Movie Review
Of course, if you're tired of all the sentimental Hallmark-esque holiday movies that litter our streaming services this time of year, you might be glad for more mature movies than a cute and sad one. So A Christmas Bloody Christmas might be the movie for you because there's a lot of gore, a lot of sexy sex, and a lot of gore. Needless to say, this is not something you should watch with any sensitive members of your family during the holidays!
Streaming On Shudder
Currently streaming on Shudder, the film comes from director Joe Begos, who is no stranger to the world of horror, having previously brought us films like Almost Human, VFW, and Bliss. None of these films are classics of the genre, nor are they his latest, but for fans of gore and mayhem, they might just fit the bill.
Storyline
Christmas Bloody Christmas follows Tori (Riley Dandy), a record store owner who plans to have fun with a Tinder date on Christmas Eve. But when she finds out the guy is married, she decides to spend a night on the town with her friend and colleague Robbie (Sam Delich) instead.
Unfortunately, those plans are also derailed when he becomes the target of RoboSanta, a machine made of bits and pieces originally intended for military use. Used as a display for a toy store, this mechanical menace somehow reverts to defense system status, causing it to brutally kill anyone it comes in contact with. Tori finds herself on the hit list, and as the film progresses, we watch her engage in a bloody battle for survival against a vicious killbot.
But despite the uniquely affecting score from the Terminator theme, there isn't much tension as RoboSanta follows Tori through his small town. Everything plays out in a familiar fashion, so don't expect too many surprises or scary moments while watching this holiday horror.
When Tori runs from place to place to escape the car, we know he'll find her, so we're under no illusions that she'll ever find a safe place to hide. We know exactly what's going to happen at almost every stage of the movie, right down to the moments when he puts RoboSanta down only to get back up seconds later. It's a formality, though that may not matter to people who enjoy that sort of thing.
Good Cast
Thankfully, most of the cast is good, especially Riley Dandy, who is convincing as the frightened Tori. Previously known for sad Christmas fare like Kiss on Candy Cane Lane, this kind of sentimental nonsense, she's finally been given the chance to show off her ability to do more than look cute and charming. Of course, if you're into jolly festive movies, you might want to check out this year's Hollywood Christmas starring Dundee, but if Christmas Bloody Christmas is more your type, you should probably avoid it!
But to call it a "good" movie would be an overstatement, as there are a lot of nerve-wracking things. The incessant chatter between Tori and Robbie debating the merits of their favorite movies and songs gets a bit tiresome, and the constant F-bombs littering the dialogue scenes show a general lack of imagination on the part of the director who also wrote the screenplay. There are also moments where it's hard to figure out what's going on, especially during the final encounter between Tori and RoboSanta.
Die-hard horror fans (especially those who like practical effects over CGI) will probably enjoy this film more, but it could have been better with smarter dialogue and a less predictable storyline. At just under 90 minutes, it doesn't quite overstay its welcome—unlike some of the guests that might end up on your doorstep this holiday season—but unlike better holiday horror movies (like Krampus ), you probably won't want to. to watch it again in future Christmas cycles.
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