Secret Santa
Director: Adam Marcus
Writer: Adam Marcus, Debra Sullivan
Cast: Michael Rady, Drew Lynch, Debra Sullivan, A Leslie Kies, Ryan Leigh Seaton, John Gilbert, Pat Destro, Nathan Hedrick, Michelle Renee Allaire, Curtis Fortier, Freddy John James, Petra Areskoug, Tracy Drolet, William Dixon
Part of: /slash Filmfestival Christmas special
Seen on: 20.12.2018
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Content Note: transmisia

Plot:
Christmas dinner brings together the entire family. But as is so often the case, it is also the perfect place to bring out the tensions that have run in the family for many, many years. Things get really bad this year though – and turn outright bloody. It appears that something more than just the usually family feuds is going on.

Secret Santa is a cheesy, low-budget film that was a whole lot of fun. It’s perfect to scratch any gorey B-movie itch you might have, at least with a nice crowd like the /slash people.

Secret Santa is not the most original of films and it probably won’t surprise you. It’s just a little cheesy – but it knows it and it embraces the fact, making the most of it. That it’s low-budget does show and sometimes it shows a little too much, but it also manages to make that part of its charm as well.

Where the film is absolutely solid and way better than what you’d expect from your average B-movie is its character work: the people here are rounded out, they all have clear motivations and developments. I didn’t expect that and it makes the film: the characters carry it through the rough patches.

A particular highlight here was Jacqueline (Michelle Renee Allaire), the girlfriend of one of the family’s sons. She was a great character and they subverted a couple of tropes with her which I always appreciate. Unfortunately, the film also includes some transmisic jokes – fortunately only towards the end and they don’t stick with it long, so I was able to look past it. Still, would have been better without.

But other than that, I really enjoyed Secret Santa. It’s silly, bloody entertainment, especially if you can get a couple of people together. Or, if you want to work out some aggressions against your own family, it’s probably pretty cathartic, too. I had fun.

Summarizing: entertaining.