SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT
Starring: Rohan Campbell, Ruby Modine, Mark Acheson, David Lawrence Brown, and David Tomlinson
Director: Mike P. Nelson
ROBERT
Campy horror movies beget campy horror movies, so attempting to do anything but modernize a classic 1980s slasher like Silent Night, Deadly Night would be a travesty. Fortunately, Mike P. Nelson understood the assignment overall because the ridiculousness and mood of this remade version kept the spirit of the original alive. I was nervous in the first half, where it seemed like Billy’s (Rohan Campbell) trauma was being taken too seriously, but once the second act hit, it ramped up to its peak level. There were Easter Eggs for fans, but you can enjoy it without prior knowledge of the franchise. Naughty or nice? Definitely nice.
KATIE
I haven't seen the original Silent Night, Deadly Night films, so I'm judging the 2025 version completely on its own merits. Considering this is the second modern reboot of the 1980s Christmas slasher, I had so much fun with it. It’s definitely over-stuffed, with an unconventional but convoluted romantic plot at the centre, but it also has delightfully bloody, over-the-top violence, good performances, and a particularly enjoyable nazi-murdering set piece. It knows it's silly, but also tries to do something different and have fun, albeit not always successfully.
BODE
Director Mike P. Nelson first came on my radar via his 2021 reboot of Wrong Turn, a film that I thought managed to breathe some gnarly new life into a usually junky franchise, and I hoped that he could pull the same trick twice with Silent Night, Deadly Night. However, while the ridiculousness of the original cult slasher remains, to the point where it even adds a supernatural element, it’s severely lacking in energy and certainly in terms of edge. Even by its own trashy standards, this is still somehow disappointing.
