An anthology horror movie tackling the scariest theme of the modern era, holidays. Oh my.
What happens when you take a curiosity strange concept and grab an assorted set of directors? This oddball anthology. Holidays, if nothing else, do bring out some sort of emotion from us all. For most of us it’s joy, but there’s also the uncertainty, child like curiosity and general intrigue as to where the lore behind some of our nationally and internationally celebrated holidays stem from. This film takes a look at the 8 most important holidays that take place during the year, Valentine’s Day, Easter, St. Patrick’s day, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Halloween, Christmas, and New Years. If anything, this movie is like a box of chocolates. You got some you kind of like, some you really aren’t feeling, and overall, you might have just preferred a good old fashioned horror flick.
As I metaphorically hold my breath, I shall give a brief run down of each of the 8 films. Valentine’s Day, follows a troubled girl in high school who is bullied by her teammates and has a crush on her coach. It’s got the creepy makings of a decent horror film but doesn’t quite come together at the end. Rather, like you’ll hear me say over and over again through this review, it’s as if the end was just to highlight the holiday rather than make logical sense.
Easter was rather intriguing and one of the better shorts of the set. It looks to combine the two reasons people celebrate Easter, the mythology of the Easter bunny and the resurrection of Christ. It takes a very interesting approach and ends up scaring and creeping you out. Aside from the interesting premise, there isn’t much underneath it, leaving it feeling quite a bit like a bad easter egg, pretty at first glance but hollow on the inside.
St. Patrick’s day was certainly an interesting short, as it explored the myth of St. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland. To put it bluntly, it’s like a fever dream. Imagine Rosemary’s baby mixed with some pagan imagery and some outlandish but oh so very funny moments. It’s so weird, you’re not sure if you should feel some shock, thrill, fear, or laugh. It’s something.
Mother’s Day was a rather disappointing short to me. The story follows a woman who gets pregnant every time she has sex, regardless of her contraceptive efforts. What started as a possibly interesting concept became boring extremely fast. At no point during the short does it ever come together, especially during the end. Aside from a single jump scare, the only thing you’ll be feeling is boredom and wondering when the next short will come on.
Father’s Day might be my favorite out of the set for several reasons. Out of the entire anthology, this short is the only one that’s genuinely tense, mysterious and gripping from the opening scene. It follows a young professor who learns her Father, whom her Mother told her was dead is still alive. When a tape he entrusted to “friends” finds it’s way to the girl, she listens and follows its instructions as she’s listening, reliving a day from her past as well as discovering something new in the present. This was the only short that created an ambiance of terror and an ending that left you wanting more.
How could anyone mess up Halloween? It’s the only holiday that inherently tries to be scary. However, it’s at the bottom of the list along with Mother’s Day. The short follows several “cam girls” who take revenge on their sleazy boss who abuses them. Not only is it not scary, but it’s incredibly gory and over the top. If anything, it’s cringeworthy, for several reasons and none of them good.
Christmas was one that leaned more on the comedic side. It follows a mild mannered Father who gets bossed around by his wife, who on Christmas Eve tries to buy VR headset. However, the guilt brought about by how he got it begins to eat at him as well as change his demeanor to be more demanding. While certain tropes and cliches are avoided, this story still feels plain. With Seth Green cast as the Father, you know there’s some decent laughs to be had watching this one.
New Years is far and above the funniest of the set. While most try to blend humor into the mix of horror, this one does so in spades. The story follows a psychopathic killer who attempts to pick up girls through online dating, but once they realize how strange he is, he kills them. On New Years Eve, he meets a new girl who is more than he bargained for. It begins tense, it ends tense, and playfully weaves humor throughout. It was a nice way, as far as this anthology goes, to wrap up the film.
All of the actors and actresses in these shorts gave great performances more or less, with no real complaints. While the average short was a mediocre watch, there are a couple good watches in there. If you are fans of any of the directors on the long list of collaborators or you like the horror comedy mix, you’ll enjoy this one for sure. If anything, watch it for the interesting Father’s Day short.
We screened the film at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival.
For more information visit here: https://tribecafilm.com/filmguide/holidays-2016
