Carnage for Christmas – FrightFest 2024 Movie Review
Director: Alice Maio Mackay
Writer: Alice Maio Mackay, Benjamin Pahl Robinson (Screenplay)
Cast
- Jeremy Moineau
- Chris Asimos (So Vam)
- Dominique Booth (Boogeyman Pop)
- Olivia Deeble (More Than This)
- Lewi Dawson (Bad Girl Boogey)
- Lisa Fanto (T-Blockers)
Plot: When true-crime podcaster and sleuth Lola visits her hometown at Christmas for the first time since escaping and transitioning, the vengeful ghost of a historical murderer and urban legend seemingly arises to kill again. Lola must solve the case before her community is slaughtered. She’s up against not only a psychotic killer, but a town haunted by secrets.
Runtime: 1 Hour 10 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Carnage for Christmas starts when true-crime podcaster Lola (Moineau) and co-host Riley (Deeble) complete their latest show, with the story of what got Lola into true crime. Lola’s first contact was with the local urban legend known as The Toymaker. She returns to her hometown to face her past and catch up with old friends.
However, her friends start getting attacked by an unknown attacker. Lola dives into the mystery of the Toymaker after receiving a message from them. She clashes with the local police becoming the prime suspect, but now she wants to solve it before it is too late.
Verdict on Carnage for Christmas
Carnage for Christmas is a horror mystery following a true-crime podcaster who returns home. However, her trip home seems to revive a local killer who targets her friends. She must use her knowledge of crime scenes and the history of the town to save her friends.
This movie takes the mystery killer story and turns it into a homecoming nightmare. It doesn’t become a generic slasher, as more focus is placed on understanding the meanings of the killings. This builds up a more compelling story as we don’t deal with your typical final girl, we get one who is just as happy to come face-to-face with the killer. It keeps us guessing as to who the killer is and keeps the suspect pool open for most of the movie. We get strong performances throughout, with Jeremy Moineau as Lola taking center stage and we could easily return for another mystery for Lola to solve.
Final Thoughts – Carnage for Christmas is a slick mystery thriller.