subgenre's subtext has dealt with gender dynamics and sexual repression since its infancy. Review by James Rolfe. ‘Black Christmas’ Review: Horror for a New Era of Campus Debates, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/12/movies/black-christmas-review.html, From left, Imogen Poots, Aleyse Shannon and Lily Donoghue in “Black Christmas.”, says she drew inspiration from the Kavanaugh hearings, self-appointed defenders of the “masculine spirit” like the Canadian academic Jordan Peterson. This “Black Christmas” speaks to an era of campus curriculum debates and a national reckoning over the reporting of sexual assault. The new Black Christmas reinvents a 1974 slasher for a feminist era It isn’t subtle, but its look at campus sexism and rape hits uncomfortably close … Ever striking, Poots is joined by a charismatic ensemble that includes Aleyse Shannon, Lily Donoghue, Brittany O'Grady, Madeleine Adams, and Caleb Eberhardt, all of whom are game for jaunty banter, blood-curdling screams, full-bodied fights, and even a smirking song number. 15. “Black Christmas” is a 1974 film that, like “Halloween” or “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” is part of the decade’s genesis into the realm of classic fright. (Takal says she drew inspiration from the Kavanaugh hearings.) Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 Anton Bitel Projected Figures The sorority’s sisters are preparing for a talent show at which they plan to call out a graduated frat boy who raped the heroine, Riley (Imogen Poots), and escaped punishment. Black Christmas is a decent slasher flick with trite feminist themes, until it takes a wildly baffling turn and becomes a whole different movie. A modern take on the 1974 horror classic arrives from director Sophia Takal just in time for Friday the 13th of December. Black Christmas (2019) Review: The Scariest Thing Is Its White Feminism. Brad and Doug review the 2019 Black Christmas movie, which manages to be the worst remake of Black Christmas yet! Dec 24, 2015. IGN Store: We got Tees for Spider-Man, Star Wars, and more! Editor’s note: This review was originally published for the theatrical release of “Black Christmas.”Universal Pictures will release it to VOD on Friday, March 20. Black Christmas (Movie Review) Posted at 15:44h Chris Hoffmann cryptic rock, CrypticRock, Movie reviews, News, Reviews 0 Comments. Led by writer/director Sophia Takal (“Always Shine,” “Into the Dark: New Year, New You”) and co-writer April Wolfe, “Black Christmas” is a PG-13 horror film for general audiences—it never really needed to be R-rated, especially since the 2006 “Black Christmas” remake is gory enough for two movies—that follows realistic characters who are trapped in a genuinely disturbing situation. From director Bob Clark comes the classic horror film, Black Christmas. SHARES. Sadistic garbage, Black Christmas is an ugly and vulgar film. They might also ponder that they are now forced to answer for self-appointed defenders of the “masculine spirit” like the Canadian academic Jordan Peterson, at whose worldview this “Black Christmas” takes implicit aim. Unfortunately, Takal's Black Christmas is far more ordinary, a blunt object in a fight demanding either sharp knives or explosives.