WFG RATING: A

Cineverse and Bloody Disgusting presents a Wonderwheel Entertainment/New Dimension/Rebel 6 Films production in association with White Bear Films and StudioCanal. Written and directed by Mike P. Nelson. Produced by Jeremy Torrie, Tanya Brunel, Scott Schneid, Dennis Whitehead, Jamie R. Thompson, and Erik Bernard. Based on the 1984 film directed by Charles E. Sellier Jr.; written by Michael Hickey, story by Paul Caimi. Cinematography by Nick Junkersfeld. Edited by Geoff Klein.

Stars Rohan Campbell, Ruby Modine, David Lawrence Brown, David Tomlinson, and Mark Acheson. 

The controversial Christmas horror film gets a reboot from the director of the Wrong Turn reboot but this one takes a different route that totally works.

Ever since he witnessed his grandfather’s death and then his parents’ deaths as a child, there’s been something strange about Billy Chapman. Constantly waking up after having nightmares of his past, Billy has been traversing from town to town. In actuality, the death of his parents at the hands of Charlie, a close friend of his grandfather’s, and an electric surge has resulted in Charlie taking over Billy’s conscience. 

Dressed like Santa, a ritual similar to an Advent calendar has resulted in Billy finding those who have been naughty and killing them. As he descends upon a new town, he gets a job as a shipping clerk and falls for the owner’s daughter, Pamela. As Billy begins to kill some of the evildoers in town, coincidentally, a child kidnapper known as the Snatcher is in town. Billy finds an opportunity to have the Snatcher be the ultimate Christmas kill. But what will happen when the police arrive and discover Billy as the Santa Killer?

1984’s Silent Night Deadly Night was deemed so controversial for its depiction of a killer dressed as Santa Claus that it was pulled from theaters shortly after its initial release. However, it has gained a cult classic following and spawned four sequels and a loosely inspired retread in 2012’s Silent Night. However, this new take, written and directed by Mike P. Nelson, who did the same thing with Wrong Turn a few years ago, gives the film a different route but it’s a damn good route to take. 

After a lot of the horror fandom had hate for how his character of Colin had been seen in Halloween Ends in 2022, there was a need for redemption for Rohan Campbell. Thankfully, this film is the redemption he needed because he does an amazing job as Billy Chapman. The opening shows Billy’s childhood as he watches his beloved grandfather die in front of him and then a mysterious man dressed as Santa killing his parents. As the film progresses, we learn more and more about why Billy kills dressed like Santa. The film depicts Billy more like an anti-hero than a villain, as he only hunts those who are deemed naughty despite their outer innocence. 

Kudos has to go out to Ruby Modine as Billy’s love interest Pamela. A woman with her own issues, from dealing with an abusive ex-boyfriend turned cop and protecting her little brother by taking out members of his hockey team when they haze him and embarrass him during practice, Pamela resonates well with Billy. Which could explain why Pamela doesn’t seem so freaked out but more or less, approves of Billy’s actions. 

Mark Acheson’s Charlie at first seemed like a bad idea as people will compare him to well, Tom Hardy and Venom. However, as the film goes on, we learn about Charlie’s origins and how he becomes the much needed father figure Billy needs. He does throw in a comedic jab or two, but more becomes Billy’s outlet for getting at those naughty residents who deserve death.

Speaking of that, the kills scenes are fun and gory. A highlight scene involves Billy wielding an axe (because “guns are for p***ies” according to him) against an entire Neo-Nazi rally. It’s like watching a scene from Violent Night amped up to eleven that culminates in a true homage to a classic kill from the original film. We also see flashbacks of when Billy began his killing spree at the age of seventeen and what Nelson does is pull up a card before the kill happens that reads “Kill [Naughty Person]”. 

The 2025 reboot of Silent Night Deadly Night is great! Rohan Campbell got his redemption after his badly written character from Halloween Ends in a tour de force performance as Billy with Ruby Modine bring aces as Pamela. The kills are fun and are definitely gory at times. Those who love the original may enjoy this and those who never seen the original will want to after seeing this one…and yes there is a reference to a certain sequel with two words, but it is more subtle. 

The film is now playing in select theaters.