Reviews
[REVIEW] ‘It’s a Wonderful Knife’: Christmas Came Early
Ultimately, It’s a Wonderful Knife succeeds as a competent holiday slasher with a heart that is rightfully added to the growing holiday horror pantheon. The cast is immediately likable, and when Winnie finds herself in the Silent Hill version of her hometown, it’s equal parts comical and distressing to see what’s become of them. Lessons are learned, hearts are filled, and plenty of perfectly splattered blood is spilled without devolving into a Lacey Chabert Hallmark Channel Original.

Bah! Humbug! The ashes of All Hallows’ Eve had barely settled into the muck and the mire, yet there I was, heading to the theater to watch a Christmas movie. As someone who wishes to remain Santa-free until the clock strikes twelve on Thanksgiving night, only something as irresistible as a genre-bending slasher could drive me to such madness. And so, on a crisp Southern Californian 80° afternoon, I was seated as Nicole Kidman ushered in my holiday season. And wouldn’t you know it? My coal-black heart grew three sizes that day.
Regifted and Refreshed
You need a twisted mind to concoct a retelling of the beloved 1946 holiday classic It’s a Wonderful Life and deck its halls with gore and expletives, and luckily, we’ve found two. Dark elves and horror-comedy connoisseurs Michael Kennedy (writer of body-swap slasher Freaky) and Tyler MacIntyer (director of the delightfully mean-spirited Tragedy Girls) have melded their minds to give us quite an unexpected gift. Instead of despondent businessman George Bailey and his guardian angel Clarence, we have naive teen Winnie Carruthers (Jane Widdop, Yellowjackets) and The Angel, a masked killer hell-bent on making it a very black Christmas. Descending upon the picturesque town of Angel Falls one fateful Christmas Eve, the murderous celestial is stopped dead in its tracks by Winnie herself – but not before hacking through quite a few of her friends and leaving her shaken to the core. One year later, Winnie is a shell of her former self and wishes she’d never been born, only to find her wish granted, as reality shifts into a much darker version where The Angel has yet to be slain.
Much like Freaky, It’s a Wonderful Knife is a refreshingly witty take on a familiar tale with a dash of supernatural spice. Setting the film’s opening during a “final party” of sorts, offing the killer, and revealing their identity within the first fifteen minutes is just one of the many ways it plays with genre tropes – both horror and holiday – and the story from which it’s inspired. Despite this third-act prologue, Knife consistently finds ways to surprise and delight, so don’t think you have it all figured out before the title card.
And speaking of unexpected delights, the entire film is casually queer in the most cheerful way. Horror is for the outcasts or those looking for alternative fare, and Knife is all about making outsiders feel welcome. Winnie’s gay brother Jimmy (Aiden Howard) is the school’s star quarterback and golden child of his family; her aunt Gale (Katharine Isabelle) is dating quite the female hottie, and a mysterious oddball is somehow mixed up in Winnie’s adventure. The queerness of these characters exists without explanation, and not a creature is stirring or crying “woke” while the boys are a-kissing. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of tragic queer stories, so Santa hats off to the crew for making gay happy again!
Carol of the Gales
It’s no secret that gay people love the Scream franchise and should be paid for all the free promo they give it. It should, therefore, come as no surprise to learn that slasher guru Michael Kennedy named Winnie’s aunt “Gale Prescott” after the famed franchise heroines and influences of the Wes Craven classics can be seen throughout. Scream 7 will reportedly take place during the holiday season, but Knife beat Ghostface to the punch. This movie’s kills and chase scenes simply scream Scream – there’s no other way to put it. They are brutal and bloody, and MacIntyre’s direction of the stab-happy Angel as it bobs and weaves throughout these sequences is ripped straight from the Ghostface Style Guide. For those familiar with the source material, one scene in particular has a direct homage to Scream 2 waiting just at the bottom of the stairs.
Cinematographer Nicholas Piatnik also has some fun of his own, playing with light in genuinely exciting ways and adding a new layer of depth to what would otherwise have been just another kill. The use of technology in Knife likewise stands out in that there is hardly any. Whether intentional or not, the film seems to shy away from tech entirely – save for some choice one-liners – which further allows it to embody the 90s and 00s slashers its creators so admire. Winnie technically doesn’t exist throughout two-thirds of the plot anyway, and I don’t think Verizon has enough cell towers for that.
However, despite all this slasher throwback tomfoolery, Knife isn’t all that scary. If you’re a horror vet, your eyes will light up with excitement, but you’ll be nowhere near the edge of your seat. In that same vein, its comedy is subjective to taste. There are quite a few chuckles and knowing grins to be had, but most won’t be rolling in the aisles. That’s not to say that Kennedy’s script does not balance the tone between genres well because it is quite adept at doing so on the fly, but it doesn’t hammer it home in either direction. Think of it as a playful mix of Scream 2 and 3.
The Softer Side of Slasher
From Sidney Prescott to Winnie Carruthers, this story is ultimately Jane Widdop’s to carry. She borrows from her time on Yellowjackets in more ways than one, first embodying a less intense version of her meek and devout character, Laura Lee, before allowing Winnie to evolve into some amalgamation of the show’s more brazen survivors. She is believable and charming as someone whose entire life has gone to hell twice, and the movie would suffer if not for her ability to handle the madcap directions it takes her. Likewise, Jess McLeod, as the outcast Bernie, quickly becomes the heart of Angel Falls’ alternate reality. What initially appears to be an odd side character, McLeod allows Bernie to shine as the loveable weirdo and other half to the decidedly logical Winnie. Unfortunately, newly anointed Scream King, Justin Long, did not resonate with me as the nefarious Mayor Waters. His off-the-wall caricature of Joel Osteen meets Jiminy Glick must have been projecting from a third reality of his own because his wavelength did not match that of any other human in the movie.
Ultimately, It’s a Wonderful Knife succeeds as a competent holiday slasher with a heart that is rightfully added to the growing holiday horror pantheon. The cast is immediately likable, and when Winnie finds herself in the Silent Hill version of her hometown, it’s equal parts comical and distressing to see what’s become of them. Lessons are learned, hearts are filled, and plenty of perfectly splattered blood is spilled without devolving into a Lacey Chabert Hallmark Channel Original. What’s next in the MKU (Michael Kennedy Universe) of mashup horror is hard to say. Still, hopefully, we’ll get that Freaky Death Day crossover event everyone on the Internet is begging for. Until then, may you discover the joys of It’s a Wonderful Knife and the meaning behind “Aguilerian Thong.”
It’s a Wonderful Knife is in theaters now and streaming on Shudder starting December 1st.
Reviews
‘Shadow of God’ Review: A Bold Indie Horror That Falls Short

Whether they land or not, it’s hard not to appreciate how impressive it is that Shudder gives a platform to myriad independent films. While Screambox struggles to finish the race, Shudder is doing a victory lap. Even the greats trip up occasionally. Shadow of God is a film I heard minor rumblings about across the interwebs, and as someone who isn’t into exorcism-like films, it still piqued my interest enough to seek it out. Then I watched it.
Shadow of God: A Promising Premise Falls Flat
Shadow of God follows alcoholic exorcist Mason Harper (Mark O’Brien) as he travels back to his hometown following a death during an exorcism. Mason meets up with his ex-beau, Tanis Green (Jacqueline Byers), who gives him a place to stay while he’s back. The semi-happy reunion between Mason and Tanis is cut short when the dregs of Mason’s deceased father’s cult learn of his arrival. Everyone’s faith will be tested as something more sinister than anyone could imagine rears its ugly head.
It feels like there was a disconnect between writer Tim Cairo and director Michael Peterson, as Shadow of the God feels nothing more than scattered parts of better films clumped together into a heaping mess of something. While full of awful dialogue, Cairo’s script tells a compelling and somewhat unique take on the religious horror subgenre. The bones of a better film exist deep within the script. A rewrite (or three) could have helped to trim the fat and identify the elements of the story that truly work. On the other hand, Michael Peterson seems to have little to no control over whatever he was doing here.
Digital Effects Ruin Emotional Depth
The real issue with the film is the unfortunate digital effects slapped on before the final cut. Any semblance of an okay film quickly flew out the window with the slapdash effects. Nothing takes you out of a well-crafted emotional moment like a giant, badly composited white light shooting out of someone’s forehead. I was so checked out by the end that my final note written about the film simply says, “barn effects BAD.” To be completely honest, I don’t even know what I meant by that.
Not a singular solid performance graces the screen during this hour and 27-minute series of images. I get that independent films face difficult and unique challenges that larger budget films don’t. But the performances feel as if the cast were given the script seconds before the scenes were shot. Mark O’Brien was a huge sell for me with this film, as I adored him in Ready or Not, and it feels like [maybe] his agent dropped the ball on this one.
The Potential Buried in Shadow of God
Reviews
‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’ Review: Show Me Your Teeth

It has been just three years since Jurassic World: Dominion put the latest trilogy in the franchise on ice with the bite force of a smurf, but like any money-maker in Hollywood, no IP stays extinct for long. Universal decided to revisit the franchise’s roots, heading back to the lab to poke and prod at its barely fossilized remains in an attempt to mix up its DNA enough to warrant a reboot. Jurassic World: Rebirth promised a thrilling return to form – a journey into dino-infested waters that put the terror back in Tyrannosaur. With horror-adjacent auteur Gareth Edwards (known for Monsters and Godzilla) directing and writer David Koepp (who adapted Jurassic Park and The Lost World), returning after a nearly thirty-year absence, expectations were colossal.
What they delivered is a glossy, crowd-pleasing theme park ride into nostalgia that never fully commits to genuine horror or the deeper scientific soul of the 1993 original. It’s enjoyable for fans who love every iteration unconditionally, but it is sure to frustrate those with a more critical eye who expected something closer to a cold-blooded classic.
Jurassic World: Rebirth – A New Chapter or Nostalgic Retread?
For those needing a refresher on the events leading up to Rebirth, you can snag yourself an honorary degree in paleontology with our handy Jurassic Horror 101. After closing out the first reboot trilogy with a whimper, Universal needed to steer the narrative away from pseudo-science and half-baked existentialism toward a more visceral experience; nothing will compare to Spielberg’s masterpiece, sweetie!
The elements for success are all here: Edwards has a strong resume in titanic horror, Koepp is the man behind the original film adaptation, and the fresh faces of Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali bring star power to the tropics. Yet, whether due to studio interference or simply buckling under nine tons of pressure, they still haven’t figured out how to catch lightning in a bottle twice.
Dinosaurs, Big Pharma, and a Tropical Mission
Set five years after dinosaurs were left to coexist with humans, we learn that the prehistoric beasts are once again facing extinction, both physically and metaphorically. Unsustainable living conditions within Earth’s rapidly changing ecosystems are eliminating them faster than an ice age, and – perhaps in a nod to our apathy in a digital world – the humans around them largely do not give a damn. As dino merch turns to ash and people avoid the roaming beasts like an invasive flash mob, pharmaceutical company ParkerGenix recruits mercenaries Zora Bennett (Johansson) and Duncan Kincaid (Ali), along with soon-to-be-unemployed paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Bailey), for an adventure their wallets can’t resist.
It seems that dinosaurs are still thriving on small islands surrounding the equator, and ParkerGenix has discovered within these surviving creatures a medical miracle that may provide a cure for heart disease. However, this being a Jurassic movie, our beautiful trio is tasked with retrieving this biomaterial from an island overrun by failed genetic experiments abandoned by the infamous company that started it all – InGen.
Rebirth’s script does touch upon the ethical dilemmas of serving Big Pharma for a seven-figure payout. Still, these moral quandaries are explored no more deeply than a child kicking at sand on the beach, hoping to uncover something shiny underneath the silt. Thematically, the franchise has painted itself into a corner since 1993. The existential wonder, quiet pathos, and scientific stakes have since been mined dry, which makes the shift toward more human-scale horror a welcome pivot. Two reboots in, we may never see a film that so effortlessly balances terror and philosophy as the original did. So, while I could continue to rip the script to shreds, why bother? Instead, let’s get to why you’re really here and tear into the horror of it all.
Does Jurassic World: Rebirth Deliver on Horror?
As is common with blockbuster films, Rebirth finds itself at odds with its behind-the-scenes talent and the studio executives at Universal. They clearly chose Edwards for his experience with films of kaiju proportions, and Koepp’s portfolio includes its fair share of bangers, including 2025’s critically acclaimed Black Bag. The marketing heavily features the newly hatched D-Rex, a “Xenorancor rex” level monstrosity that by all accounts should be the scariest thing this franchise has ever seen. However, the cold open, which includes a Final Destination-like mishap that allows the D-Rex some bloodlust, is all too brief. And that is the film’s biggest flaw: They have to let it linger, and they don’t.
A certain sense of style and cinematic flair that horror’s best know how to use is simply missing. Is this a creative misstep, or is the studio afraid to alienate families? The hallmark sequence that strands our heroes — a franchise staple — lacks the dread felt in the original’s historic T-Rex attack or even the epic trailer cliff dive from The Lost World. Since the human characters in these movies survive far more often than they should, they could at least leave us a bit shaken after such a spectacle. That said, the film does include a tense river raft sequence from Michael Crichton’s novel that fans have been begging for since the 90s, and it is undoubtedly the movie’s highlight.
CGI vs. Practical Effects in Jurassic World: Rebirth
I could overlook the lack of scares, or at least choose to politely ignore them, if they had gone back to basics and incorporated quality practical effects. Most are aware that OG’s lasting reverence is at least partly due to its extensive use of lifelike, tangible dinosaur prosthetics and robotics. In 2025, a solid combination of quality CGI and practical magic would go a long way. Backed by Edwards’ love of lighting a dramatic silhouette, the D-Rex does have some ominous and visually impressive moments as we catch glimpses of her amidst fire and fog. Then you see mother monster full frontal without the filters, and it feels like catching sight of a sweaty drag queen after a summer brunch performance.
The editing does the film’s attempts at horror no favors either, exhibiting strange spatial logic during tense beats where dinosaurs seem to vanish between cuts and human characters appear to ignore the massive beasts that were chasing them moments earlier.
A Love Letter to Jurassic Fans
As mentioned, fans of the franchise do have a lot to love here, despite Rebirth flopping in the horror department. Instead of the over-the-top fan service found in Dominion, we are given plenty of self-referential nods and visual echoes, from mirror messages to rescue flares and raptors in the kitchen. The excellent score by Alexandre Desplat likewise resurrects a familiar tune that accompanies a sequence featuring mutated Brachiosauruses that look ripped from Annihilation, which almost brought a tear to the eye of this longtime fan. What the movie lacks in scares, it makes up for in charm, and moments like these, along with a central trio of likeable characters, are enough to keep the formulaic plot moving along.
It’s no surprise that Wicked’s Jonathan Bailey, as the eager and inexperienced Dr. Loomis, is as charming as ever. The flitters of interaction between him and Johansson’s gruffy mercenary, Zora, are endearing, and Mahershala Ali’s characterization of Kincaid rounds out the trio with enough wit to establish them as the reboot’s next generation. A paper-thin backstory helps us understand why these would-be heroes are risking their lives for the better part of two hours, leaving room for improvement in potential sequels.
There’s also a forgettable family with the personality of wet rags who get caught up in the action, serving more as catalysts for set pieces than as developed characters. Still, their scenes provide some comedic relief through Gen Z’s himbo boyfriend, Xavier (David Iacono), and a cute baby dinosaur named Dolores (could a Labubu crossover be on the way?).
Is Jurassic World: Rebirth Worth Watching?
Overall, Jurassic World: Rebirth is more entertaining than innovative. It won’t convert any skeptics into dinosaur enthusiasts, but true fans can find plenty to enjoy in this sweaty jungle romp. It’s predictable and lacks the horror elements that readers of Horror Press crave, but I had a good time despite it all. The franchise still has teeth, albeit buried deep within its gums. Hopefully, Universal will allow some creatives the freedom to yank them out in bloody glory for the next one.
Jurassic World: Rebirth is now in theaters!