The Naughty
  List of Mr. Scrooge

Slasher Trash with Panache?

Review: JA Kerswell

Jake Helgen’s latest love letter to the subgenre undeniably puts the fun in festive fear. A group of old college friends meet for a reunion during an ice storm at a remote house—only to be killed off one by one by a mystery masked assailant dressed as Ebenezer Scrooge. Boasting a witty script, gorgeous twinkling scope photography and some stellar performances, this is a future popcorn Christmas slasher classic.
 
Tabby (Skye Coyne) is a successful photographer in Los Angeles. She accepts an invitation from her old sorority sister, Chandler (Liz Fenning), to celebrate Christmas with their college friends at her Grandmother’s sprawling estate. The invitation is bittersweet, as they are all linked to a past tragedy: Tabby’s troubled boyfriend Glen died falling from the roof of a theatre about to stage a production of A Christmas Carol some ten years previously. 
 
Her new boyfriend Jonny (Colin Koth), joins Tabby on the trip for moral support even though he hates the Holidays (he tells her his mother died giving birth to him on Christmas Day). The delightfully waspy Chandler—who had a reputation for playing pranks in college—welcomes them to her deceased Grandmother’s “chateau”. Joining them are old friends Tucker (Adam Bucci), Julian (Ali Zahiri) and Tabby’s oldest friend Kelsey (Kim Whalen). Another friend, Franny (Coel Mahal), is missing and presumed by the group to be busy—but was actually beheaded by someone dressed as Ebenezer Scrooge shortly after the opening credits.
 
The guests are on edge, not least of all because of the intense man servant Marty (Benedikt Sebastian), who Tabby thinks looks strangely familiar. After drinks, on the itinerary is an old ironic tradition of giving each other unfestive, Scrooge-like gifts. However, someone has seemingly taken this too far and switched the boxes; they are alarmed to find that each one contains a gift and message seemingly linking them to the death of Tabby’s college boyfriend. Understandably spooked, they make plans to flee the party but soon realise that the naughty list is the least of their worries as someone is out for Bloody Yuletide retribution … 

THE NAUGHTY LIST OF MR. SCROOGE isn’t Jake Helgren’s first slasher rodeo—far from it. Earlier this year, he released BAD CONNECTION—about a serial killer hunting a waitress to recover a stolen phone. Where that film was entertaining but brutal, this one is much more playful—and I’d go as far as to say that this festive treat is his best slasher movie to date. As a long-time fan of the subgenre, Helgren knows what makes them tick—but unlike some fans turned filmmaker, he has the talent and wit to pull them off. He knows the recipe for pure, unadulterated slasher movie entertainment. The sparkling dialogue and sense of fun display someone with a deep love and understanding of classic 80s popcorn slashers. His script revels in the sheer joy of the material—and he even throws in a fish tank Easter Egg for fans of HE KNOWS YOU’RE ALONE (1980) and EYES OF A STRANGER (1981). Although not overtly gory, the film features a number of nice splashy practical effects. The biggest gift of all is the extended chase scenes throughout the wood-panelled house, as survivors try and duck the masked killer through hidden passageways. It is all topped off with a killer reveal whose motivation brings to mind the best of the far-fetched 80s slasher romps. 
 
The film looks beautiful (it was shot with vintage anamorphic lenses) and is dripping with Christmas detail. The cast is uniformly good and are clearly having a blast with the material—but special mention must go to Liz Fenning, Skye Coyne and Kim Whalen, who excel as various shades of naughty and nice, respectively. 

THE NAUGHTY LIST OF MR. SCROOGE is a fantastic addition to the long list of Christmas slashers. A real treat.

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