Black Christmas (2006) Review – A Mean and Messy Festive Remake
Black Christmas: Quick Verdict
The Verdict: A mean-spirited and ultimately hollow reimagining that trades the masterful suspense of the original for mindless gore and disturbing backstories. Black Christmas (2006) succeeds only on a visual level, thanks to Robert McLachlan’s vibrant and festive cinematography. Unfortunately, the rest of the film is a messy slog defined by a horrendous script and a total lack of atmosphere. Glen Morgan’s attempt to flesh out Billy’s past only serves to rob the antagonist of his mystery and menace. While the cast features some recognisable names, they are given nothing to work with beyond generic dialogue and nonsensical motivations. This 1.5 star effort is a loud, disorganised, and frequently boring slasher that fails to justify its own existence. It is slightly more watchable than the 2019 disaster, but it remains a significant blemish on the legacy of Bob Clark’s 1974 classic.
Details: Director: Glen Morgan | Cast: Katie Cassidy, Michelle Trachtenberg, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Andrea Martin | Runtime: 1h 32m | Release Date: 2006
Best for: Die-hard slasher completionists and those who enjoy the specific “mean-spirited” vibe of mid-2000s horror remakes.
Worth noting: Andrea Martin, who plays Ms Mac in this version, also starred in the original 1974 film as the character Phyllis.
Where to Watch: VOD, Amazon🛒
Rating: 1.5/5 Stars
(A visually colourful but narratively bankrupt remake that prioritises gross-out kills and incestuous subplots over actual suspense and horror.)
Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are reviewing Black Christmas (2006).
Highlights
Christmas slasher horror remake
The story here follows a group of sorority sisters sharing Christmas in their house. A house that just so happens to have been the childhood home of a maniacal killer who has just escaped from the psychiatric hospital in which he was locked up. Merry Christmas, ladies.
“Glen Morgan’s Black Christmas feels like a very different movie from its predecessor. Despite aiming to keep some of the feel of the original, this movie is far more brutal and the pacing is a lot faster.”
Directed by Glen Morgan, Black Christmas is about as generic a slasher as you can possibly get. Taking the very self-contained and chronologically quite tight story of the original, this version takes us back in time to learn more about our antagonist: Billy. Apparently suffering a difficult childhood, we are offered a villain with a sympathetic backstory. What we are also offered is buckets of blood and gallons of gore.
Glen Morgan’s Black Christmas feels like a very different movie from its predecessor. Despite aiming to keep some of the feel of the original, this movie is far more brutal and the pacing is a lot faster. The 1974 version was content to bask in its incredibly well forged mood. There was no real need to force random kills every five minutes. The movie was plenty tense enough without it. 2006’s Black Christmas however, has a large cast. Morgan kills these girls off with an almost metronome-like rhythm. This is a slasher for viewers with 5 minute attention spans.
Gruesome kills and disturbing themes
The kills here are absolutely gruesome. We have eyes being pulled out and eaten. Heads are removed. Necks are stabbed. It is a brutal movie and, again, nothing like the original. Added to this are some disturbing themes that wouldn’t feel out of place on a Reddit confession topic. Incest, child abuse, neglect… it’s all there. This is a seriously messed up movie and it absolutely relishes in that fact. It’s actually a bit forced and awkward in parts.
Director Glen Morgan is known for working on a couple of the Final Destination films. It’s no surprise then, given this fact, that he wanted to make something that appealed to that audience. Perhaps it was in the back of his mind that remaking Black Christmas was doomed to fail. Maybe he just wanted to go with something entirely different. Either way, I think younger people might enjoy the absurd violence and disgusting themes. I think they would be more forgiving of the movie’s flaws as well.
“Lighting is fantastic. Glowing reds, greens, purples and pinks highlight the Christmas theme. The bright colours put a spotlight on the contrast between the setting and the events taking place.”
One thing I did really like about this version of Black Christmas is the cinematography. Robert McLachlan puts together a really nice picture that looks extremely festive. The lighting, in particular, is fantastic. Glowing reds, greens, purples and pinks highlight the Christmas theme. The bright colours put a spotlight on the contrast between the setting and the events taking place. It’s a very nice-looking film with a lot of interesting shots.
A decent cast does an okay job
Black Christmas has, if nothing else, a pretty decent cast. Featuring Andrea Martin, star of the original 1974 Black Christmas, as Ms Mac. Many of the actors here were all over the place in the early 2000s. Glen Morgan brought along a few of his Final Destination girls. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kristen Cloke and Crystal Lowe all feature heavily. Katie Cassidy stars as Kelli. The late Michelle Trachtenberg plays Melissa. It’s a pretty decent cast.
Line delivery can feel awkward at times. The cast seems to lack any sense of chemistry. They really don’t make a particularly believable group of friends. I think they could have used some extra time together getting to know each other. Martin tries her best as Ms Mac but nobody can replace Marian Waldman. There are a few scenes where you can see that Martin is paying tribute to her former costar. I still enjoyed her performance, however, and its nice to see someone from the original cast.
Winstead is probably the best of the group but really doesn’t get many lines. Crystal Lowe is a pale imitation of Margot Kidder. The rest of the girls are somewhere between fine and forgettable. This is a cast picked mainly for name and looks. Oliver Hudson, as Kyle, was pretty bad. He seems to have a permanent grin and he has literally zero conviction when he speaks. Honestly, with all things considered, most of the performances fall foul of a horrendous script. It is so awkward in parts. This is an excerpt actually taken, verbatim, from the original script. This isn’t an ad-lib.
I don’t feel comfortable. uh, whatever, like,
invading someone’s privacy like this.
Literary genius. I hope Morgan cringed when he penned that line. It is awful and this goes on throughout. How much could the actors accomplish with this drivel?
Just pretty awful
There are so many negative things to point out with this movie. It is easier if I just summarise. Terrible direction leads to a jumbled timeline. There is a real sense of disconnection between scenes. Hilariously stupid and poorly written characters do literally everything wrong. The following is just one example. The girls all agree that they have a better chance if they all stick together. Seconds later, two of the characters leave. They all could have just ran out of the house. Their motivations for staying are stupid. Apparently that fact never becomes as obvious to the girls as it is to the viewer.
A pointless backstory robs a formerly intriguing character of any threat or menace. Morgan’s desire to expand on every tiny detail from the original harms the suspense. A ridiculous and completely needless twist will have you rolling your eyes. You can literally see it coming from a mile away. Half baked red herrings designed to throw the viewer off disappoint. despite all the other issues, the biggest of all is that Black Christmas is not tense, it isn’t atmospheric and it isn’t at all scary.
“It takes everything that made the original so great and spits on it. Still, it’s nowhere near as bad as the 2019 version so it has that going for it.”
To make matters worse, the ending is terrible. Morgan felt the need to expand on the more ambiguous parts of the movie. A totally unnecessary move that impacts the things that made the original movie great. The phone calls are no longer scary. The protagonist is less a shadowy boogieman and more of an X-Files villain. There are far less question marks and far less reason to think about the movie when it is done. It is just very disappointing.
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
The Good
- Vibrant Cinematography: The lighting and use of festive colours are fantastic, creating a strong visual contrast with the brutal events.
- Gore Effects: Fans of practical carnage will find plenty of gruesome detail in the kills, from removals of eyes to stabbings with glass.
- Legacy Casting: Seeing Andrea Martin return as the house mother provides a nice, albeit brief, connection to the superior 1974 film.
The Bad
- Horrendous Script: The dialogue is painfully awkward and unnatural, leaving the cast with no way to build believable chemistry.
- Loss of Mystery: Expounding on the antagonist’s tragic backstory destroys the lingering dread and threat that defined the original character.
- Jumbled Pacing: Poor direction leads to a disjointed narrative where scenes feel disconnected and tension is sacrificed for cheap shocks.
The Ugly: The “Yellow Skin” Backstory. The film’s insistence on showing the physical mutations and origins of the killer is as unnecessary as it is ridiculous.
Should You Watch Black Christmas?
No. It is a 1.5 star film that misses the mark entirely. While its visual style is impressive, the movie itself is a cynical and mean-spirited mess that fails to honour its namesake. If you want a festive slasher, there are far better options that don’t rely on such a poor script and nonsensical character logic. Stick to the original 1974 version for a truly terrifying holiday experience.
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.
