Year: 2016
Director(s): Anthony Scott Burns, Kevin Kolsch, Nicholas McCarthy, Adam Egypt Mortimer, Gary Shore, Kevin Smith, Sarah Adina Smith, Scott Stewart, Dennis Widmyer, Ellen Reid
Writer(s): Anthony Scott Burns, Kevin Kolsch, Nicholas McCarthy, Gary Shore, Kevin Smith, Sarah Adina Smith, Scott Stewart, Dennis Widmyer
Region of Origin: US
Rating: Unrated
Digital, Color, 115 mins
Synopsis: An anthology feature film that puts a uniquely dark and original spin on some of the most iconic and beloved holidays of all time by challenging our folklore, traditions and assumptions. (Source)
Holidays are reflective times, when repressed feelings, urges and hidden parts of ourselves reveal themselves in unavoidable ways. It’s this exploration of human nature that the new anthology film, Holidays, has gleefully terrifying fun with. Taking us through the calendar year, a slew of the scene’s best horror directors have assembled a collection of vignettes which change the way we look at some of our most cherished, landmark celebrations. The film plays out fast and loose, ranging from body horror, creepy curses, unrequited love, otherworldly terrors and unholy perversion – when it’s good, it’s really good. Like most anthologies, things loose a bit of steam towards the end, but there’s still enough to make this an easy recommendation, with plenty of sick, twisted variety and even unsuspecting doses of dark humor.
The stories unfold by season. Valentine’s Day deals with a young girl’s crush on her swim coach – things go south when he takes pity on her due to excessive bullying. St. Patrick’s Day focuses on the psychological cat and mouse game between a teacher and her fellow student, one who may have subjected her to an insidious ritual. Easter attempts to blend the mythologies of Jesus’ resurrection and the Easter Bunny, after a young girl finds herself confused by the holiday’s true meaning – the execution is as ghastly and grotesque as you’d imagine. Mother’s Day centers on a woman who gets pregnant every time she has sex. She takes part in an unorthodox fertility ritual and finds herself in over her head. Father’s Day, one of the film’s highlights, is what happens after a woman receives a tape recording of her long-lost father, revealing that he’s ready for a reunion. Halloween, a low point, is about three webcam girls who take vengeance on their tyrannical pimp. Christmas finds a down-on-his luck father making a compromise he may regret. Lastly, New Years Eve closes out the film with a blind date that leads to something more sinister.
Linked only by their conceptual dissections, each segment benefits from its brevity and the voice of each unique creator. Don’t expect too much depth, with stories that use each holiday almost like a punchline, but there are plenty of subversive choices in terms of how each director twists the iconography of not only genre, but their respective holidays. Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer’s Valentine’s Day is a nice spin on Carrie, mining teenage angst, jealousy and confusion in artful ways. Director Gary Shore makes our skin crawl with St. Patrick’s Day – his segment has an irresistible rhythm that mixes psychological humor with reptilian frights. Mother’s Day, by Sara Adina Smith, is a smart reflection of the anxiety of motherhood, replete with demonic undertones. Conversely, Anthony Scott Burns’ Father’s Day gives us one of the film’s most atmospheric and surreal segments. His chapter, anchored by star Jocelin Donahue, plays out like an urgent episode of the Twilight Zone, keeping us on our toes with supernatural implications and shadowy cinematography. Things go downhill with Kevin Smith’s trashy Halloween, which doesn’t bother to address its theme and instead relishes in unfunny, juvenile humor. If there’s one thing to stress overall however, it’s how fun the film is. It’s dark, but there’s a playfulness that permeates each story, and in a way unites all of the disparate tones and voices.
Holidays is a lot of bang for your buck, offering rapid-fire haunts and liberal doses of perversity. Most of the directors have great ideas behind their stories, and the film rarely repeats itself. This thing is what it is, fast food horror done by interesting talents, and despite a few misfires, it’s sure to ruin a few holidays along the way – that’s the best compliment you can give it.
SG
