Christmas Horror Short Review: The Christmas Party: A Cautionary Tale (2020)

Written & directed by Jakob Kolness, The Christmas Party stars Colby Herbst, Christopher Torres & Ayana Taylor. A young retail worker is sent to a house where he thinks he’ll be setting up a Christmas tree. What he experiences next, he won’t soon forget.

One of the longer Christmas horror shorts we’ve seen and reviewed. Having 16 minutes to tell its story means The Christmas Party is under a bit more scrutiny. Happily, it stands out for all the right reasons. The first being just how festive it feels. Not in look, but rather tone. That is quite a feat.

Although, it doesn’t start very Christmassy as a man and woman relax on the beach in the sun of Los Angeles. They’re a couple, teasing each other about what he has got her for Christmas. Their conversation turns to the time of the year and it appears as though he moved here for her and is a little homesick. It’s actually quite a sweet scene and sets them both up as a nice, loving and happy couple.

Some time later, he is driving down a street listening to holiday tunes before arriving at a house. He is there to set up a Christmas tree (is that a thing retail workers do in America?) but when he calls the resident, they act very strange.

He then meets the owner of the house who is… shall we say, a tad eccentric.

Inside, the Christmas tree building begins even though the owner continues to act in a disturbing fashion. The brief conversation about Vaseline is enough to send a shiver down spines and the insistence upon drinking Eggnog makes for an uncomfortable watch.

The whole situation gets more and more alarming leading to a terrifying rendition of the Little Drummer Boy. What happens next? Watch it below to find out.

A nice and tension filled horror that delivers chills and thrills. Horror that has a bit more impact thanks to the extra detail and time spent with the main character. By showing his life, his reasons for being in LA and that he loves the holiday, it makes him much more likeable. So, when he is put in a terrifying situation, you’ll want him to get out of it.

It’s a very dark and very twisted tale. One well worth checking out.