Black Christmas (2019)

Movie Details:

Cast & Characters:

• Imogen Poots as Riley Stone
• Aleyse Shannon as Kris Waterson
• Lily Donoghue as Marty Coolidge
• Brittany O’Grady as Jesse Bolton-Sinclair
• Caleb Eberhardt as Landon
• Cary Elwes as Professor Gelson
• Simon Mead as Nate
• Madeleine Adams as Helena Rittenhouse
• Nathalie Morris as Fran “Franny” Abrams
• Ben Black as Phil McIllaney
• Zoë Robins as Oona Apteao
• Ryan McIntyre as Brian Huntley
• Mark Neilson as Gil
• Lucy Currey as Lindsay Helman
• Jonny McBride as Black Mask

Storyline:

Hawthorne College is quieting down for the holidays. One by one, sorority girls on campus are being killed by an unknown stalker. But the killer is about to discover that this generation’s young women aren’t willing to become hapless victims as they mount a fight to the finish.

About Black Christmas Movie:

Black Christmas is a slasher film directed by Sophia Takal, serving as a loose second remake of the 1974 film of the same name. The film stars Imogen Poots, Aleyse Shannon, Lily Donoghue, Brittany O’Grady, Caleb Eberhardt, and Cary Elwes.

Plot Summary

Set at Hawthorne College during the Christmas season, the story follows a group of sorority sisters who find themselves stalked by an unknown assailant. The narrative kicks off with the sisters preparing for their holiday break while also planning a performance aimed at addressing the predatory culture of their male counterparts.

As they begin to receive threatening messages, the tension escalates when one sister is brutally murdered. The remaining sisters band together to confront the danger, uncovering a sinister conspiracy linked to the college’s history and its founder, Calvin Hawthorne. The plot reveals that Hawthorne practiced dark magic and that his spirit has been awakened, giving strength to the fraternity members who are behind the killings.

The film culminates in a climactic showdown where the sisters fight back against their attackers, ultimately destroying Hawthorne’s bust—an object tied to the supernatural powers of their male adversaries—leading to their victory over the cult-like fraternity.

Production Details

Development for Black Christmas began in June 2019 when Jason Blum announced that Blumhouse Productions would produce the film. Principal photography took place shortly after in Otago, New Zealand, lasting for 27 days. The film was released theatrically in the United States on December 13, 2019.

Reception

Upon release, Black Christmas grossed approximately $18 million worldwide against a budget of $5 million. However, it received predominantly negative reviews from critics who criticized its screenplay and execution.

Legacy

While Black Christmas (2019) aimed to modernize themes from its predecessors by addressing contemporary issues such as misogyny and campus culture, it struggled to resonate with audiences and critics alike. The film adds to the Black Christmas franchise but has not achieved the same cultural impact as the original 1974 film.

Budget & Box Office Collection: