‘Black Christmas’ Review
Considering the fact that a movie which has a major distributor in Universal, it is odd that time between starting filming and theatrical release was less than six months. Black Christmas does feel somewhat rushed as it definitely looks more like a television movie. You know, like there’s something missing to make it pop? Or maybe the film had so much to say that it forgot to show anything in long format? These are just couple of pressing questions about the experience surrounding it.
Main star Imogen Poots who plays Riley seems like she got a totally different script from the rest as she actually has something to act with, both facially and physically. Her portrayal is a pretty classic horror movie performance in the veins of what was promised in marketing this as horror. Unfortunately she is surrounded by bunch of misfits that are straight up thrown to the wolves since they have nothing to do. At times when the friend group of Riley, Kris (Aleyse Shannon), Marty (Lily Donoghue), Jesse (Brittany O’Grady) and Helena (Madeleine Adams) converse and reference one of them, I had no idea who they were talking about because they have no character traits whatsoever. With those moments it also felt like there were full scenes missing that would’ve helped you follow the plot better.
The film and therefore director Sophia Takal has a total identity crisis as it doesn’t have a story, realistic dialogue, original screenplay or anything distinctive about it. First scene has the promised slasher necessities but it’s completely useless after because it never gets weaved into the main story. Only connecting factor is the wardrobe choices. Story isn’t really interesting at all, it’s basically a high school play version of a superhero team-up movie, taking everything dazzling away from those. Black Christmas is also one of the ugliest looking movies you can see released in December. Maybe something went wrong with colouring or rendering the files or the whole production was rushed but it’s not at all how a horror/thriller film should look like in these modern times, just underwhelming in all aspects.
Smileys: Imogen Poots
Frowneys: Story, screenplay, characterisation, cinematography
Doesn’t go to the list of necessary Christmas movies.
1.0/5
