Black Christmas - Probably better in its day

For someone who's watched as many 'slasher' films in my time (and enjoyed many a 'gore-fest' along the way!) it's taken me until 2023 to watch 'Black Christmas,' which. if the internet trivia is to be believed, is up there with horror classics like 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' and 'Halloween' - in bringing the 'slasher' genre to the mainstream.

It's about a killer, stalking residents of a sorority house one Christmas and, er, that's about it.  It's pretty simple in terms of story, but then most slasher films tend to be that way.  I hear that much the major gore was cut in order to get it released - and it shows.

I would imagine that almost everything contained within this film would be considered 'shocking' and 'revolutionary' in terms of on-screen scares, whereas today, it's just kind of tame.

As I say, there's not much gore.  And there's not much that you haven't seen in a hundred similar movies.  I suppose there's something to be got out of the story in trying to guess who the killer is (I confess, I never managed to see how it would eventually end).  

The characters are likable enough - those who are meant to be.  And there are a few 'red herrings' thrown in there for good measure.  The police were suitably useless in their efforts in catching the killer, but then if they were competent the film's runtime would be about ten minutes.

'Black Christmas' is worth a watch if you like competent slasher films - there's nothing here that's bad, but, after over forty years, there's nothing here that new either.

6/10 Should probably keep you awake if Freddy Krueger was haunting your nights