Thursday, November 9, 2017

Secret Santa (PDXFF 2017) - Movie Review



The Movie: Secret Santa

The Director: Adam Marcus

The Cast: A Leslie Kies, Michael Rady, Michelle Renee Allaire, Pat Destro, Drew Lynch, Curtis Fortier, John Gilbert, Nathan Hedrick, Megan Helbing, Petra Areskoug, Ryan Leigh Seaton, Debra Sullivan, Michelle Allair, Freddy John James, Eddie Jordan III

The Story: A dysfunctional Christmas party turns deadly when an unexpected gift brings out the evil in everyone and turns the yuletide festivities into a fight for survival.


The Review:
When it comes to holiday cheer and family festivities, I feel like Adam Marcus absolutely gets it. I mean who hasn't been to a Christmas party and wanted to stab someone in the back of the neck with a glittery tree topper. Okay, that might be a bit extreme but the fantastic insanity Marcus puts on screen is hilariously entertaining on so many levels. While the horror genre has been filling the holiday season with scares and slashings and hauntings over the last couple years, this story has some very interesting twists and keeps you guessing from start to finish.

The cast goes all in and you can just tell they are having a blast while playing in a sandbox that has been packed with blood, guts, gore, and an assortment of weapons that would top anything on Michael Myers' Christmas list. I believe the enthusiasm they bring to their roles is actually what sells the film for me. There's just a fun spirit behind the performances that is an essential piece to letting the audience believe in the crazy antics and bloody combat.


The Verdict:
Secret Santa is a super fun holiday horror comedy that delivers a sleigh ride full laughs while unleashing a bloody battle between dysfunctional family members. Definitely worth checking out and should be added to your holiday movie play list.


Secret Santa is an official selection of the 2017 Portland Film Festival.

TwoOhSix.com coverage of the 2017 Portland Film Festival.





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