SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT: A Holly Jolly Slasher Remake

When a young boy witnesses the brutal murder of his parents on Christmas night, he grows up to become a serial killer, sleighing those on his naughty list. A loose remake of the 1984 cult classic, Silent Night, Deadly Night is the holiday slasher gift that keeps on giving. It’s a film that wraps up some inventive kills with homages to other festive films. And despite a few flaws, it still manages to capture the spirit of the season with a morbid sense of humor.

While both films have a similar catalyst to their stories — a boy named Billy seeing his parents slain at the hands of someone dressed as “Santa” — this new incarnation changes things up quite a bit.

Billy is both the protagonist and antagonist of the films, with the original placing his motives on the trauma of his parents’ murder, as well as his upbringing and subsequent abuse at an orphanage. In this remake, he assumes a vigilante persona, with the film favoring supernatural elements over the effects of trauma.

While I’m not precious about the original, I respect its status as a cult classic. In general, I like that it’s not like most traditional slashers, as its killer is unmasked right away. For this new version, I quite enjoyed the differences that writer and director Mike P. Nelson added to the story, mostly to give the film its own unique path rather than being a shot-for-shot remake.

In this 2025 version, Billy (Rohan Campbell) is a Dexter Morgan type, with some holiday cheer. Instead of hunting other serial killers, his inner voice guides him to hunt anyone who’s been naughty, even when it’s not explicit at first. This adds a playful element to the story as the film reveals why certain folks deserve their morbid fates.

This also leads to perhaps my favorite scene in the film, as Billy finds himself at a rather interesting party looking for his next victim. And when his killer instincts set in, he really decks the halls with a violent display — which is ridiculously fun. Especially when you learn who his victim really is.

It also helps that Campbell makes for a fantastic Billy, packing just enough quirky charisma to be a likable lead. Surprisingly, the actor is quickly climbing the ladder as a horror darling, having appeared in Halloween Ends and this year’s The Monkey. In Silent Night, Deadly Night, I think he’s able to stretch his wings a bit more and really tap into that Corey Cunningham persona, but with a better purpose.

And while there are plenty of holly jolly things about the film, it’s not without some flaws.

A large part of the film is Billy’s budding romance with a local woman named Pam, played by Ruby Modine. And I have lukewarm feelings about their relationship. On the one hand, the film didn’t need it. On the other hand, it influences how Billy integrates into the town and with its people, which is important for his character’s development.

But the character of Pam, in general, just feels a bit lazily written. She’s almost a caricature, and so many facets of who she is feel forced. At times, it felt that Modine leans into that exaggeration a bit too much in her performance, making Pam an awkward and unlikable character.

There are also some weak areas with its supernatural elements. It’s certainly a choice I could see original fans not loving, but I found myself sort of liking it as a way to set itself apart. My issue with it was just in some of the creative choices and treatments, which, in my opinion, cheapened the film. But at the same time, I do see how it lends itself to its ’80s horror inspiration.

Silent Night, Deadly Night is a film that doesn’t follow a formula, nor does it try to rehash the ghosts of Christmas slasher past. It’s a delightfully festive, bloody watch that often subverts your expectations. A little B-movie-esque at times, but that’s quite fitting for its roots. The film also cleverly nods to other holiday classics, like a glass unicorn reminiscent of 1974’s Black Christmas and a Home Alone-inspired bedroom. So genre fans will definitely want to add it to their list!

Silent Night, Deadly Night hits theaters December 12