Silent Night, Deadly Night [2025] – Movie Review (4/5)

SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT (2025) is a twisted reimagining of the classic horror slasher. I really did not know what to expect, but the result is a slasher with a Venom vibe. The perfect beginning to what I hope will be a new Christmas horror franchise. Read our full review of the Silent Night, Deadly Night 2025 version here!

SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT (2025) is a remake of a Christmas horror slasher, but in the wonderful “reimagining” sense. In other words, do not expect a direct remake of the 1980s Holiday Slasher. Instead, we’re getting a story that has elements of both Venom and Dexter Morgan paired with glorious and brutal practical effects. It’s simply brilliant!

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH…

The 2021 Christmas thriller Silent Night which we’ve reviewed here >

Despite having no idea what to expect, this innovative take on the story worked remarkably well. That’s why I am especially happy that the ending teased a perfect way into a sequel. Hell, why not an entire new Christmas horror slasher franchise?! After all, this is produced by several of the people producing the Terrifier franchise.

Continue reading our Silent Night, Deadly Night 2025 movie review below. Find it in theaters on December 12, 2025.

You better watch out, Santa’s coming to town!

In Silent Night, Deadly Night, we meet Billy as a young boy. It’s the night when his parents are brutally murdered, which happens on Christmas Eve. This event will result in Billy growing up to have his own annual killing spree. A killer of an advent calendar… no, really!

From December 1st, Billy has to kill one person every day!

The how and why of it all will be explained. And I really liked how it was all tied together. In fact, I even liked the ending of this movie.

Before we get that far, you will see many creative murders. Don’t worry, the victims are not chosen at random, which is where the Venom and Dexter Morgan elements of this plot come in. And yet, this movie feels very much like its own little universe. Complete with a love story that I didn’t even mind, which also surprised me.

You can look forward to seeing Rohan Campbell (Halloween Ends) as Billy, Ruby Modine (Happy Death Day, Satanic Panic) as Pamela, and David Lawrence Brown (Orphan: First Kill, The Grudge) as Billy’s new boss.

The world is ready for a slasher Santa

When the 1984 original Silent Night, Deadly Night came out, the world was not ready for a Santa slasher. Seeing someone dressed up as Santa Claus killing people was just too much for some people. The result was that it was met with a grotesque resistance.

Suddenly, and despite previous movies featuring a Santa Claus-dressed killer, people decided this was taking it too far.

So, while this 1980s Christmas slasher did ultimately become a horror B-movie franchise, it was off to a brutal start. A wild evolution after it opened the same weekend as Wes Craven‘s A Nightmare on Elm Street. In fact, the Santa slasher managed to beat Freddy Krueger at the box office that first weekend. That ended when the controversy completely ruined its strong premiere.

With this 2025 reimagining of Silent Night, Deadly Night, there is plenty to get people’s proverbial panties in a twist as well. And I love it!

Actually, I also loved the tagline from the original 1984 version, which was: You’ve made it through Halloween, now try and survive Christmas. I mean, come on, if that isn’t the perfect T-shirt for most people working during the Holidays (or being responsible for making the season happy for everyone else), then I don’t know what would be!

Watch the 2025 Silent Night, Deadly Night in theaters

Silent Night, Deadly Night comes from writer-director Mike P. Nelson in this 2025 version. A strong and innovative reimagining that works perfectly as a modern Christmas slasher. While I expected to be entertained and even have fun with this 2025 horror slasher, I never imagined it would be this good.

Mike P. Nelson previously brought us the 2021 Wrong Turn reboot, which I felt missed a few opportunities, so I am very happy that he completely nailed it this time around. More recently, Mike P. Nelson also worked on the V/H/S/85 horror anthology.

If you enjoy a solid slasher with the unapologetic 1980s vibe, but set in a small town in our modern world, then do not miss out on Silent Night, Deadly Night. The practical effects and pitch black comedy alone would be enough to win me over. However, this 2025 reimagining also has a solid premise and a story that could spawn a whole new Holiday Slasher franchise.

SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT is coming to theaters on December 12, 2025.

Details

Director: Mike P. Nelson
Writer: Mike P. Nelson
Cast: Rohan Campbell, Ruby Modine, Mark Acheson, David Lawrence Brown, David Tomlinson