I recently watched the Canadian film 🇨🇦 The Christmas Spirit (2023) on Shudder. The story follows a man whose head becomes trapped by the spirit of Christmas. To free himself, he must kidnap and sacrifice a teenage girl. However, the girl views her predicament as a social media opportunity-until things take a dark turn with the sacrifice plan.
Written and directed by Bennet De Brabandere (Salvation), the film stars Matia Jackett (Crimson Peak), Nicolas Grimes (Taken), Zion Forrest (Firestarter), and Christian Potenza (The Tuxedo).
The main character oddly reminded me of Jason Kelce, and the Christmas Spirit's voice sounding like The Rock added to the humor. This horror-comedy had a promising premise, and I appreciated how it satirized social media culture. The main character's banter with himself (and the Spirit) was entertaining, and the kill scenes were fun, though not particularly scary. Unfortunately, the film leaned more into comedy than horror, leaving the scares underwhelming. The ending was solid but could've pushed the chaos further.
In conclusion, The Christmas Spirit is a unique horror-comedy with some enjoyable moments but not enough to stand out in the genre. I'd score it 5.5/10 and only recommend it with the appropriate expectations.
