In Werewolf Santa we follow Lucy, the host of a YouTube channel called Monster Hunters that’s not doing too well. Returning to her hometown for Christmas only emphasises all the ways her life is going off the rails, and after a tense Christmas Eve with her mum (Carol), Lucy and her cameraman take a trip to the park where they contemplate all the ways their lives are going down the toilet. Whilst there, a chance encounter with Santa interrupts their evening, but before they can make a Christmas wish he’s brutally attacked by a werewolf. Determined to follow this ferocious Christmas beast as Santa slashes through the town, Lucy and her family are thrust into a race against the clock in order to save Christmas!

As a shameless lover of both lycanthropy and Christmas horror Werewolf Santa was an exciting prospect, and it’s clear that the minds behind the film are fans of the genre as the tagline proclaims “The Beast must die to save Christmas!”. This is a film that is heavily influenced by the werewolf stories that have come before, and we have all the delicious tropes of the genre like a full moon illuminating the blood-spattered sleigh, hair where there was no hair before, and howling in the distance. Unfortunately, the film has a formulaic quality that, whilst ticking all the right genre boxes, does make it feel a bit like a werewolf-by-numbers offering. There’s also the lazy trope of unnecessary female nudity that adds nothing to the narrative, a plot that loses steam halfway through, and documentary-style filmmaking (complete with the shaky, always-just-about-to-run-out video camera capturing Lucy’s hunt), that may be off-putting for some viewers.

However this film shines in the practical effects, and there’s plenty of blood, gore, and guts galore as Lucy and her family chase the werewolf across town, with the twinkling Christmas lights adding an atmosphere of festive fun to proceedings. Emily Booth steals the show as the prim, slightly disappointed Carol, and there are some interesting dynamics between the characters that help sustain this low-budget offering. It’s clear that the funds for this film went where they were needed – eviscerations and Joe Bob Briggs – which was money well spent.  

Although Werewolf Santa isn’t in competition with the greats of the genre, it’s a fun, campy and novel take on lycanthropy that adds a bite to Christmas.

2.5/5

Megan Kenny

A kind-faced stranger, a frazzled waitress and a deadly snowstorm in the Colorado Rockies – what could possibly go wrong?

David is just passing through, stopping for a late break at Ana’s café as he makes his way home for Christmas. With his order of rare steak unavailable, Ana charms him into trying the café’s ‘world-famous cherry pie’, but the meal is interrupted by Ana’s abusive partner Vincent who drunkenly demands that Ana give him access to their daughter. David’s intervention and quick reasoning prevent a violent altercation with Vincent and earns the thanks of a relieved Ana, but out on the snowy roads he is left vulnerable to Vincent’s wrath. Combined with the dangers of driving in a blizzard, David soon finds himself stranded in the snowy wilderness, but is he alone? And can whatever lurks in the snow see him for what he truly is?

Premiering at this year’s Frightfest, Cold Meat’s car-based chills sees David (Downton’s Allen Leech), and Ana (Nina Bergman), in a claustrophobic thriller with some entertaining twists. It’s a familiar set-up with an interesting curve ball thrown in, but its efforts to mix genres isn’t completely successful, and some plot lines are largely unnecessary. The setting of the Colorado Rockies is also odd as the Director is French, and all the actors are Europeans doing their best American accents. If the film was made in a Nordic country it would have been just as effective, and this may also have improved the more mythical elements of the story.

The main protagonists work well together as they duke it out verbally, with some good writing and interesting ideas on display. More flashbacks wouldn’t have gone amiss as they are handled nicely, and as the cold creeps into the car, there’s an inevitability that things won’t end well. Allen Leech plays the role of mild-mannered David well, his ‘everyman’ quality hiding a dangerous inner turmoil. Nina Bergman is striking as Ana but feels somewhat miscast, her capability shining through and taking the role to a slightly different place than I believe was originally intended.

Cold Meat doesn’t quite live up to its title or the full potential of its premise, but it’s still a fun romp in the snow – one to watch with the heating firmly on.

David O’Hare

Megan’s Archive – Werewolf Santa

David’s Archive – Cold Meat

Frightfest coverage