Horror Movie Review: Red Christmas (2016)

Written & directed by Vince Lopez, Red Christmas (not to be confused with the other Red Christmas that came out the same year starring Dee Wallace) is a micro-budget holiday slasher with a certain amount of lovableness to it. Even if it’s not exactly what you’d call a good film.

The lovable aspect comes from several areas. The first is that Lopez was young when he made this. Very young. The second is the use of Christmas themes and music. Then you have a likable cast of youngsters and a simple slasher story that ticks along nicely. It’s 63 minutes long and there are far worse horrors with way more money behind them that you could waste your time with this holiday season. So why not waste an hour with Red Christmas? Especially as you can watch it for free on YouTube.

A young boy witnesses the massacre of his family at the hands of a sinister Santa. He survives, reaches his teenage years, but is still haunted by the memories of what took place all those years before. This all comes to an unfortunate head when Christmas comes around again and spending time with his friends causes him to freak out alone in the bathroom.

When he pulls himself together, the frivolities continue but the killer Santa from his past isn’t done yet. It’s not going to be a white Christmas this year, it’s going to be a Red Christmas!

Credit must be given to Vince Lopez, the cast and everyone else who put a ton of effort into making something more than just your average ‘student’ project. The story is told competently and, thanks to a cast of likable teens, is quite charming. There are no professional actors here but everyone gives it a good go to varying degrees of success. As stated already, there are holiday horrors with more money who have done a much worse job.

One of the best things? The music. Go into Red Christmas with low expectations and you might be surprised by what you find.