We dive into this year’s Christmas-themed horror offerings, with Nightmare on 34th Street, Werewolf Santa, and There’s Something in the Barn.
There’s Something in the Barn is a Christmas horror comedy from director Magnus Martens, which draws on the Scandinavian myth of the nisse, something previously explored in a less comedic way in the 2021 Danish series Elves.
It’s the holiday season, and the Nordheims – your typical, slightly dysfunctional, American family – have inherited a house in a remote town in Norway where they’re making a fresh start. Dad Bill and stepmum Carol are keen for the family to get along better, but teen daughter Nora is missing her friends and her normal life.
The property is big, and whilst exploring the large messy barn, son Lucas comes across something strange living there – a barn elf, who he shares a cookie with. He’s heard about these creatures from one of the locals – they’re a couple of feet tall, looking a bit like a large garden gnome – and that if you follow some simple rules about treating them well, they will help you tend the property, but if you make them angry, you’ll quickly regret it.
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So when the parents decide that the best way to charm the unfriendly locals is to throw a Christmas party in the barn, Lucas tries to warn them against it, but they just won’t listen, and they are all soon fighting for their lives as the elves wreak havoc. Can they pull together as a family before too much blood is shed?
There’s Something in the Barn is a lot of fun. The beautiful snowy landscapes alongside classic Christmas tunes create a cosy setting; the characters are likeable; and the script is funny, without delving too far into silliness. We particularly enjoyed Martin Starr (who played Bill Haverchuck in cult series Freaks and Geeks way back in ’99) as naive father Bill, Henriette Steenstrup as the slightly useless cop, and British actor and stunt double Kiran Shah as the main elf, who just wanted a peaceful life and some Christmas Eve porridge.
If you like your Christmas films with horror and humour, definitely check out There’s Something in the Barn this winter season.
There’s Something in the Barn is out in UK Cinemas and Digital Download on 1st December from Vertigo Releasing.
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“Santa’s turned into a werewolf, might need your help to save Christmas.”
“I’ll grab my jacket.”
There are some films that are sold on their name alone, and Werewolf Santa, a comedy-horror by writer/director Airell Anthony Hayles, is definitely one of them. You hear the title and you’re either in the “must see!” or “hell no” camp. We were firmly in the former.
Told in ‘found footage’ style, with comic-book captions filling in the story gaps, we begin with a slightly out-of-place voiceover of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ from American horror host Joe Bob Briggs, before being introduced to Lucy (Katherine Rodden), a wannabe monster hunter with an unsuccessful YouTube channel.
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It’s Christmas Eve, and she’s travelling to Hastings to see her mother along with her casual boyfriend Dustin, who is filming everything for the channel, hoping they’ll find some evidence of werewolves, which legends say are around the area. After some bickering with her mum (played by horror icon Emily Booth), they head into the local woods and encounter Santa himself!
…Unfortunately just as he is mauled by a wolf of the ‘were’ variety, his guts spilling out everywhere. He survives, but what will become of Christmas now Santa is a werewolf? Lucy decides she doesn’t want to find out, and takes it upon herself to pursue and stop him from causing havoc, using her werewolf knowledge from comic books, with some friends and family along for the ride.
For a low budget affair, the film looks pretty good overall. Sadly the werewolf itself doesn’t look anything like the one on the cover, which we found very disappointing. Katherine Rodden does a good job as the lead, but in all honesty we didn’t find any of the characters very likeable or believable.
We were really hoping to like Werewolf Santa, but it just isn’t as fun as the name suggests. Still, if you want some schlock to laugh at with friends over the holidays, this wouldn’t be a bad choice.
Werewolf Santa is out now on DVD and Digital.
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Nightmare on 34th Street is a British Christmas horror-comedy anthology written and directed by James Crow.
Christmas horrors have been on the rise lately, as people seek something a bit less sickly-sweet than the usual holiday offerings. This ultra low-budget anthology provides several tales in one as a gruff Father Christmas tells horrifying stories (and gives gruesome teddies) to an unhappy little boy. We get a tale about Krampus murders, a horror obsessed kid dealing with teen thieves, a choir getting revenge on a priest, and Santa’s own violent backstory.
There are many limitations in the world of low and micro-budget horror, and if you’re going to sit down and watch one, you have to be prepared to overlook a lot of things and adjust your expectations accordingly; no matter how much belief and heart a filmmaker puts in, there are inevitable flaws when a film doesn’t have much of a budget.
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Nightmare on 34th Street is shot well and looks good, but the biggest let-down here is the acting, which is hard to overlook. The stories have some twists, and the writing has some enjoyable lines. The special effects makeup is good, and there is clearly attention to detail in the props and costumes. Did it seem like the filmmakers had a good time and worked hard to make an enjoyable film? Absolutely. Does that make it a good film? Sadly not at all.
If you enjoy low-budget horror with all its flaws, you might enjoy this, but in a day and age where it’s just two clicks to be watching something else, this just didn’t hold our attention for long, and was a bit of a slog to get through.
Nightmare on 34th Street is out on Digital on 5th December from Wild Eye Releasing.