Fantasia 2024: Carnage For Christmas Review

Directed by: Alice Maio Mackay
Written by: Alice Maio Mackay & Benjamin Pahl Robinson

Starring:
Jeremy Moineau – Lola
Dominique Booth – Danielle
Zarif – Charlie
Tumelo Nthupi – Kent
Olivia Deeble – Riley
Joe Romeo – Dave
Yassica Switakowski – Kit
Lewi Dawson – Kat
Lisa Fanto – Abby
Iris Mcerlean – Barry

Image Credit: Fantasia IFF

Running Time: 70 minutes
Not Rated

As stressful as the season tends to be, it doesn’t surprise me that the holidays are a prime setting for horror. Between travel, dealing with family, shopping, organizing get-togethers, weather problems and all the rest of the end of year nonsense, I’m frankly surprised there aren’t more movies about people snapping and going on Christmas killing sprees.

Alice Maio Mackey clearly knows her holiday horror movies well, because Carnage For Christmas feels very much in synch with the seasonal classics. But the wunderkind of DIY horror isn’t just aping the greatest hits; she puts her own perspective and unique spin on the genre in this energetic and bloody caper, which screened at Fantasia on Friday.

Carnage stars Jeremy Moineau as Lola, a true crime podcaster in Australia who left her hometown years ago after coming out as a trans woman. The town’s dark history left its mark on Lola, who recounts on her latest episode how a local toymaker allegedly killed children decades ago and a personal experience at his infamous house spurred her interest in true crime.

Lola finishes her podcast and prepares to return to the town for the first time since transitioning. She reconnects with her sister Danielle (Dominique Booth) and, despite a couple of uncomfortable encounters with intolerant locals from her past, is having a good time. That comes to an end when someone dressed as the toymaker starts targeting the local queer population – all of whom are Danielle’s friends.

With the police more interested in throwing suspicion at Lola than catching the killer, she starts looking into the situation. Is this the ghost of the toymaker, or someone more of the flesh and blood variety? As Lola tries to discover the truth, she finds herself and her sister firmly in the Santa outfit-wearing murderer’s sights.

The past few years have seen Mackay become one of the more talked about filmmakers in terms of independent horror. She has grown into a position as this era’s John Waters or Gregg Araki, a filmmaker with a homegrown approach who doesn’t let a lack of budget prevent her from telling potent queer stories.

Carnage is her most confident and polished film to date, an ode to holiday slashers with a modern update. Mackay’s script is balancing two major story elements; on one hand, it’s delving into the tribulations of returning to a place that you once called home and facing some of those ghosts you left behind. On the other, it has a crazed murderer to stop. She balances those two arcs well for the most part, knowing when to pull back on one to let the other shine.

There is a lot going on in the story of this small town and Lola’s return. Mackay piles a lot into this film, and occasionally it threatens to be more than the 70-minute running time can handle. Fortunately, Lola is always at the center and Moineu handles the weight of the film well. Lola is an engaging character with depths of vulnerability but who also isn’t afraid to stand up for herself against the small-minded people of her hometown. Moineu capably captures both of those sides and matches up well with the rest of the cast.

Mackay’s work behind the camera retains the DIY aesthetics of her previous films, but with a new level of craft and maturity. Part of that is of course due to her growth as a filmmaker, but her collaboration with Vera Drew (The People’s Joker), who serves as editor and VFX supervisor, also reaps benefits. The editing is tighter but also flashier, and the use of animation for flashback sequences makes for a nice little flair in Mackay’s storytelling sandbox.

From a production standpoint, this is still rough around the edges but much like some of Mackay’s inspirations, that’s all part of the charm. The kills come with nice flashes of gore, and the main set piece in that respect involved a body laid out in a viscerally effective holiday-themed fashion.

To be clear, this film won’t be for everyone. If you’re looking for studio polish then you should look somewhere else, and Mackay’s love of camp will be a turnoff for some. But traditional aesthetics aren’t hallmarks of the kind of filmmaking Mackay seems to want to deal in. Carnage For Christmas represents a type of filmmaking that isn’t always given its due. It stands as Mackay’s most intriguing work yet, and works well as a bloody and fun little slice of mystery horror.

The Fantasia International Film Festival takes place in Montreal from July 18th through August 4th.

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

Carnage For Christmas is another win for Alice Maio Mackay, as well as for queer and trans horror. Centered by a strong performance from star Jeremy Moineau, the holiday horror flick benefits from Mackay's collaboration with Vera Drew. While it has a bit too much story to satisfactorily wrap up in the 70-minute running time, it delivers a few enjoyably bloody setpieces and a lot of campy Christmas fun.