Game over (Se acabó el juego)

36.15 code Père Noël has become more famous in recent years for the similarities to Home Alone; so much so that director and writer, René Manzor threatened plagiarism. Both films feature a smart, middle/upper class kid alone in a house of traps stalked by a crazy lunatic. In 36.15 it is an unhinged store Santa who is armed with a cake knife. In Home Alone, two bumbling house burglars known as the Sticky Bandits.

36.15 code Père Noël starts off appearing like a family friendly film with our protagonist dressed as Rambo and talking to his Grandpa. What follows are some scenes of shocking violence, not 18 rated slasher standard, but fairly bloody. The Santa is surprisingly menacing and with the use of some good cinematography and suspense, René Manzor manages to create a fairly scary film which is equal parts horror and thriller.

The film reminded a bit of home invasion films like Funny Games (1997) and killer Santa films like the absurd Silent Night, Deadly Night - it's nowhere near as nasty as those. It's fun seeing the different traps Thomas sets (plastic rubber arrows doused in petrol, a toy grenade). Some people could see it as a dark comedy. It's not a must see and it's not as good as the like of Black Christmas or even Home Alone, but it is well worth a watch.