Black Christmas

A remake in name only, Black Christmas follows college student Riley Stone (Imogen Poots) as she and several of her friends are stalked by a mysterious figure over the holidays. It’s a familiar premise that is, at the outset, employed to less-than-captivating effect by Sophia Takal, as the filmmaker delivers a fairly by-the-numbers slasher that’s compounded by a distressing paucity of onscreen kills. (There is, however, an Exorcist III-inspired murder that effectively perks up one’s waning interest, admittedly.) And although Poots and her various costars, including Cary Elwes and Caleb Eberhardt, are generally better and more charismatic than the material deserves, Black Christmas remains pitched at a level of absolute mediocrity right up until the progressively entertaining third act rolls around – with the comparatively bonkers nature of this stretch certainly ensuring that the picture ends on a far more captivating note than one might’ve initially anticipated. The undercurrent of Jordan Peele-esque social commentary only enhances Black Christmas‘ last-minute turnaround, which ultimately cements the film’s place as an erratic yet satisfying endeavor that could’ve been a whole lot worse (ie the 2006 version was nothing short of unwatchable, to be sure).

**1/2 out of ****