‘Silent Night, Deadly Night’ (2025)

This review contains spoilers.

The new Christmas horror, Silent Night Deadly Night, splattered across cinema screens on Friday 12 December, an early Christmas present to all lovers of the horror genre. It was written and directed by Mike P. Nelso. Mike is responsible for the writing and directing of V/H/S 85 and the Wrong Turn reboot in 2021. Silent Night, Deadly Night is the second reboot from the original 1984 classic, the first reboot dating back to 2012 under the title Silent Night.

Audiences were eager to see Rohan Campbell back on the screen after his performance as Corey Cunningham in Halloween Ends and Ricky in The Monkey as well as Happy Death Day’s cupcake poisoner, Ruby Modine. Rohan stepped into the role of Billy Chapman, the main character and Ruby moved into her role as small town store clerk in her Father’s store; the two drawn to each other and entering into a relationship throughout the movie. Opposites aren’t the only ones to attract; it seems identical people attract too. 

The movie starts with Billy and his parents visiting his grandfather before Christmas in an old folk’s home, however Billy is witness to his grandfather becoming violently ill and dying in front of him. Traumatised in the back of the car on the way home, his parents run into trouble on the road and are later attacked and killed by a man in a Santa outfit. The killer is fatally wounded by Billy’s mother before she passed away, Billy leans down to touch his attacker and finds its the janitor from the old folks home who was watching him while he was there.

An electric surge passes through the two on contact before the Santa killers meets his maker. Years later, Billy is moving from town to town and comes across the quiet sleepy town of Hackett where he acquires a job in a local store where he meets Pam, strange and cold in her own way, but Billy is drawn to her. However, Billy is plagued by a voice in his head telling him to do unspeakable things; he can see who has been naughty and who has been nice by looking at people.

Unlike, 1984’s version where Billy kills whoever he thinks is naughty, the 2025 version shows an insight into how the victims have performed evil acts in their present life. The 1984 version is controversial in its own way meaning there are certain victims who were not branded naughty, but still met a violent end, but 2025’s Billy will only go after those who are naughty for all intents and purposes, the people on the nice list are left alone.

A forbidden romance that happens regardless, an Advent calendar that does not contain sweet Christmas treats, but a ritualistic theme which represents one kill or numerous kills per day of the Christmas calendar and small town antics that will have you questioning what kind of town Hackett is; if these factors appeal to you, then this movie is for you. 

Personally, I thought the movie was a breath of fresh air in the horror genre. Rohan Campbell not only portrays a Santa killer, but his victims are people we don’t root for. In a normal world, we want the victims in horror movies to survive, but these particular locals are not on Santa’s nice list. It was also interesting to see Rohan’s character in a familiar plot; the surge of electricity when he came into contact with the Santa killer, how it established a connection between the two.

The same thing happens in Halloween Ends where Rohan’s character comes into contact with Michael Myers, a connection is established and the killings start with the duo. I would recommend this movie and would strongly suggest that viewers watch both 1984 version and the new version to compare notes. 1984’s ending is tragic in its own way, but 2025 will be a twist, perhaps even pull at your heart’s strings. I really wonder what people would think if there was a Mrs Claus killer? It would be naughty not to think so…