Black Christmas

Name: Black Christmas
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Horror
Released: December 13, 2019
Duration: 92 min
Rating: 49
Cast: Aleyse Shannon, Ben Black, Brittany O'Grady, Caleb Eberhardt, Cary Elwes

2019

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 25 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Overwhelming dislike based on 79 Ratings

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1.8

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1.8	Your Score
1.8	User Score Overwhelming dislike based on 79 Ratings

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Black Christmas (Trailer 2)

Movie Details & Credits

Universal Pictures | Release Date: December 13, 2019 | PG-13

Starring: Aleyse Shannon, Ben Black, Brittany O'Grady, Caleb Eberhardt, Cary Elwes, Imogen Poots, Lily Donoghue, Madeleine Adams, Nathalie Morris, Simon Mead

Summary: Hawthorne College is quieting down for the holidays. But as Riley Stone (Imogen Poots) and her Mu Kappa Epsilon sisters-athlete Marty (Lily Donoghue), rebel Kris (Aleyse Shannon), and foodie Jesse (Brittany O'Grady)-prepare to deck the halls with a series of seasonal parties, a black-masked stalker begins killing sorority women one by one.Hawthorne College is quieting down for the holidays. But as Riley Stone (Imogen Poots) and her Mu Kappa Epsilon sisters-athlete Marty (Lily Donoghue), rebel Kris (Aleyse Shannon), and foodie Jesse (Brittany O'Grady)-prepare to deck the halls with a series of seasonal parties, a black-masked stalker begins killing sorority women one by one. As the body count rises, Riley and her squad start to question whether they can trust any man, including Marty's beta-male boyfriend, Nate (Simon Mead), Riley's new crush Landon (Caleb Eberhardt) or even esteemed classics instructor Professor Gelson (Cary Elwes). Whoever the killer is, he's about to discover that this generation's young women aren't about to be anybody's victims.… Expand

Director: Sophia Takal

Genre(s): Mystery, Thriller, Horror

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 92 min

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Awards & Rankings

79	#79 Most Discussed Movie of 2019

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Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Christie Puchko

Dec 12, 2019

Blended brilliantly, this remake of Black Christmas makes for holiday horror that's a tantalizing and terrifying treat. Read full review

Angelica Jade Bastien

Dec 16, 2019

If the righteous retelling ever feels heavy-handed, it’s Poots’s command of her role and the cast’s electric chemistry that make this a reckoning fit for our fantasies. Read full review

The Film Stage John Fink

Dec 16, 2019

A horror film populated by smart characters that take on the patriarchy by refusing to play by its rules, its anger and its heart is in the right place. The problem is how it achieves these ends with plot devices that feel borrowed from cheap studio cash grabs usually dumped in theaters in January and September. Read full review

Beatrice Loayza

Dec 13, 2019

The latest Black Christmas reboot understands the frustrations and lived horrors of modern sexual politics, but stumbles over its scares and the finer points of its feminist messaging. Read full review

Ian Freer

Dec 13, 2019

A feminist horror flick that lacks nuance in its feminism and thrills in its horror. But it should be applauded for reinterpreting rather than just retreading the original. Read full review

Matt Donato

Dec 12, 2019

Black Christmas deserves to be a better slasher satire propelled by empowerment than the messy, tonally obstructed holiday dud we're gifted. Read full review

Rex Reed

Dec 18, 2019

Despite its desperate efforts to justify the homicides, there’s nothing remotely innovative or even goofily satirical about it. The lousy actors, incompetent writer and clueless director remain nameless. That’s my good-deed Christmas gift to all involved, and better luck next year. Read full review

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User Reviews

Rcavey92212

Mar 18, 2020

This movie continues to get unjustly attacked because of mostly sexist reasons. And the truth is that despite its "Slay Girls" marketing campaign the film is perfectly serviceable genre movie. In fact very few things actually separate it from its group. Basically a group of sorority girls isThis movie continues to get unjustly attacked because of mostly sexist reasons. And the truth is that despite its "Slay Girls" marketing campaign the film is perfectly serviceable genre movie. In fact very few things actually separate it from its group. Basically a group of sorority girls is targeted by a fraternity with insidious intentions. Its really nothing new especially if you've seen the tv show Buffy the Vampire Slayer which this actually feels like an extended episode of. And I say that with admiration because that's my favorite show. As the film goes on the "woke" gets to be a touch too much towards the finale but it is entertaining and the points that are made in this genre themed battle of the sexes is really quite intriguing. The kills happen mostly off screen and because the killers are quite menacing some pay off gore would have been appreciated with an R rating. That being said I appreciated all the clever bits to the exorcist 3 homage to the rakes on mistletoe and women rougeing their cheeks. It all leads up to a girl power finale that's cheer worthy. In the end it's a refreshing take on expected material that deserves way more of the right attention than it's been getting.

Budget: $5m
Domestic Box Office: $10m
Worldwide Box Office: $19m

3.75/5… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

zmgalen2000

Dec 29, 2019

Black Christmas is nothing more or less than the archetypal modern thriller. With a wildly predictive plotline, expected jump scares, and mediocre acting, Black Christmas lacks the foundation necessary to instill some true scares in its audience. It has the fun, upbeat pacing and progressionBlack Christmas is nothing more or less than the archetypal modern thriller. With a wildly predictive plotline, expected jump scares, and mediocre acting, Black Christmas lacks the foundation necessary to instill some true scares in its audience. It has the fun, upbeat pacing and progression of any other Blumhouse film but is one of the studio's less successful attempts at bringing modern horror to cinemas.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Davrosdaleks1

Dec 14, 2019

Wow, this, the second attempt at a Black Christmas remake, is a misguidedly bad film.

This movie carries a heavy pro-women, anti-misogyny/patriarchal-control-of-the-system (particularly in the college environment) vibe to the whole thing. Let me make it clear that I support the message,Wow, this, the second attempt at a Black Christmas remake, is a misguidedly bad film.

This movie carries a heavy pro-women, anti-misogyny/patriarchal-control-of-the-system (particularly in the college environment) vibe to the whole thing. Let me make it clear that I support the message, it's the way it's executed that I have a problem with. You ever went to an original college play because of a class or to support a friend, and it feels like it's trying to be deep about something, but you can't stand it? This is that movie in a nutshell. (In the director/co-screenwriter and other co-screenwriter's defense, this film had a pretty short production schedule. Not saying the movie would've been better necessarily, just saying.)

The movie beats you over the head with the message. Plot and dialogue comes in second, less than second. The characters are extremely frustrating as they act and talk in a way that isn't plausible at all. A lot of them aren't people, just talking points. There are a lot of one-dimensional misogynists in this film who say nothing but the most obvious and basic chauvinistic lines. It gets really painful. Also, the killer's or killers' plan has so many loopholes.
I know that horror movies often require a suspension of disbelief but even this sinks way below an accordingly low bar.

You can see where the plot is going pretty early on, which makes waiting through the slow-paced first two thirds of the film a pain.

In the brief moments where people aren't speaking for or against the equality of women, there are a few lines that could've been funny, but none of the cast makes the dialogue work, especially Brittany Grady, who is supposed to be comic relief. Veteran actor Cary Elwes is in this and even he gives a terrible performance.

As for the actual horror in this, there are a few good weapon ideas but there isn't enough to salvage the film. The movie was originally R-rated but got cut down to PG-13 which hurt it. I'm not one of those "R-rated horror movies only" guys, but the problem is that the editor clearly just ended a couple kills abruptly. There was no attempt to reshoot or reedit scenes to make them run smoothly. If you like horror but not rape in your horror be forewarned that this movie will get uncomfortable.

To the movie's credit, the cinematography is good. There are a few post-kill shots that are effective. The one major thing this movie has in common with the original is that it goes with this stark reality look to it. There is an effectively cold feel to the whole thing. The campus and surrounding houses look like a real college environment.

I'd say this is about as bad as the last Black Christmas remake just in a different way. You want to see a Christmas-themed horror film? I suggest the original or Krampus.… Expand

5 of 9 users found this helpful54

PhilipBlake

Mar 15, 2020

This remake is one of the worst reboot in cinema history. The 2006 version is an instant classic regarding of this crap even if at the time it was really awful. I can't believe this came from producer Jason Blum from the last Halloween movie and some other really good horror flicks. StayThis remake is one of the worst reboot in cinema history. The 2006 version is an instant classic regarding of this crap even if at the time it was really awful. I can't believe this came from producer Jason Blum from the last Halloween movie and some other really good horror flicks. Stay away from this useless piece of s*it and get a copy of the original 1974 movie instead (or even the 2006 remake).… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Johnnytsunami

Dec 16, 2019

This is probably the worst directed film I've ever watched in my entire life.

5 of 9 users found this helpful54

Goreminister

Mar 26, 2020

NOW that I´ve seen this movie, the version from 2006 looks like a masterpiece. Damn, this is just really poor screenwriting. They all talk like they´re tweeting or only live on social media. But hey, this movie wasn´t for me, right? I´m just a straight white male and dared to watch this. MyNOW that I´ve seen this movie, the version from 2006 looks like a masterpiece. Damn, this is just really poor screenwriting. They all talk like they´re tweeting or only live on social media. But hey, this movie wasn´t for me, right? I´m just a straight white male and dared to watch this. My fault. A fault I regret. STAY AWAY!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

marco34la

Dec 14, 2019

This was the worse piece of crap i have ever seen. DON'T SEE. no story, stupid riduclous. something you'd expect to see for FREE on USA Network or TNT . awful!

5 of 9 users found this helpful54

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