It’s the most terrible time of the year: it’s the present day, and – Santa has mysteriously stopped delivering presents, ending winter. Writers and directors Manuel Camilion and Benjamin Edelman have created a retro-feeling homage to both Mary Shelley and Father Christmas here that sometimes finds its feet, but other times feels frail. With few comparisons to be drawn with other holiday horror films like the modern classic Krampus or A Christmas Horror Story, as the subject is so unique, I must say this leans more towards monstrous than merry, channelling Frankenstein’s Monster in all its moaning, undead glory. Given that the Monster pre-dates even Nosferatu on film (the Edison Frankenstein appeared in 1910), our directors have picked a sufficiently antique being to meld with the ancient origins of Christmas also under consideration here.
The focus in our brief introduction is that the town’s coroner has been experiencing thefts—body thefts, that is. One night, in a mix of hijinks and larceny, the bandit is caught in the act frightening a worker with a faked zombie reawakening (nice foreshadowing). When finally unmasking the culprit, however, we see it is a man called Max Causey (Jared Korotkin) who has been experimenting with corpses, and tomorrow is going to be a big day—it’s Christmas, after all. Flashing back twelve years, we see how Max created a Mouse Trap style contraption to prove the one thing all kids crave: that Santa is real and he was the one who captured the mythical figure. When Santa arrives right on schedule though, gifts in hand and well wishes for Max to return to bed, the trap is set off and works all too well; old Saint Nick is ensnared and maneuvered right into… an unfortunately placed fire poker.
Twelve years later, Max is still in possession of Santa’s brain, and, together with his corpse stealing, seems to be trying to right the holiday season and resurrect its champion. Together with his friend and lab partner Paige (Ophelia Rivera), the pair think they might have the science right this for an A+ on their science project, all while other peers are creating conspiracy theories as to where Santa might have gone (hint: think big coal). A class experiment with a handmade device resurrects a dead mouse, showing that Paige and Max have their formula dialed in, and while the class is planning a retro Christmas party to blow out the holiday, Max is wondering if he can take his experiment to greater heights – namely, a human being.
Another imaginative holiday entry, Santastein brings creativity and charm as another film trying to recreate Santa. With a nostalgic feel, deep colors and lighting that pops, and camerawork which lends itself to another time, this makes the film feel like it’s not quite in any time period at all. The star of the show, Santastein, is a monster to behold and is brought to life with a bang by actor Michael Vitovich. Santastein’s arrival to tear up the whole town down at the Christmas party is definitely the high point of the film, though, as this story unfortunately lacks a lot of compelling backstory or character development, even for its supposedly deeply damaged lead. Performances are solid enough, but some of the writing (with what I assume are classic B-movie jokes and holiday hijinks) sometimes land flat, whilst much of the introduction is a slow build towards the science experiment we all know is going to end in catastrophe, with the pace not quite picking up until the halfway mark.
That all aside, I can’t fault this indie for letting its budget show too much, as its title monster is so creatively conjured and brings about plenty of splatter. Practical effects make this a messy affair with some memorable murders and some added special effects that don’t break the bank, whilst creating the electrical flair that a Frankenstein retelling should bring. I will say I enjoyed this rendition of Christmas more than some of my previous ventures into holiday horror this season. Having a raging undead Santa tearing out innards to a classic holiday tune is sure to be enjoyable, and with plenty of gore and town terrorizing to follow, overall I think this is a simple watch that achieves its goal and doesn’t overthink anything. For some easy viewing of a newly resurrected Saint Nick, check Screambox for this film, streaming now.