This week OWC contributor Adam Holtzapfel had a chance to check out Mad Santa from writer, director, & actor Bruce Blain.
Clocking in at a little over six and a half minutes, Mad Santa isn’t your typical psycho Santa film.
The short starts on a Tuesday as we see a man wearing a Santa hat ranting to his hostages, consisting of mall workers on what lead to this scenario.
The cast is filled with familiar faces that features Blain as Mad Santa, Bonnie Hay as The Mall Manager, Carrie Anne Fleming as The Wife. The remaining cast is rounded out by Ashley Fetters, Chloe Cruz, & David Bloom.
What works for the film is the story and the setting. It feels more real that one man just snapped and took revenge into his own hands, instead of the usual tired killer Santa cliche.
The cutaways were also good showing you don’t always need gore to sell the brutality.
The ending will make or break this for most folks, but I really enjoyed the lighter tone to round this out.
While it may not be everyone’s cup of cocoa, I think most fans of seasonal horror will appreciate it.
You can check out Mad Santa here.
