Black Christmas (1974) Review – The Masterful Progenitor of the Slasher Genre

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are reviewing Bob Clark’s Black Christmas from 1974.

A festive horror classic

The story follows a house full of sorority sisters being stalked by an unknown assailant. After weeks of disturbing phone calls, things begin to get really serious after a murder occurs in the local area and one of the girls goes missing. Little do the women realise, the killer may be much closer than they think.

Written by Roy Moore, Black Christmas is a progenitor of the slasher genre and one of the most notable horror movies to take place, largely, inside the confines of one house. The sorority house that the movie is set in seems, initially, to be quite large. A big open plan living space, a large attic, many bedrooms and bathrooms. It seems spacious and accommodating. As the girls suddenly fall victim to an unknown killer however, the walls begin to close in. It suddenly feels much smaller and much less safe.

The fact that someone could be killing people in their home is terrifying. This is the place that people are supposed to feel the most safe. The women should be secure inside their home but they are not. This creates a palpable sense of tension. While the viewer is fully aware of what is happening, the women are totally oblivious. It is a fascinating dichotomy and works perfectly.

“Black Christmas is a progenitor of the slasher genre and one of the most notable horror movies to take place inside the confines of one house. As the girls fall victim to an unknown killer, the walls begin to close in.”

Black Christmas feels quite different to other slashers. It is tremendously self contained and, chronologically, very tight. Murders have taken place outside of the sorority house. The women are aware of this and groups of people are searching the streets. They are told to stay in and lock the doors and windows. Little do they know that they are trapping themselves in with the killer. It’s incredibly suspenseful stuff and tense throughout.

The original proto-slasher

Written with the urban legend of The Babysitter and The Man Upstairs in mind, Black Christmas was a slasher movie before slasher movies really existed. The entire genre owes a lot to the way Clark set the formula. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre preceded Black Christmas by a few months but it didn’t read like a standard slasher. While not being the first, Black Christmas was, perhaps, the most influential.

Indeed, it was this movie that inspired the themes found in Halloween four years later. Halloween was considered as the benchmark for Slasher horror which really solidifies this film as one of the genre’s most important progenitors. It is no surprise that the Golden Age of Slashers was only a short while later.

It did things different

The thing that makes Black Christmas stand out is how different it feels from a modern eye. It’s slow and brooding. It doesn’t indulge in violence and gore but still manages to be shocking. It almost plays out like a supernatural horror movie. Our antagonist moves around the house at will and is seemingly omnipresent. Nobody is safe and nowhere is safe. That leads to a constant sense of unease and tension. Whenever a character leaves the frame, they may never return.

It almost doesn’t feel like a slasher thanks to many of these traits. Modern slashers don’t play out like this. They are never this restrained. Clark was acutely aware that some of the fear should come from letting the viewer’s mind imagine how a character was murdered. It’s gloriously low key in that respect and feels unique even to this day. It also presented its cast of characters differently, as well.

“Halloween was considered as the benchmark for Slasher horror which really solidifies this film as one of the genre’s most important progenitors. It is no surprise the Golden Age followed shortly after.”

Featuring a complicated lead protagonist, this movie would buck the trends that would follow in genre films for decades after. It did not present us with a virginal young woman among a group of sexually active people. Jess is a complex character; she is pregnant but does not wish to keep the baby. She is calm and assured about her decision as well as being fiercely brave when it comes to protecting those she loves.

It offers up studies of feminism, abortion rights, and alcohol abuse. This was a movie that aspired to more than it may initially seem. The fact that subsequent slashers quickly devolved into tropes is disappointing. The genre left behind its socially aware trappings almost instantly.

Slow and tense

Black Christmas is not a movie for someone seeking brutal kills and lots of blood. Black Christmas aims to unsettle the viewer. It doesn’t relish in its murders and doesn’t feature much action or a fast pace. In this respect, it is something of an anti-slasher. Naturally, some of the scenes are quite disturbing. The visuals on display, in parts, are extremely macabre. One shot, in particular, was extremely shocking and controversial for the time.

Later slasher movies would adopt a different approach to Black Christmas. The desire to unsettle the viewer took a back seat to creative kills. The villains were now the most developed characters, almost designed with merchandise in mind. They wore masks, had iconic weaponry, and were instantly recognisable.

The killer crouching in the shadows was pushed to the side. This new group of bad guys confronted victims up close. Always visible, even when hidden in the shadows. They were larger than life and almost the entire focus of the movie. Black Christmas takes a completely different approach. This is a slow paced horror movie that wants to bake the viewer in suspense.

A divisive ending

The ending of Black Christmas is bound to split viewers’ opinions. It is one of those movies that could be described as leaving a bit of a question mark. While it is made fairly clear what happened, the lack of a satisfying resolution will likely put some people off. The film goes out of its way to throw in some red herrings.

The interesting thing here is that the red herrings are for the characters, not the viewer. We see the film from the killer’s perspective in many scenes. We know what is going on. The women in the house, however, do not. The police have a suspect and said suspect has something of a motive to harm Jess, at least. This plays into the ending of the film.

“Most of the kills take place off screen. It is a slasher, yes, but it is a slasher designed to make the viewer fear for the victims. Clark doesn’t indulge in the characters’ murders. It is never gratuitous.”

Black Christmas stays true to its desire to unnerve and unsettle, even in the end. This is never a movie aiming to entertain with guts and blood. Most of the kills take place off screen. It is a slasher, yes, but it is a slasher designed to make the viewer fear for the victims. Clark doesn’t indulge in the characters’ murders. It is never gratuitous. Expecting a gratuitous ending may have been wishful thinking. Still, that is just the type of movie this is. If you enjoy seeing lots of action and a lot of kills, Black Christmas may not be for you. For other horror fans, however, it is essential viewing.

Excellent acting

This was a fantastic cast at the time and there isn’t a single weak link in the movie. Our main protagonist, Jess, is played by Olivia Hussey. She does a great job as the glue that connects everything together, managing to display a dynamic range of emotions. Her part in the movie’s final stanza is particularly powerful.

Special mention goes to her reaction to the classic Black Christmas revelation. Margot Kidder is brilliant as the sharp witted drunkard Barb. Her tipsy mocking of the policeman at the station is absolutely hilarious. Not to mention her side splitting line regarding the Moaner. It’s just The Tabernacle Mormon Choir making their annual obscene phone call. Horror gold!

Marian Waldman, as Mrs. Mac, might be the star of the show. Although quite a small part, her quiet disdain for the girls in the house is hilarious. Mrs. Mac is an alcoholic and has bottles sequestered in various parts of the house. Her moments stealthily retrieving these are always comical. We can’t forget her referring to Claude the cat as a “little prick”. It might be one of my favourite horror movie lines of all time.

Andrea Martin is great as the level headed Phyl. She also shares decent chemistry with Olivia Hussey. The late John Saxon, as Lt. Fuller, is excellent. His role is somewhat understated but really helps to add weight to later scenes. All in all, it is a great cast and they do a bang up job.

You might also like:

• The Long Walk (2025) review – A Stephen King adaptation worth the wait
• Gremlins (1984) Review – A Chaotic and Hilarious Festive Creature Feature
• The Frights Before Christmas: 25 Festive Horror Movies Ranked
• The Descent (2005) Review – A Visceral And Claustrophobic British Classic
• WNUF Halloween Special (2013) Review – An Authentic Blast of 80s Nostalgia

Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight

Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.

Support the Site Knockout Horror is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Basically, if you click a link to rent or buy a movie, we may earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This helps keep the lights on and the nightmares coming. Don't worry, we will never recommend a movie purely to generate clicks. If it's bad, we will tell you.

Disclaimer: Images, posters, and video stills used in this review are the property of their respective copyright holders. They are included here for the purposes of commentary, criticism, and review under fair use. Knockout Horror makes no claim of ownership and encourages readers to support the official release of all films discussed.