‘Black Christmas’ is a slasher horror film, serving as the second remake of the 1970’s original. The plot follows a group of sorority sisters as they’re preyed upon by an unknown stalker.
I will say this before I get into my full review I hated this film, It may well be my worst film of the year.
My first issue with this film is that it is not a slasher film, it is misleading to call it that this is a social commentary film that has about 15 minutes of slashing in it. The film serves as a look into abuse culture, especially as it pertains to American fraternities and Universities in general.
The sexual abuse theme in this film is uncomfortable if it was handled with the slightest amount of subtly or, taste then ‘Black Christmas’ could really have advanced a much-needed conversation, but that is just it this film lacks any kind of subtly and, the way it chooses to handle this topic serves to make you uncomfortable and, want to leave.
What’smore I never have an issue with political agenda in film, but it is so offensively intrusive here that it can’t help but turn you off the film. It seems like every other line one of the paper-thin characters are saying something political and, feminist, which again would be completely fine if handled tastefully, but it is not. These lines of dialogue feel forced in for the sake of it without actually having anything to say, which if anything serves to weaken the ideas behind what they are saying. A lot of the time it is as though they are just shouting out talking points from the news which really take you out of the film.
The issue with the script is that it feels like a first draft, by that I mean it doesn’t feel like it has been refined at all, the needless politicalness isn’t as clever, or as poignant as the filmmakers clearly think it is; as I said before if anything films like this are doing a disservice to the causes and, the issues they’re trying to champion.
Blumhouse really needs to rethink its approach, they use to be one of the strongest forces in horror, but now they are putting out bomb after bomb, a lot of the recent Blumhouse films feel like they’re trying too hard to be relevant and, because it is so obvious it is offputting.
Ultimately this film feels like it needed more time in development it needed someone to rein in the creatives and, be like maybe don’t do that, but the worst thing about this film is it is misleading, it isn’t a slasher film and, if I had known what it was actually about I wouldn’t have gone to see this; let this be a lesson for Blumhouse.
0.5/5
Reviewed by Luke
Another Millennial Reviewer 