Werewolf Santa review.
This cycle’s Full Moon Feature gets into the holiday spirit. When Santa Claus is bitten by a werewolf…a youtuber and her family try to track him down.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
Werewolf Santa
Directed by Airell Anthony Hayles
Written by Airell Anthony Hayles
Starring Katherine Rodden, Mark Arnold, Emily Booth, Cian Lorcan, Charlie Preston, Cory Peterson, Dave Darko and John Bloom
Werewolf Santa
Full Moon Features exist to serve two masters. First, we talk about the werewolf aspects of a movie. From transformations to kills to the lore behind each story’s specific curse. Secondly, we review the movie as if it was any other movie we look at. Rarely has a movie split those two acts as decidedly as Werewolf Santa. An entertaining watch full of fun ideas…and a werewolf movie that lacks almost everything we’re looking for. Let’s sink our teeth into all of it.
Santa Claus is bitten by a werewolf. That should be all you need to know about Werewolf Santa. It’s a concept strong enough to warrant a viewing. Lucy (Katherine Rodden) hosts a YouTube show about monsters. One that has come up empty in previous attempts to find Bigfoots and Loch Ness Monsters. But on Christmas Eve…Lucy hits the motherload. She captures a werewolf attack on film…on none other than Father Christmas.
The bulk of Werewolf Santa takes place after Saint Nick has transformed into a werewolf. Lucy enlists the help of her cameraman (and ex-boyfriend) Dustin (Charlie Preston) in tracking down the lycanthrope with a penchant for coming down the chimney. Along the way they are joined by Lucy’s mother (Emily Booth), father (Mark Arnold) and childhood friend Rupert (Cian Lorcan). The patter between the characters is what allows it to rise a cut above similar low budget fare.
The YouTube channel concept (a show called Monster Hunters) allows Werewolf Santa a reason to present its story as found footage. Everything that happens is under the guise of filming the show. The fun vibe and knowing character interactions evoke a Shaun of the Dead feel…and that is never a bad thing. In fact, a loose, fun vibe may be Werewolf Santa’s best attribute.
It certainly isn’t being a werewolf movie. This is the part of the review where we have to focus on something that doesn’t actually matter to the enjoyment of the overall film. If you’re looking for a easy to watch Christmas horror movie with some funny moments…you can stop reading here and proceed with a viewing. It even has a Joe Bob Briggs voice cameo reading ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas that leads into a classic Joe Bob introduction. Like he would say…check it out.
However, this is a Full Moon Feature. And we must do what we must. As a werewolf movie…there is next to nothing here. With a concept this fun…being able to fully unleash wolf effects could have delivered a holiday classic. Unfortunately…that doesn’t happen. The transformation occurs off-screen. As does much of the violence. Werewolf Santa is smart enough to cover their inability to deliver these things by utilizing its found footage concept. The camera just…misses stuff. This benefits the movie the most when it comes to an obviously poor wolf costume. Shrouded in shadows with a moving camera…you can almost look past it.
There is some werewolf lore to tackle at least. Werewolf Santa leans into a kill the lead wolf and the others can be cured concept. Something to narratively introduce a way to save Christmas…but a perfectly reasonable one. Silver is required…as is customary. The idea is also introduced that a werewolf must be killed by someone who loves it. Of course, everyone loves Santa Claus…but there will obviously be a deeper meaning to that by the end of the story.
With our werewolf gripes out of the way…let’s circle back to why Werewolf Santa is a worthy holiday season watch. It’s a Christmas werewolf movie. What more do you need? It moves the story along through comic book text panels. This is more miss than hit. But the Joe Bob comic opening is a good one. There are some fun scenes here even without the ability to deliver classic wolf carnage and effects. Mostly, the film is carried by its tone and the comedic patter between characters. They even find a way to jam some nudity in if that does it for you.
The most surprising aspect of Werewolf Santa is how well the character moments work. The script makes up for what the budget lacks. The acting troupe does a fine job feeling like a family. You buy these people knowing, and being exhausted by, each other. It leads to an earned ending (and a fun sequel tease). On the grading curve of Christmas horror…you could do a lot worse that Werewolf Santa. Even if you could do a lot better in a werewolf movie.
Scare Value
For our purposes of discussing the werewolf aspects of these movies…Werewolf Santa is kind of a dud. As an entertaining piece of business, however…this is a fun movie. It gets all of its mileage out of the core group of characters wandering around town bickering while in search of Santa. Unfortunately, there just isn’t enough werewolf fun here. The discussion of lore is about as much as we get. There is, however, a fun vibe and some fine character moments. It’s just all about the humans.
2.5/5
Werewolf Santa Link
Rent/Buy on VOD from Vudu
