12 Days in December: Yuletide Dread

A Christmas Horror Story (2015) ******* (7 out of 10 stars)

Director: Grant Harvey, Steven Hoban, Brett Sullivan Producer: Steve Hoban

“You’re going to have to kill me.” — Dangerous Dan

Review:

Ah, dear reader, gather close and stoke the hearth, for I bring you a tale of festive dread — a yuletide tapestry woven not with tinsel and cheer, but with blood, betrayal, and the brittle bones of ancient curses. A Christmas Horror Story is no ordinary holiday film; it is a darkly wrapped gift box of terror, tied with a crimson bow and left beneath the tree by hands unseen.

Set in the snow-draped town of Bailey Downs — a place that seems forever caught in the shadow of something sinister — this anthology of four interwoven stories dances between timelines and tones like a marionette possessed. From a haunted school basement to a changeling in the woods, from a family’s cursed homecoming to a battle between Santa Claus and zombified elves (yes, you read that correctly), the film dares to ask: what if Christmas itself turned against us?

The direction, shared by Harvey, Hoban, and Sullivan, is confident and atmospheric, evoking a sense of creeping dread even beneath the twinkling lights. The standout performance comes from William Shatner as Dangerous Dan, a radio DJ whose descent into madness is both chilling and oddly charming — a cracked ornament on an already cursed tree.

The film’s true triumph lies in its final twist — a revelation that recontextualizes all that came before with a devilish grin. It’s the kind of ending that lingers, like the scent of scorched pine and old blood.

While not every segment lands with equal weight, and the pacing occasionally stumbles like a drunk mall Santa, the overall experience is a wicked delight. It’s a reminder that the holidays, for all their warmth, are also a time of long nights, old ghosts, and the thin veil between worlds.

So, if you tire of sugarplum sweetness and yearn for something darker to accompany your eggnog, A Christmas Horror Story may be just the midnight mass you seek.

Sleep well… if you dare.