PopHorror Let's Get Scared
‘Tis the season to be scary. At least that’s the goal of the newest Shudder original Christmas horror film, The Sacrifice Game. For as many formulaic Hallmark love stories or nostalgic Netflix capers that we get around the Christmas season every year, there are an equal amount of merry massacres and Santa slayings. Horror and the holidays fit together like Frosty and his trademark hat. So let’s take a sleigh ride deep into what makes this movie worth watching.
The Sacrifice Game is written by Sean Redlitz (in his debut writing credit) and Jenn Wexler (The Ranger 2018), and also directed by Wexler. The film stars Georgia Acken (Circuit Breakers TV Series 2022), Madison Baines (The Young Arsonists 2022), and Olivia Scott Welch (Fear Street: Part One- 1994 2021).
As Christmas break sees most of the students head home for the holidays, a teacher and two young girls get stuck at Blackvale Academy. But they’re about to be joined by a cult who are seeking the ultimate Christmas gift. While none of the characters leap off the page at the start, we do get to sit with some of their backstories and see growth by the end of their journeys. The film starts off as something akin to House of 1,000 Corpses (see our retro review here) and then repossesses itself into something totally different.
While there are moments in this movie that seem to coast into a bit of a formula, The Sacrifice Game gets the fundamentals right. The location gives the characters enough room for their important asides without giving them enough room to feel comfortable. The long hallway shots and cool-colored hues suit the chilly Christmas vibe, while the edit shows just enough quality gore to feel visceral without being overkill.
Some of the twists may be obvious to experienced genre viewers, but that doesn’t stop the execution from having great moments of tension. This movie takes itself seriously in a positive way and gives the viewers enough meat on the bone to stay in the game.
The Sacrifice Game is available for viewing right now on Shudder and is a perfect watch for fans of creepy Christmas cinema.
