Film Review: Carnage for Christmas (2024) - Australia
Reviewed by Andrew Chan (Film Critic Circle of Australia)
I rated it 6/10
Rating: ★★★
Support my reviews by buying me a Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/neofilmblog
Support our reviews by buying from official DVDs / Blu Rays at NeoFilmShop.com
A Punk Rock Slasher with Heart, If Not Polish - Australian Director Alice Maio Mackay’s “Carnage for Christmas" arrives not with a sleigh bell jingle, but with the crackle of a blown amplifier and the spray-painted energy of a zine passed hand-to-hand. At just 19 years old, Mackay delivers a micro-budget holiday horror that feels less like a studio product and more like a declaration of intent, scrawled in fake blood on a thrift-store Christmas card. It’s rough, it’s rushed, and its seams show like cheap tinsel, but it pulses with a vibrant, queer spirit and a genuine love for the genre that’s impossible to dismiss.
The premise is gloriously simple: a killer Santa stalks a small town. But Mackay, refreshingly, isn’t interested in generic slaughter. Instead, she filters the "killer Santa" trope through the lens of a queer community under siege, centering on Lola (Jeremy Moineau), a trans true-crime podcaster who finds herself and her friends becoming the targets. Lola isn't defined solely by her transness; it’s presented as a “statement of fact," woven organically into her character as she investigates the crimson-clad menace. This normalization within the heightened reality of a slasher is one of the film’s quiet triumphs.
Moineau’s performance as Lola is, frankly, where critical consensus fractures like a cheap candy cane. Is she a modern, horror-adjacent Jessica Fletcher, radiating quirky charm as she pieces together clues? Or is the delivery sometimes as flat as day-old eggnog? The truth likely lies somewhere in between, colored heavily by the viewer’s tolerance for the earnest limitations of micro-budget acting. Yes, some lines land with the thud of a rehearsed reading. Yet, there’s an undeniable presence – a determination in Lola that feels genuine. You root for her, awkward delivery and all.
The real warmth, however, radiates from the ensemble – Dominique Booth’s Danielle, Zarif’s Charlie, and the tight-knit group they portray. Their chemistry embodies a palpable queer solidarity that feels authentic and lived-in, even when the dialogue itself occasionally stumbles into unnatural territory. Their collective enthusiasm is infectious; it doesn't erase the technical shortcomings (awkward line readings are frequent companions), but it more than makes up for the lack of polish with sheer heart.
Where "Carnage" truly shines is in its scrappy, inventive style. Operating on a shoestring (reportedly around $10,000), Mackay and her team make bold choices. Giallo-inspired lighting drenches scenes in lurid neon greens and bloody reds, creating an eerie, almost surreal atmosphere far more ambitious than the budget suggests. Editor Vera Drew injects a “gonzo" energy, employing dynamic cuts, playful animation segments, and a punk-rock scrapbook aesthetic. It’s messy, it’s chaotic, but it’s alive. This visual and editorial punk vitality is the film’s beating, albeit slightly arrhythmic, heart.
The film’s brevity (a lean 70 minutes) is both a blessing and a curse. It ensures no scene overstays its welcome, but it also means the plot feels rushed. Character development happens in shorthand, and the script lurches abruptly from quippy banter to heavy exposition, leaving emotional moments sometimes gasping for air. And despite its provocative title, "Carnage" is surprisingly restrained on the gore front. This isn't a non-stop splatterfest; it’s more accurately a detective mystery wearing a slasher’s blood-splattered coat. Viewers expecting relentless carnage might leave slightly hungry.
“Carnage for Christmas" is an incredibly impressive film when viewed through the lens of its teenage filmmaker and minuscule resources. It’s not "polished." It’s not "flawless." But it is vibrant, defiantly queer, and bursting with raw, punk-rock filmmaking spirit. Think of it less as a traditional horror movie and more as an LGBT Scooby-Doo mystery, directed by a passionate cinephile with a love for Giallo and a spray can of fake blood. For fans of scrappy, heartfelt indie genre fare, especially those craving authentic representation, Mackay’s festive frenzy offers genuine thrills and undeniable charm amidst the chaos. It’s a stocking stuffer with sharp edges, but one filled with surprising promise. (Neo, 2026)
Available now on DVDs / Blu Rays at NeoFilmShop.com