We’re kicking off the Fantasia International Film Festival with a self-described “transgender holiday film,” directed and co-written by Alice Maio Mackay. There’s nothing like a good Christmas slasher in the middle of a humid Montreal July to offer a little bit of escapism.
Carnage for Christmas is the first film in Fantasia’s ‘Underground’ lineup in 2024, which highlights “bold, super independent outsider works that possess a purity of vision and are wholly unafraid to take risks”. It’s also the first film of Mackay’s that I’ve seen, but, shockingly, considering the Australian filmmaker is just 19 years old, it’s her fifth feature. To be this prolific—and this creatively fearless—at just 19 is both awe-inspiring and more than a little envy-inducing.
I didn’t know exactly what I was expecting going in, but with a title like Carnage for Christmas, and a throwback-style poster evoking the iconic Black Christmas (1974), I knew I was probably in for a fun time.
And that’s exactly what I got!
The film follows Lola, forensic investigator and host of a true crime podcast, who returns to her hometown for Christmas for the first time since running away and transitioning. Upon her return, bodies start to pile up, as her own past and the town’s dark history rear their heads.
The holiday vibes are relatively minimal, especially at first. I’m also used to snow-white Christmases here in Canada, so the Australian setting didn’t exactly help to put me in the Christmas spirit. But, despite the lack of snow, we still get a fun holiday twist to the usual slasher tropes and imagery that makes the film effectively campy and creepy.
In general, the movie is a bit slow to start, and the resolution felt somewhat rushed to me. But with a scant 70-minute runtime, that’s no surprise, and Mackay still manages to fit a lot into those 70 minutes, from fairly well-realized characters and relationships to small town lore to a whole animated sequence (!) that quickly and impressively conveys our protagonist’s relevant traumatic backstory.
And honestly, by the time a drag queen is using her tits as a weapon, I was quite on board with the whole endeavor, despite the film’s flaws. Without spoiling too much, the ending, rushed as it was, felt redemptive and cathartic in a way that I think a lot of queer folks will appreciate.
Don’t get me wrong here—for all its messaging, this is also a bloody, expletive-filled slasher. There’s some good use of practical effects, as well as some sharp lines of dialogue and moments of humour that work quite well. The performances, while at times a bit stiff, are also surprisingly good, especially from Jeremy Moineau, who plays Lola and has the difficult task of carrying the entire film and, as far as I can tell, hasn’t acted in anything else before.
To that point, you can definitely tell the movie is low-to-no budget, but it’s what I would call “charmingly low budget”. It’s polished enough that the low-budget aspects don’t really detract from the experience, and more importantly, it’s clear that Mackay has an assured vision and presence as a director. With editing and visual effects by Vera Drew (whose film The People’s Joker released in the US earlier this year to critical acclaim), Carnage has a sense of visual flair and confidence that feels rare for a movie at this level. It also feels like a truly collaborative movie. From what I gather, a lot of the cast and crew here are people Mackay has worked with before, and it has the feeling of a group of friends coming together to create something they’re passionate about and have fun doing it, which is something I always appreciate and adore in a movie.
Ultimately, we need more trans voices and filmmakers, especially in subversive genres like horror, where they’ve historically been either victimized or villainized. So I’m happy to say that, while the edges are rough and not every swing lands, this is a welcome entry into the queer underground Christmas horror canon.
Verdict
With a brisk runtime, a distinct sense of style, and some solid performances—all on a very low budget—this is a fun, campy, holiday slasher. While I wasn’t blown away by anything here, Carnage for Christmas shows a lot of promise. If this is what Alice Maio Mackay can do at 19 on a nothing budget, then I can’t wait to see what she’s capable of with even more to work with. And if she continues at this pace, she’ll be a household name in horror in no time.
Shea Angus
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