Horror Movie Review: Santa Isn’t Real (2023)

Santa Isn’t Real, right? That’s the question writer and director Zac Locke asks with his new holiday slasher horror movie. It stars Kaya Coleman as Nikki, a young woman who has an extremely unwelcome visitor one night at Christmas.

As the clock strikes midnight, the jolly fat man comes down her chimney, however he’s not bearing gifts. Instead, he has a knife, cutting her with it, then leaving her bleeding on the floor. Not before helping himself to some cookies and laying a finger on the side of his nose. It’s all very wholesomely horror, and the viewer is left wondering what just happened.

After all, if this is the real Santa Claus, why does he appear to be wearing a mask? Why does he cut her, but not kill her? These are questions that Santa Isn’t Real wants you to ask, as it attempts to create twists and turns with its over-arching story.

One year later, and Nikki wakes from a coma, discovering that she has been hospitalised ever since the attack and everyone believes that she attempted suicide. After speaking with a nurse and her friends, Nikki decides she has to get out of the hospital and demands she join her boyfriend Nathan (Trey Anderson), friends Jess (Scarlett Sperduto) and MJ (Cissy Ly) on a festive trip to an isolated cabin.

The idea being that she can recuperate and forget about the traumatic events of the previous year. Of course, a year is a long time and things have changed amongst the group that results in a lot of tension. If that wasn’t enough to make the environment one most wouldn’t want to be in, Santa is back, and he is looking to deliver even more festive frights this time round.

Featuring a twist that most will see coming a mile away, and doing a really poor job of explaining it, Santa Isn’t Real’s potential is never realised. After a really strong opening, it’s quite sad to see the movie slowly descend into mediocrity. Not just with the overarching story, but the finer points surrounding the events and characters.

One of the movie’s biggest flaws is how unlikable Nikki is. She comes across incredibly selfish, mean, and demanding. Her boyfriend and friends do a hell of a lot to placate her, but she seems unwilling to give anything back. Although this does seem to have been on purpose, it doesn’t make her particularly watchable.

Alongside that, the acting overall is extremely hit and miss, and there are far too many awkward moments of poor dialogue and under-reactions. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself occasionally cringing at certain scenes. Moments that are supposed to raise a smile or laugh almost always fall flat, aside from a wacky impassioned speech from a priest played by David Mitchum Brown.

So, what’s the deal with Santa? Is he real or not? Few will find themselves caring as Santa Isn’t Real really starts to drag. Which is simply unacceptable for a 75-minute movie. By time the rampage really gets started, most will have mentally checked out. Which just makes the big reveal all the more lacklustre in the end.

Overall, Santa Isn’t Real is wholly unforgettable and unlikely to become a festive horror classic.