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| Film Length | 1 Hour 10 Minutes |
| Advisory Rating | Not Rated |
| Release Date | October 16, 2024 |
| Initially Available On/Via | Film Festival – Newfest |
| Genre(s) | Comedy, Horror, Thriller, LGBT+ |
| Distributor | Dark Star Pictures |
| Director | Alice Maio Mackay |
| Writer | Alice Maio Mackay, Benjamin Pahl Robinson |
| Based On Work By | N/A |
| Character Name | Actor |
| Lola | Jeremy Moineau |
| Riley | Olivia Deeble |
Plot Summary
Lola is a notable Podcaster with their friend, Riley, who focuses on murder mysteries. What got Lola into murder mysteries is due to an experience she had in her small town. She no longer lives there but is visiting for Christmas for the first time as a trans woman. But while she returns to open arms from some, it seems she attracts a serial killer with a desire to kill her friends and her.
Character Descriptions
Lola
Lola is the host of a murder mystery podcast that has notable traction. Beyond that, she is someone from a small town, with a strained relationships with her blood relations, but has found her chosen family in the city.
Riley
Riley is Lola’s co-host who usually handles the letters and non-story telling part of the podcast.
Other Noteworthy Information
- Movie Contains: Cursing, Derogatory Language, Gore, Blood, Torture, Criminal Acts (Murder), Depiction of Corpses, Body Horror, Drinking, Smoking
- The distributor is also known for “I Don’t Know Who You Are.”
Review
Our Rating: Positive (Worth Seeing)
Audience
“Carnage For Christmas” is made for those who love campy murder mysteries. The kind you’ll more laugh at than be scared by.
Highlights
The Humor
It’s Australian humor and that means wit takes precedence. Now, will I say this is the funniest thing you ever saw? Not at all. But you’re bound to chuckle between Lola’s quips and the oddities she faces.
It’s Gruesome In A Fun Way
“Carnage For Christmas” can’t compete with “SaW” or “The Substance” in terms of being graphic and stomach-churning, but it tries. Elaborately set bodies and kills bring a fun level of entertainment.
It’s Only A Little More Than A Hour
Unlike most horror, thriller, and mystery movies, “Carnage For Christmas” isn’t a nearly or well beyond two-hour film. Enough is done to establish who Lola is, what she does, and the mystery, and there is little to no fat. Now, as noted below, there are some caveats to this, but those caveats are only a issue for those used to every horror film having the potential to become a franchise.
On The Fence
The Mystery Is Eh And Your Investment On Who May Die Could Be Minimal
I’d submit that when it comes to “Carnage For Christmas,” it doesn’t really add the oomph needed to make the mystery, or who dies due to it not being solved quickly, matter enough. Now, the story of the Toy Man, it is good, and with the choice to animate the story, it was quite cool. Add in Lola’s actress has a good podcast voice, and you get into what’s delivered.
However, after introducing the legend of Toy Man, things go downhill. Most characters we’re introduced to aren’t notable, beyond a former teacher turned drag queen/owner of the local gay bar. But, they are only memorable just because of their look and what we learn of their journey. Everyone else doesn’t have that and it makes it so as people die, you’ll usually start off with a “Who is that?” and then once it is revealed, you may hunch because it wasn’t like you got to know them much.
Switching to the mystery, there isn’t much, if any, finger pointing and “Carnage For Christmas” doesn’t present the shared experience of you playing detective with the lead. This is the trade off for the movie being short and depending on how you like your mystery/horror films, this could be an issue.
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