Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: UNHOLY NIGHT [Fantasia Film Festival - Montreal, Quebec - Virtual]
The context of holiday meals gone wrong simply begins the tale of “Unholy Night” [Septemtrion Shadow]s. The story follows Gino, the least Italian of a very Italian family who gets his balls busted from the moment he walks in the door from his mom to his brother to his father and sister and everyone in between as they head into Christmas week. The prologue shows his mom in the house across the street where an ambush seems to happen but we are not sure by who. There is also Rene, an old flame, who lives across the street and has a history with Gino. And then Grandma shows up. To give away much more gives away the twist but bedlam does ensue. The tone though is interesting since it goes from intense violence to some really heavy acting. The matriarch of the house gets it the worse but she also has one of the best scenes at her vanity with “grandma”. Also the use of eye replacement or a practical effect they used really is one of the unsung heroes of the piece.
Granted this is a Christmas horror movie so there definitely is a bit of camp. Gino, of course, is the anti hero with something to prove even if he doesn’t think so. He works in a paint store while everyone else is opening up successful businesses but that "paint" detail becomes an intrinsic part of the fabric of the narrative. The actual mythology that surrounds the context of the curse which uses Italian lore is a little weak in terms of what is really happening but the baseline is there. "Unholy Night" has a decent concept, some good performances but is a little haphazardly done. The grandma when she flitters between the real and the dark has the most comedy and the most weight of all. The eventual resolution is an interesting turn but seems disjointed from the rest of the movie. Granted it is supposed to add heart. However some of the earlier actions between the mom and the daughter are much more dire. But "Unholy Night" tries to do many different things and succeeds in many ways. B
By Tim Wassberg
