Just when I thought I was through with the holiday season, 13 Slays Till X-Mas shows up to drag me, kicking and screaming back into the spirit. The world can never have too many Christmas-themed horror movies, so another one is certainly welcome. My question is, how often have you come across a Christmas-themed horror anthology? That’s right, I said anthology! 13 Slays will certainly become a holiday staple for horror fans everywhere.
When a small group of people are invited to a bar for a few drinks on Christmas Eve, the last thing anyone expects to be doing is telling stories. Before they know it, each of them is telling their best spooky stories to one another. What could turn out to be a fun night with interesting people, they all get the sense that they’re there for more than just their storytelling skills.
The thing that impressed me the most was just how seamlessly the film plays. There weren’t just a few different filmmakers working on this, there were well over a dozen. They include P.J. Starks, Drew Marvick, John Mason, Julie Streble, Brittany Blanton, William Capps, John Hale, Sean Blevins, Eric Huskisson, Shawn Burkett, Jed Brian, Robert Kern III, Blair Hoyle, and Carlos Omar De Leon. Each filmmaker, with their own style, was able to create a piece that would fit perfectly within the context of the picture. This could have easily been a trainwreck, but somehow, everything seems to work.
The stories vary in tone from light-hearted to really dark. With the amount of different stories, it’s just not feasible for me to review each and every one. They all work on some level, but not all of them connected with me.
A couple of my favorites included the story of a young girl who wants a cellphone for Christmas, a twisted Santa with his killer reindeer, a couple exchanging gifts, and a holiday party that quickly turns into a massacre. The film is not excessively gory, but there are plenty of really impressive practical effects to gush over. Even the music from Rocky Gray (formerly of Evanescence) works in a way that reminds one of the holiday yet fills you with fear at the very same time.
RELATED: 8 of the Best Horror Movies Featuring Haunted Houses
Many of the actors in 13 Slays Till X-Mas have been paying their dues for many years in the indie horror scene. Performers like Kaylee Williams, Roni Jonah, Kevin Roach, Steve Christopher, and Brittany Blanton deliver the goods, as do the rest of the cast. I could just write out the cast list, but I’m just not going to do it. Take my word, they’re all good.
While the overall product is solid and entertaining, I have a couple of very minor grievances. My only real issue with the film was how the stories would transition. As the bar patrons were telling the stories, I would have liked to hear them begin to tell the story, a little voice-over narration, just to give you a better feel of who was telling the story at the time. It could have helped when ending a story and going into the next one. A couple of the stories end rather abruptly, and it took me a minute to realize we were on to the next. I also wouldn’t have minded seeing the name of each story as they began.
These are just personal preferences of my own and should in no way dissuade you from watching a highly unique and ambitious project. I call for a new tradition! Gather your friends, stockpile the booze, and every holiday season, watch 13 Slays Till X-Mas. You’ll have a blast!
We’re hardworking geeks who love to geek out, but we can’t do it without you! If you enjoyed this article and want to see more like it, please consider tipping our writers. Also, as an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
