REVIEW: It's a Wonderful Knife (2023)
By Stephen Pytak
Fans of fantasy slasher flicks like "Happy Death Day (2017)" and "Freaky (2020)" are in for a treat this holiday season.
It’s called “It’s a Wonderful Knife (2023).” It’s more than just a stabathon with a gimmicky title. It's more than just a clever spin on "It's a Wonderful Life (1947)." And it’s a lot better than the Tomatometer suggests (It's at 56 as of this writing).
The gist: A masked psycho dressed as an angel tree topper is racking up a body count in a small town called Angel Falls on Christmas Eve. He meets his match in a run in with a teenage girl who looks like a young Barbara Crampton (The resemblance isn't part of the plot. It's just one of my observations).
One year later, this girl, "Winnie (played by Jane Widdop)" finds herself with a case of the holiday blues. And in a fateful moment, she wishes she was never born.
Next thing you know, she finds herself in a parallel universe where that is in fact the case. Nobody knows her. She is cold and alone. And to make matters worse, the killer she put down the year before is back with a vengeance.
So as she steps into Act II, and into this bold new world, she realizes she has to prove her worth to set the world right again. And that will mean facing down this boogeyman once again.
Helping her on her journey is a girl from her high school class who is a social outcast, an odd duck named "Bernie (Jess McLeod)," someone she didn't really know in the first place. But as the story progresses and the character development thickens, Winnie and this outcast form a bond, further raising the stakes and her hopes for the future.
The film works on a number of levels.
For starters, the script is pretty good. The first act is the roughest because it’s the set up. But Act II is a lot more fun. And in the last reel, the filmmakers delivered a nice pay off for our main characters. Honestly, I wasn't sure where this film was going to go as I sat through the first 15 minutes or so. But I really got invested during the second act and I was really impressed by how it all wrapped up.
I'm not going to do spoilers here, because I think folks should go and enjoy the surprises in store. I wasn't expecting really interesting character moments from this thing. I just bought a ticket to watch a modern slasher flick starring Justin Long (we'll get to him). But in the end, I walked out thinking about how much I enjoyed the story involving the two leads. And they're the reason why I'm recommending this.
The cast is really good, and I think the leads were really crucial to the success of this project.
I never heard of Jane Widdop before, but her performance kept me engaged. Her resemblance to Barbara Crampton is uncanny. I kept thinking, "Wow. That's how Barbara looked when she filmed 'Re-Animator (1985).'"
I never heard of her co-star, Jess McLeod, either.
But that's fine. Regardless, I enjoyed their work in this and I'm hoping we'll see more of their work in the future.
The film does feature a few folks fans of the horror genre will recognize.
There's William B. Davis, who will forever be known as the "Cigarette Smoking Man" in "The X-Files" TV series. The cast also includes Katharine Isabelle, who is known for her roles in "Ginger Snaps (2000)" and its sequels, as well as the classic "American Mary (2012)." Then there's Justin Long.
This is a must see for his fans and the horror films he’s starred in. I'm not saying it's his best performance, but it's kind of amusing.
He plays a ghoul name "Henry Waters." A real-estate developer who is out to swallow up every bit of prime real estate in sight, he has Jim Jones charisma, a Donald Trump tan and a Jim Bakker accent. He's also our villain. And that's not really a spoiler, since it's been put out there in the film's trailers.
Justin Long has appeared in numerous horror films over the years, including "Jeepers Creepers (2001)," "Tusk (2014)" and "Barbarian (2022)." And in each of those films, he's played a different type of character. And I think fans of his work will enjoy his over-the-top performance here.
I'd never heard of this film's director, Tyler MacIntyre. But I thought he did a pretty good job. And I hope if there's a sequel he's back in the director's chair.
Fans of fantasy slasher flicks like "Happy Death Day (2017)" and "Freaky (2020)" are in for a treat this holiday season.
It’s called “It’s a Wonderful Knife (2023).” It’s more than just a stabathon with a gimmicky title. It's more than just a clever spin on "It's a Wonderful Life (1947)." And it’s a lot better than the Tomatometer suggests (It's at 56 as of this writing).
The gist: A masked psycho dressed as an angel tree topper is racking up a body count in a small town called Angel Falls on Christmas Eve. He meets his match in a run in with a teenage girl who looks like a young Barbara Crampton (The resemblance isn't part of the plot. It's just one of my observations).
One year later, this girl, "Winnie (played by Jane Widdop)" finds herself with a case of the holiday blues. And in a fateful moment, she wishes she was never born.
Next thing you know, she finds herself in a parallel universe where that is in fact the case. Nobody knows her. She is cold and alone. And to make matters worse, the killer she put down the year before is back with a vengeance.
So as she steps into Act II, and into this bold new world, she realizes she has to prove her worth to set the world right again. And that will mean facing down this boogeyman once again.
Helping her on her journey is a girl from her high school class who is a social outcast, an odd duck named "Bernie (Jess McLeod)," someone she didn't really know in the first place. But as the story progresses and the character development thickens, Winnie and this outcast form a bond, further raising the stakes and her hopes for the future.
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| Jane Widdop as "Winnie" in "It's a Wonderful Knife (2023)." © RLJE Films and Shudder |
The film works on a number of levels.
For starters, the script is pretty good. The first act is the roughest because it’s the set up. But Act II is a lot more fun. And in the last reel, the filmmakers delivered a nice pay off for our main characters. Honestly, I wasn't sure where this film was going to go as I sat through the first 15 minutes or so. But I really got invested during the second act and I was really impressed by how it all wrapped up.
I'm not going to do spoilers here, because I think folks should go and enjoy the surprises in store. I wasn't expecting really interesting character moments from this thing. I just bought a ticket to watch a modern slasher flick starring Justin Long (we'll get to him). But in the end, I walked out thinking about how much I enjoyed the story involving the two leads. And they're the reason why I'm recommending this.
The cast is really good, and I think the leads were really crucial to the success of this project.
I never heard of Jane Widdop before, but her performance kept me engaged. Her resemblance to Barbara Crampton is uncanny. I kept thinking, "Wow. That's how Barbara looked when she filmed 'Re-Animator (1985).'"
In an interview with The Wrap published on Nov. 13, 2023, the film's writer, Michael Kennedy, said that wasn't intentional: "In fact, someone asked me if Winnie is a reference to Casey Becker (Barrymore's character in 'Scream') and Barbara Crampton in 'Re-Animator.' Honestly, Jane came up with that haircut."
I never heard of her co-star, Jess McLeod, either.
But that's fine. Regardless, I enjoyed their work in this and I'm hoping we'll see more of their work in the future.
The film does feature a few folks fans of the horror genre will recognize.
There's William B. Davis, who will forever be known as the "Cigarette Smoking Man" in "The X-Files" TV series. The cast also includes Katharine Isabelle, who is known for her roles in "Ginger Snaps (2000)" and its sequels, as well as the classic "American Mary (2012)." Then there's Justin Long.
This is a must see for his fans and the horror films he’s starred in. I'm not saying it's his best performance, but it's kind of amusing.
He plays a ghoul name "Henry Waters." A real-estate developer who is out to swallow up every bit of prime real estate in sight, he has Jim Jones charisma, a Donald Trump tan and a Jim Bakker accent. He's also our villain. And that's not really a spoiler, since it's been put out there in the film's trailers.
Justin Long has appeared in numerous horror films over the years, including "Jeepers Creepers (2001)," "Tusk (2014)" and "Barbarian (2022)." And in each of those films, he's played a different type of character. And I think fans of his work will enjoy his over-the-top performance here.
The look of the killer in this film is kind of interesting. It's akin to the costume worn by Ghostface in the "Scream" movies. But here, the killer, dubbed "The Angel," is wearing a white cloak with a (presumably) translucent face covering which makes him look like his face is as blank as a snowball. A tree-topper which looks like a mini version of the character is put atop a tree at the start of the film.
I'd never heard of this film's director, Tyler MacIntyre. But I thought he did a pretty good job. And I hope if there's a sequel he's back in the director's chair.
The film will also appeal to a broader audience because it isn't just another holiday slasher. Like "Freaky (2020)" it doesn't shy away from characters with alternative lifestyles or gay themes. Actually, one of the film's strengths is its ability to work all of that into the character development. In the end, you'll find yourself rooting for characters not just because they're trying to survive attacks by a knife-wielding killer, but because they're thinking ahead and hoping to be with someone special at Christmas.
RATING (On a scale of 1 to 5): 4
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