12 Slays, Day 7: Despite What You’ve Been Told, A CREATURE Indeed WAS STIRRING
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Each holiday season, I get to add to my collection of holiday horror. I have favorites I revisit every year and a handful of other gems I pop in there about every 2 years or so. I always look forward to adding more to that list each holiday season. While I’m not sure if this one will creep into the every single year list, I can assure you after only one watch that it’s easily on that list of ones I revisit regularly. In other words, Damien LeVeck and crew has crafted a delightful little horror film for all the holly jolly gorehounds out there.
A Creature Was Stirring stars Chrissy Metz (This is Us) and Annalise Basso (Ouija) and revolves around a nurse and her daughter. The daughter is on a strict regimen of medication and the film is not initially clear why. Of course, this mystery is central to what will enravel as the story continues. While this film may be a bit predictable at times and isn’t a groundbreaking piece of cinema, it’s exactly what it needs to be – which is a fun, briskly paced, Christmas centric genre gem.
There is a glimpse of something that could have been truly brilliant here, if not hobbled by the budgetary restraints. Yet, as it stands, this remains a solid entry into the holiday genre world. The effects that are attempted here mostly work well, despite the clear inability to pull off everything the team wanted to do. Nonetheless, the combination of the pieces they built and the strong performances, notably from Bisso, really make this an enjoyable experience.
With an easy, breezy runtime of just under 100 minutes, it’s a great watch for anyone looking for a new Christmas movie that’s surely not going to be playing on Hallmark any time soon.
