Montreal’s prestigious and world-renowned Fantasia International Film Festival kicked off its 28th edition this past week. One of its first horror titles to be screened was Australia’s “Carnage for Christmas,” which made its Montreal premiere. Would Christmas celebrations in this self-proclaimed “transgender holiday film” culminate with a little more than a kiss under the mistletoe?
True-crime podcaster Lola (Jeremy Moineau) is returning to her hometown during the holidays for the first time since she was a teenager, before she transitioned. The usually calm and collected podcast host begins to feel nervous at the thought of stepping foot in this small town after so many years away, having changed her lifestyle and obtained a moderate amount of fame online. She jokes to her friends about an old urban legend from her town concerning a Santa Claus-like character who wreaks havoc once he is summoned. They laugh it off before she finally returns to her hometown, only to realize that upon her arrival, citizens are being slashed to pieces in an overly festive fashion.
“Carnage for Christmas” is featured in the “Underground” section of Fantasia, a yearly category of films during this festival that features up-and-coming directors of the (very) independent scene who demonstrate innovative DIY mannerisms and ways to use their limited budget, in addition to highlighting potential rising stars of genre cinema. Unfortunately, this feature film won’t be remembered for how ingenious and entertaining some of these hidden gems can sometimes be.
All of writer/director Alice Maio Mackay’s films so far have had a runtime of 1 hour and 20 minutes or less, with her pumping out movies since 2021. Despite “Carnage for Christmas” being her shortest one yet (70 minutes), it seems to drag on for much longer. The directing makes the film feel like a comedy-horror, with amateurish CGI and goofy transitions between scenes. There are sometimes attempts at humor, but the majority of it falls flat. Sadly, the audience may find themselves laughing at times for the wrong reasons. Its style seems quite confused, as the scenario plays out like a pseudo-serious “whodunit” slasher where the protagonist unravels the clues leading her to the villain, while the directing ventures in a different, goofier direction. When there are outdoor locations, the lighting seems completely off, cranked in an oddly bright glow. The murder scenes are, at times, psychedelic and puzzling, as if to add an artistic touch to them, but not quite hitting the mark. Hardcore horror lovers might look past the cheap practical effects and still appreciate the film since, for the film’s budget, they possess a certain charm. At least Mackay’s film does have a decent Christmas ambiance to it, with festive decorations, holiday lights, and a soundtrack reminiscent of Christmases past—not to mention the grisly-looking killer Santa Claus.
Most of the cast’s acting is acceptable and authentic. Unfortunately, Jeremy Moineau, who interprets the main character, is bland and flavorless. There is no appealing charisma emanating from her, nor genuineness in her emotions. Whenever she has lines to say, they simply seem rehearsed and spilled out in a monotonous manner. She is involved in nearly every scene yet doesn’t carry the motion picture to another level of entertainment in any way, shape, or form.
Regrettably, “Carnage for Christmas” misses the target entirely: whether that target was a sinister, mystery-murder or a comedy-horror, we’ll never know for sure. The film feels more like a true-crime podcaster’s dream come true, where all the knowledge acquired over the years is finally put to use so that said podcaster outsmarts the cops who were too stupid or careless to solve the puzzle. Don’t add Alice Maio Mackay’s latest movie to your Christmas list, as it receives 2 eyes out of 5.
