Horror Movie Review: Adult Swim Yule Log (2022)

Adult Swim Yule Log aka The Fireplace, is all about subverting expectations and delivering originality, something that writer/director Casper Kelly absolutely nails.

Beginning as nothing more than one of those fireplace yule log background videos found on YouTube, Adult Swim Yule Log transforms into a meta black comedy horror film. One with surreal twists and turns, and one also willing to put focus on more serious subjects such as mental health and slavery.

The ambitious effort stars Andrea Laing as Zoe and Justin Miles as Alex, a young couple who have rented the cabin for the week. Unknown to them, shortly before they arrived, the owner was murdered by a masked killer called Pleatherface, and his psychotic mother. The two killers dispose of her body and hide somewhere in the cabin.

Shortly after arriving and after a marriage proposal, Zoe and Alex’s evening is interrupted, first by the local Sheriff who is checking in on them following reports of a killer being on the loose. He and his deputy are less than pleased to see that the wood for the fire has come from a nearby tree that was used to hang slaves. Claiming that it is taboo to touch this tree and that it is cursed.

After extinguishing the fire, they leave, but before Zoe and Alex can get to relaxing in the hot tub, their evening is once again interrupted by the arrival of Ben (Sean Hankinson), Beth (Hannah Alline), Holly (Danielia Maximillian-Almeda), and Henry (Skye Passore). A foursome who have also booked the cabin to record their podcast, an unfortunate example of double-booking. The four, having dropped some psychedelics, are unwilling to just leave, so both parties try to get through to the owner.

Discovering that the phone is in the cabin, causes Zoe to suspect that something is very wrong here, and she’s right. As unknown to anyone, the extinguished fire has relit itself. There is a killer on the loose, but the cursed hanging tree might turn out to be a bigger problem for everyone.

Originality is very hard to do in horror, but by taking familiar elements and tropes, adding deeper and more meaningful plot points, then mashing everything together with a unique style of filming and a very game cast, Adult Swim Yule Log ends up standing out from the pack.

Not only is it extremely meta, it’s also extremely fun. The blend of trippy sequences, dark comedy, and savage horror makes for an entertaining watch. It hooks you from the start, and then just keeps ramping up the enjoyable nonsense. Most will be fully invested once they witness a possessed log smash a person’s face into a bloody pulp, but once the aliens arrive, it’s hard to pull the smile from the face.

Yet, by utilising flashbacks of previous occupants of the cabin and telling a nuanced story around slavery, Adult Swim Yule Log gives its story so much more depth. Something that also applies to the main characters of Zoe and Alex. Played really well by both actors, the former’s mental health issues and where they come from, is handled deftly, whereas the latter’s nature is lovable and he is involved in one of the funniest scenes of all. We never do get the answer of who will play Zoe in the adaption of the events occurring around them!

By time it reaches its conclusion, it’s hard not to feel lot of affection for what was accomplished here. Adult Swim Yule Log should have been a terrible idea, but thanks to a ton of talent, it ends up being one of the better ‘festive’ horrors seen in some time.