It's a Wonderful Knife (2023)

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Christmas List 2024

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While this doesn't exactly land as the best, or most riveting holiday slasher out there, it's still not bad, and gives us another holiday horror title to chose from (if we're ever in that kind of mood). I can also say that it's not what I'd call typical of a slasher flick, and it has some originality behind it, if it's just a little predictable in the end. All in all, it reminded me a lot of 'Happy Death Day,' in as much that its a slasher movie that brings in fantastical elements, like time travel and, in this case, what I'd probably call interdimensional travel.

To be exact, as if the title didn't give things away, this is a horror take on the concept of 'It's a Wonderful Life,' much like 'Happy Death Day' was a horror take on 'Groundhog Day.' While I love this concept, especially as a horror comedy, however, it does end up lacking a lot on the comedy side of it, and it's not something I'd say (as I do with many things) is necessarily fun. In fact, it sort of makes me think they were trying a bit to copy 'Scream,' at least stylistically. The killer is only human, dresses in white instead of black, complete with creepy mask, and constantly uses a knife.

I have to say, however, that the execution of story was something I didn't quite expect, and in a good way. It all starts when David Carruthers (Joel McHale) is asked by his business partner and CEO of their company, Henry Waters (Justin Long) to visit longtime local Roger Evans (William B. Davis) to try to convince him to sell his house in order to make way for a mall. But Roger's plan is to one day hand the house over to his granddaughter, Cara (Hana Huggins); best friends with David's daughter, Winnie (Jane Widdop).

One night, as Winnie, Cara and Winnie's brother, Jimmy (Aiden Howard) attend a high school Christmas party, the masked murderer here known as "The Angel" attacks and kills a handful of people, nearly getting Jimmy in the process. He's eventually stopped by Winnie, killed in his tracks, and unmasked to reveal a relatively obvious culprit. BUT that's okay, because the movie is only just getting started, as it's after a full 15 minutes of these events, the title card pops up - much like the 'Friday the 13th' remake.

After a year passes, Winnie still grieves for her friends she lost at that party, but her family and friends seem to have totally moved on as if none of it mattered. With this, she feels unseen, save perhaps from her Aunt (Katharine Isabelle) and her Aunt's partner (Cassandra Naud). In her angst, Winnie takes a walk, and mentions the classic George Bailey concept to the Heavens about the world being better off if she never existed. She suddenly finds herself in a world where she doesn't exist, and wasn't able to save everyone at that party.

As she wanders this mysterious Winnie-less world, she tries to figure out what's what by approaching everyone she knows who no longer know who she is. Her only help for getting out of this mess is a reclusive girl named Bernie (Jess McLeod) who seems to be able to go where all the popular people are, but is still picked on and called "Weirdo," constantly. One can't help but wonder how all that works. Does she go to events uninvited just to be a punching bag? But I digress. She, of course, ends up being a very likeable character.

While this is done in slasher horror fashion, has some predictability to it, and its memorable moments are sort of few and far between, it has a lot of good going for it, too. It's progressive without being "woke," the concept is pretty cool, and above all else, it still somehow carries the same classic message that 'It's a Wonderful Life' does, portraying an individual's importance in others' lives. So, I enjoyed it fine for what it was, but there are better Christmas horror titles out there. Check it out if you feel like combining something that's 'Scream'/'Wonderful Life,' if you can imagine that.

3/5

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