A Holiday Classic Gets a Horror Twist in It’s a Wonderful Knife (2023)
Title: It’s a Wonderful Knife
First Non-Festival Release: November 10, 2023 (Limited Theatrical Release)
Director: Tyler MacIntyre
Writer: Michael Kennedy
Runtime: 87 Minutes
Starring: Jane Widdop, Joel McHale, Justin Long, Jess McLeod
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
When the Angel Falls Killer slashes through several classmates, Winnie Carruthers (Jane Widdup) saves the day, and her brother Jimmy (Aiden Howard). By killing the madman she saves her brother, but her best friend Cara (Hana Huggins) isn’t as lucky. One year after losing her best friend, Winnie still can’t get over the trauma. As bad things continually pileup, Winnie decides she has had enough and wishes she had never been born. Underneath the aurora borealis, Winnie’s wish is granted, and she is transported to an Angel Falls where she had never been born. She quickly learns that in this new reality the Angel Falls Killer is still at large, and more violent than ever.
Sentimental and soft, It’s a Wonderful Knife is a cozy Christmas slasher that skimps on bite for laughs.
In the tradition of recent horror films that present a classic film in the context of a slasher, It’s a Wonderful Knife changes the formula of both staples to bring something unique to the table. Daring to do something different, It’s A Wonderful Knife shows who the killer is early on, with its supernatural twist forcing Winnie to conjure a new strategy to beat them. Going further, It’s a Wonderful Knife adds extra layers to the town’s unravelling to put Winnie through her paces if she wants to return home.
Playing off the original It’s a Wonderful Life, It’s a Wonderful Knife knows exactly how to show love for its inspiration while carving out its own niche. The setting of Angel Falls mirrors the typical Christmas movie aesthetic but with a horror twist. The colors are darker and the characters a little less full of life, but the small-town kookiness remains the same. Instead of a flashback sequence showcasing what life would be without Winnie, the film walks us through it. Big things from the disintegration of her family to smaller things like the lifelessness of the teenage drug-riddled kickback showcase how reaching her spirit extends in the original Angel Falls. Thus, kickstarts her will to fight back.
The cooky characters of Angel Falls are given life and depth by the talented cast that ranges from genre veterans to promising newbies. Smaller parts like cool aunt Gale Prescott (Katharine Isabelle) and Deputy/Sherriff Buck Waters (Sean Depner) leave a large impact on the audience, as their respective actors deliver memorable performances. This energy extends all through the cast to Joel McHale and Erin Boyes playing largely straight roles to much of the wackiness onscreen as Winnie’s dead-eyed grieving non-parents.
Of course, the dynamic duo of Jane Widdop and Jess McLeod make every scene count as the pair of misfits trying to heal the town from Winnie’s wish. Widdop leads with the typical earnestness of a lead but still takes the time to inject some righteous frustration into their interpretation of Winnie. This is perfect because McLeod foils them as the stranger, more free-wheeling spirit of Bernie. They don’t lean too far to be offensive, but McLeod nonetheless makes Bernie a delightful partner to Winnie’s traditional hero and thus forming a pair of final teenagers.
No one is more unnerving than the spray tanned, veneer donning Henry Waters (Justin Long), the slimy mayor who runs the town through unbridled greed and hypnosis. Long revels in the role with a smarm so sickly sweet that you’ll shudder across the room. While he is revealed as the killer in the first fifteen minutes, that doesn’t stop Long from keeping the mystery alive in the second half when Winnie is flung into the alternative reality. Acting as Angel Falls number one charlatan, Long’s portrayal of Mayor Waters is one impossible to forget.
Despite its holiday charm, It’s a Wonderful Knife fails to really capitalize on its slasher intentions, making for a rather okay approach to horror. Fizzling from an explosive first fifteen minutes and a few moments thereafter, most of the action centers on Winnie trying to find a way out of the duplicate Angel Falls. During this time, the action sags as she goes from character to character realizing how sad their lives are without her. Even the final confrontation feels limp, tying a bow at the end of the movie without much fanfare. The design and inspiration of the killer is incredible; the white angel costume being both fresh and scary. It is a shame that it doesn’t get as much screentime as the other antagonist of the film.
It doesn’t quite land the blows it intends to, but It’s a Wonderful Knife remains a charming horror mystery that adequately mashes up two very different genres together. Its killer concept and villain make up for its rather tame action sequences. The jokes may not always land, but the cast still deliver an endearing amount of quirkiness into the production to garner enough goodwill from audiences. Don’t be a Grinch this holiday season and put on It’s a Wonderful Knife for some good ole’ fashioned Christmas spirit.
Overall Score? 6/10
