Best in Show: Holiday Horrors (Pt. II of II)





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5. P2
P2 isn't the most memorable horror film. But, with a fantastic concept and a terrifically loony role for Wes Bentley, this Christmas horror movie should be anything but forgettable. This typical obsession-slasher movie follows a corporate woman working late on Christmas Eve who becomes entangled in a cat-and-mouse game with a security guard blocking her in a parking garage. Things transpire with typical horror conventions but the resulting film glows with holiday cheer and is an entertaining addition to any yuletide playlist.



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4. Black Christmas

Whether deciding on the campy, spooky original or the somewhat grotesque remake, Black Christmas is a practical go-to slasher film for the season. Neither are masterpieces and both have some great aspects, and some really bad ones. But, while the bad is glaring, the good provides enough jolly holiday fun to make them more than worthwhile. The original's use of horrifying, telephone breathing and the remakes obscenely terrifying killer provide the perfect reminder that while these movies are definitely reserved for a certain time of the year, they will always be scary. 

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3. Better Watch Out

One of the best Christmas horror movies out there also happens to be one of the newest. Starring a cast a fantastic young stars, Better Watch Out is a twisty slasher brimming with the essence of the holidays. The visuals are lush, the lights warm and the bloodshed gory. All of it culminates into a perfect experience with funny, but intense results. Better Watch Out deserves the fan base it's rapidly collecting because it's a spirited and captivating holiday horror film that knows how to work its simple premise. Better Watch Out is now streaming exclusively on Shudder, a great move for a great movie.







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2. Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale is probably the most outlandish film to make this list. Odd, but actually scary, this comical Finnish horror flick is reminiscent of the worlds of Guillermo Del Toro, but with an undeniable locale-point of view. Rare Exports is now streaming on Prime which makes it all the easier to see for those of us who may have missed it on its first rounds. Full of festive undertones, brimming with sweater-adorning characters and really, really scary elves, this holiday movie is a blast.

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1. Krampus
While maybe the most typical option and the more famous out of the others, its negligent to ignore how polished Krampus is. Never taking itself too seriously, the film is full of campy scares, jovial comedy and overall high quality entertainment. Not only is it an effective holiday flick, it’s also a terrific horror and comedy one too. With characters that are unlikeable, yet lovable, elves as creepy as those in Rare Exports and plenty of odd baubles and trinkets that come to life, the ever-charming Krampus is a masterful blend of cinema.



Review: Prevenge



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A strong contender as one of the strangest film's this year is Prevenge. Following the story of a pregnant woman who believes her child is speaking to her; Prevenge is an absurdly dark horror-comedy with gumption. It's the type of movie that doesn't seem concerned with how the audience feels about it, because it is so sure in how it feels about it. Prevenge takes prenatal horror in a strange direction as the crude central character, Ruth, unhappy in her life takes a turn toward killing because of her baby’s pension for it. Prevenge is not for everyone at all, but as noted, it doesn't want to be.

Prevenge stars a particularly quirky Alice Lowe (Hot Fuzz) as mother-to-be, Ruth; she holds the entire film on her shoulders as the sole character with substantial dialogue and multiple scenes. She's fantastically droll, but also really interesting to observe as she interweaves with secondary characters and plots their murders. Other supporting actors include Gemma Whelan (Game of Thrones) as a woman who has no time for Ruth, Kate Dickie (The Witch) as an employer with literally no life outside of her job, and Jo Hartley (This Is England) as a midwife frequented by Ruth. Dickie is especially fantastic; her slightly unhinged working woman is hilariously desperate and unconventional.

Prevenge is never scary in the literal sense. It leans heavily toward dark comedy and while it holds some horror aspects, it certainly doesn't adhere to its conventions. Perhaps the scariest parts of Prevenge - and probably intentional pieces of the movie, are the gross encounters she has with people who don’t care, are outwardly rude or are completely ignorant to her very real problems a pregnant woman faces. In fact, the death scenes are more fun than they are anything else, with precursory that even if her baby isn't talking to her, these people deserve to be killed by Ruth.

One of the oddest parts about Prevenge is in its lack of backstory. The film practically falls into the center of the story. Ruth is deeply pregnant and already hears her baby, neither are explained past brief comments and by the end of the movie, viewers won't t ever truly understand what happened and why, only that it did. There's subtext that is progressive, the nurturing mother figure so typical of stereotypes is broken apart, making way for a single woman unable to cope with her pregnancy and the issues she faces.

As mentioned previously, Prevenge will not be for everyone. It's very British and at times, low budget. But, for its lack of camera prowess and cinematography, the film makes up for in campy fun and a pretty entertaining performance from Alice Lowe. It's the type of movie that'll never make you hold your breath or scream, but it will engross you in a wayward world of talking fetuses and offbeat pregnancy. 6 out 10.