It’s A Wonderful Knife slices all the fat off the core text and gives us some of the best pacing for a slasher. The opening sequence is a condensed slasher in and of itself, delivering everything you could want before you even know the movie’s name. Taking all the timed release kill scenes and mashing them together into a straight line blast was a stroke of genius. The genius keeps stroking when the “what if you were never born” portion is extended to cover most of the story. This once again gives the audience what it wants, and isn’t that what Christmas is about?
“…an impressive ensemble for a slasher.”
The acting is also top-shelf; it is definitely an impressive ensemble for a slasher. Long is becoming a staple in high-concept horror films like Barbarian. He is put to wonderful use here, really showcasing the Vincent Price lane he has to himself these days. McHale shows his range, thanks to the extremes between the alternate realities. He truly exudes the spirit of Yuletide grittiness, making this a good companion piece to Merry Friggin’ Christmas. McLeod brings a lot of nuance to her pariah portrayal. As an actress, she excels at wall-hugging ballet of self-repression, finding the right spots to make it real. Widdop is marvelous as the final girl to the power of infinity. As a lead, she is so spirited and fun that even the horror crowd hopes she makes it to the end.
It’s A Wonderful Knife is one of those pictures that is so surprisingly good you wish you had seen it in a theater. Plus, this is one spiffy-looking picture. The lighting is incredible, with several sections going full Christmas light crazy with color. It is all the better to see the seasonal gore effects, which are elaborate enough to bring lots of joy. The Moon Knight outfit is fantastic, with all that blood showing up so well against the white costume. MacIntyre and Kennedy have easily delivered one of the best holiday slashers ever made.
"…one of the best holiday slashers ever made."
