The 13th Day of Christmas is an amateur film and it shows; with lighting, intermittent sound quality and such. But beyond that is a film that is actually pretty good.
Copper David Jennings is leading his crew on a hunt for "the Christmas Killer", who has been hacking their way through the holiday season. Out of the office, he visits his brother James, who runs a swanky club, and mum, who oddly looks about the same age as him. Alongside this plot is that of a dysfunctional family, the Blunts, whose Dad is alienating his wife and eldest daughter by gambling. These two stories eventually, tragically, coincide.
The main problem with the film is it tries to fit too much in, perhaps it would have worked better as a series. Subplots abound, with a workplace romance, a battered husband (in a particularly unsettling scene) and the lead character's divorce all making appearances, though several tail off without a conclusion.
The script, by actor/writer Dan Brothers, mostly shines in the more domestic scenes, particularly in scenes with the Blunts; with Mike Parker's grizzled but caring Clifford coming across as the most naturalistic in the film. Other standouts include Richard Smith's (unfortunately brief) turn as an oh-so-camp gay best friend, and Kerry Barratt as David and James' formidable Mum. The final confrontation between policeman and killer is also very well done, and the twist is quite a surprise, although the killer's identity is unfortunately quite obvious from the moment they open their mouth. Additionally, the filmmakers have clearly gone to a lot of effort in preserving the look of the early Noughties, with chunky desk phones and the like littering the police station.
Certainly worth the price on Amazon Prime.
