All the Creatures Were Stirring (2018) Review – A Lacklustre Festive Anthology
All the Creatures Were Stirring: Quick Verdict
The Verdict: A significantly uneven and frequently amateurish anthology that fails to capture the festive magic or genuine terror of its peers. All the Creatures Were Stirring begins with a modicum of promise in its first two segments, but the quality takes a staggering nosedive thereafter. The film descends into a series of uninspired, technically shoddy shorts marred by poor special effects and a weak script. Even the connecting wraparound story is bafflingly pointless, serving as a dull anchor that goes absolutely nowhere. While it attempts to lean into a Twilight Zone aesthetic, the lack of budget and creative spark makes the experience feel cheap and repetitive. This 1.5 star effort is a frustrating watch that squanders its seasonal potential. It is difficult to recommend for anyone other than the most dedicated horror completists. If you are looking for high-quality holiday shorts, you would be much better served by A Christmas Horror Story. This particular outing is best left forgotten.
Details: Directors: David McKendry, Rebekah McKendry | Cast: Constance Wu, Jonathan Kite, Jocelin Donahue, Graham Skipper | Runtime: 1h 20m | Release Date: 2018
Best for: Viewers who have exhausted every other festive horror option and those who enjoy ultra-low-budget indie anthologies.
Worth noting: Co-director Rebekah McKendry is a well-known figure in the horror community, previously serving as an editor for Fangoria.
Where to Watch: Shudder, Amazon🛒, Tubi
Rating: 1.5/5 Stars
(A tedious and poorly produced festive anthology that is marred by uneven pacing, weak segments, and a total lack of sustainable scares.)
Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are reviewing All the Creatures Were Stirring.
Table of Contents
Christmas anthology horror
Each of the segments in this festive anthology follows a theme of people trying to get through the Christmas season. You know how it is. Tons of traffic, people expecting you to be happy, relatives wanting to visit, nothing but Christmas stuff on the TV. The whole thing can be a bit of a nightmare. Especially if you are not a fan of the season.
The first segment sees office workers exchanging secret Santa presents with a murderous difference. Segment two sees a man locked outside of his car after doing some Christmas shopping and forced to enlist the help of some fairly suspicious ladies.
“Each of the segments in this festive anthology follows a theme of people trying to get through the Christmas season. The whole thing can be a bit of a nightmare, especially if you are not a fan of the season.”
The third sees a grumpy man being visited by three spirits on Christmas Eve. Segment four features a man being followed by a strange glowing light after hitting a reindeer on the road. And the final segment follows a group of friends sharing a celebration together only for things to turn very bizarre indeed.
A real mixed bag
This is an incredibly uneven movie. I mean, anthology horror always is. By its very nature you are watching a product that can vary wildly and that is, actually, part of the charm of anthologies. The problem with All the Creatures Were Stirring, however, is that only one of the segments is good. The rest are a mix of really bad or average. Again, when it comes to anthology horror, a few average segments isn’t a problem. If a couple of them are really good, you barely notice the bad. When most of them are pretty bad, however, it is a huge issue.
The first segment, The Stockings Were Hung, is decent. It features an office place exchanging secret Santa presents with a twist. I actually quite enjoyed it. Acting was really good and the premise was fun; the gradual worsening of the situation kept me interested. The opening of the presents was a nice novelty that kept you wondering what the group would find next and there was a fair amount of suspense.
“The problem with All the Creatures Were Stirring is that only one of the segments is good. When most of them are pretty bad, it is a huge issue.”
The second segment, Dash Away All, was also pretty decent. It had an interesting setup and you get the hint there is a fun backstory based on the premise. Acting was fine and there were a few chuckles here and there. It doesn’t offer too much on the horror front but I enjoyed the dynamic between the girls in the van and Eric. The rest of the segments just didn’t stand out at all. The stories were uninteresting and they were completely devoid of scares. Combine this with bad special effects and you have the recipe for a very average second half of the movie.
Mostly not very good
The last three segments become gradually worse. The third, All Through the House, is a retelling of A Christmas Carol. The main character manages to be more unlikable than any Scrooge in history. It is filmed in such a way as to look horribly drab and the special effects are terrible. It is absolutely not a horror movie and not remotely scary, it drags on and is simply a boring chore.
The fourth segment, Arose Such a Clatter, might be one of the most pointless I have ever seen in an anthology. Seeing a man followed home by one of Santa’s reindeer, it is a low effort piece of media absolutely not worth your time. The build up is boring, attempts at creating some tension do not pay off and the last few scenes, which I am assuming are supposed to be a bit comical, are simply bad. Luckily it is only 7 minutes long but it is still 7 minutes you won’t get back. You could spend that time doing something infinitely more productive… like scratching your arse.
The fifth segment, In a Twinkling, is potentially the worst out of the bunch. It feels so utterly confused. I am not sure what it was trying to be and I don’t think the people that made it were sure, either. There is something of a Twilight Zone vibe to it. It attempts to create a feeling of the haunting uncanny to unsettle the viewer but it just doesn’t work. Strangely enough, despite being a 20 minute short, it manages to have plot holes. From the very get-go the actions of the first character we see make no sense. Constance Wu tries her best to make this work but it really just doesn’t.
A terrible connecting story
As if the bad segments weren’t enough, the connecting story is absolutely terrible. It sees a man and a woman on an awkward first date. Apparently they decided to go to a community theatre on Christmas Eve. The three on stage actors, basically, perform versions of the stories that we are watching. The guy keeps leaving his date alone as he uses the phone while a random dude stares at her in a sinister manner. It goes absolutely nowhere.
Connecting segments tend to actually have a point and demand a fair investment of attention from the viewer. After all, they act as the backbone of the anthology. There is a feeling of bewilderment when you spend your time watching it only for it to go nowhere. It’s baffling.
It hints at certain things and almost ends up just laughing at the viewer (literally). This connecting story actually acts as something of a microcosm of All the Creatures Were Stirring. It reeks of low effort and cheapness, just like the rest of the movie.
Beyond low budget
There is a feeling of budgeting issues running throughout All the Creatures Were Stirring. A few of the segments are very reminiscent of some of those terrible horror movies that appear on Prime Video. You know the ones? Filmed with a Sony Handycam or something equally unsuitable. Terrible acting, no production values.
“Outside of the first two segments, special effects are woefully bad. Set designs are incredibly bland and unappealing; the movie is extremely boring to look at.”
The third and fourth segments are particularly guilty of this. The movie feels beyond low budget. The connecting story really reinforces this. It is like the makers went for the cheapest possible location they could find. Similarly, a few of the other segments feel as though they were made in the crew’s houses.
Outside of the first two segments, special effects are woefully bad. Really terrible CG is the biggest offender but it isn’t the only one. A cheap filter is placed over part of the last story to make it feel like an old black and white TV show. Instead, it looks like you have simply forced 4:3 aspect ratio and turned down your colour saturation.
Set designs are incredibly bland and unappealing; the movie is extremely boring to look at. On top of that, the segments feel as though they have been made by the same team. It sort of defeats the object of an anthology horror. I would understand if the stories had some connection to each other but they don’t. It just feels like a single director throwing five lumps of shit against a wall and hoping one sticks.
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
The Good
- The Stockings Were Hung: This opening segment is a genuine highlight, offering a fun premise and enough suspense to keep the viewer engaged.
- Constance Wu: Despite being stuck in a confused final story, Wu delivers a professional performance that stands out against the flatter acting elsewhere.
- Creative Themes: The basic concept of exploring the stress and isolation of the holiday season provides a solid, if poorly executed, foundation.
The Bad
- Terrible Special Effects: The low-quality CG and cheap visual filters frequently pull the viewer out of the experience and highlight the lack of budget.
- Pointless Segments: Stories like Arose Such a Clatter feel like filler, offering zero tension and a narrative that goes absolutely nowhere.
- Drab Aesthetic: Much of the film is visually unappealing, with flat lighting and uninspired set designs that make it a chore to look at.
The Ugly: The Wraparound Story. A confusing and ultimately meaningless framing device that adds nothing to the experience and feels like a waste of time.
Should You Watch All the Creatures Were Stirring?
No. It is a 1.5 star film that represents a significant missed opportunity. While the first two segments offer some fleeting entertainment, the rest of the movie is a low-effort slog that is devoid of scares or creativity. If you want a Christmas anthology that actually respects your time, stick with the better-regarded classics of the sub-genre. This one is best left forgotten.
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