Horror director Tyler MacIntyre combines two genres for his latest film, It’s A Wonderful Knife, from RJE Entertainment. Michael Kennedy pens the film’s screenplay, utilizing plot elements of a slasher flick and a Christmas movie.
It has been a year since Winnie Carruthers (played by Jane Widdop) saved her town from a crazed killer the night before Christmas. Despite her heroic act, Winnie’s life has been less than extraordinary since then. One day, she feels overwhelmed and wishes she had never been born. Little does she know that her wish will transport her to a parallel universe where things are much worse than in her reality.
In this alternate world, she discovers that her absence has had a profound impact on the town. The killer is back, and without Winnie’s intervention, the town has fallen into chaos. Winnie realizes her wish was a mistake and must find a way back to her reality to set things right.
To return home, Winnie must solve the mystery of the killer’s identity and catch them before they can wreak more havoc. In her quest for answers, she teams up with the town misfit Bernie Simon (Jess McLeod), who is surprisingly knowledgeable about the town’s secrets. Together, Winnie and her new ally face numerous challenges, including the killer’s cunning and the dangers of the parallel universe. Will they be able to save the town and return to their reality? Only time will tell.
One of the things viewers will notice about It’s A Wonderful Knife is we get a reveal of the killer within the first act. While I won’t spoil the killer in my review, I do commend the casting director for who they chose, as in the alternate timeline, the killer is now the mayor of the town. This choice gave the said actor a chance to go against the type.
Although the killer’s identity is known in the initial timeline, our talented writer and director have crafted a storyline that promises to keep audiences on the edge of their seats with unexpected twists and turns. They have ingeniously woven a web of suspense and intrigue that will leave viewers guessing until the end.
Fresh off her Yellowjacket’s success, Widdop turns in a solid performance as our final girl, and hopefully, this film serves as a springboard for her career. As for the supporting cast, Justin Long is also enjoyable on screen with his trademark wit. Joel McHale, Aiden Howard, and Katharine Isabelle all provide solid work as members of Winnie’s family. In addition, as in other alternate-timeline movies, the cast gets different acting.
Horror fans will appreciate the kills in the films as they are gory and inventive, and a particular character name cleverly pays homage to the two heroines from the nineties classic horror Scream. There are also some funny moments in the film. The one gripe with the film is that the small budget does show in moments, which is a shame as the film is right up the Blumhouse gravy train.
It’s always great to have a new slasher film during the holiday season as a counterpoint to the Hallmark channel, and It’s A Wonderful Knife delivers the goods.
Final Grade: B+
It’s A Wonderful Knife opens in Theaters on November 10
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