PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Around 2 years ago, I reviewed the Christmas holiday horror Once Upon a Time at Christmas for BITS 2017 (read my review – here). It was such a fun and bloody story. When I found out there was a sequel, I couldn’t wait to check it out. The Nights Before Christmas premiered at BITS 2019 on Saturday, November 23rd.
This holiday slasher was directed by Paul Tanter as well as co-written by himself and Simon Phillips. The cast includes Phillips, Sayla de Goede, Jennifer Willis, Keegan Chambers, Anne-Carolyne Binette, Michael Coughlan, Meredith Heinrich, and Kate Schroder.
Synopsis for The Nights Before Christmas
A year on from the Woodridge massacre and those who survived have moved on with their lives. But Mr. and Mrs. Claus are back, and this time the killings seem to be based around the asylum where they first met.
Rarely do I like a sequel more than the original but The Nights Before Christmas is pretty fantastic. I loved where this story went. It wasn’t just about Christmas and more about revenge on the system. Very relevant. It showed how weak the mental health system is and what can happen when people don’t receive the proper care.
Once again, Simon Phillips and Sayla de Goede are the perfect pair and have great chemistry as Mr. and Mrs. Claus. The Joker and Harley Quinn of Christmas. Insane and deadly. I love that we got to see more of their backstory and what happened to them in the asylum.
Just like in the original, there are oodles of blood and gore in The Nights Before Christmas. Santa has a list and he’s checked it more than twice, and he’s marking his victims naughty or nice. The ones who are naughty are most likely to lose a limb or two.
The film also has a killer soundtrack. It really helped set the tone for the whole film, not so much Christmasy but paired with all the chaos, violence, and tension. I loved the score from beginning to end.
Final Thoughts
I’m a huge fan of the Blood in the Snow Film Festival and their 2019 lineup was insanely awesome. They delivered a lot of new and uniques stories including The Nights Before Christmas. If you love Holiday horror films with a killer Santa that’s bloodthirsty for revenge no matter what the cost, you’ll love this one. It’s the perfect film for your holiday collection!
