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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
Following last month’s release of Prime Video’s Totally Killer, Shudder has come out with its own slasher film to put on a spin on a well-renowned classic of the previous century: It’s a Wonderful Knife. Inspired by Frank Capra’s 1946 Christmas supernatural drama starring James Stewart, this comedy-horror slasher mystery film follows a teen (Jane Widdop) as they are haunted in town by a serial killer dressed as an Angel. The film is mostly good, but it is not without some narrative details that may have viewers wanting more by the end.
It’s a Wonderful Knife is written by producer Michael Kennedy (Family Guy, American Dad!, Freaky) and directed by Tyler MacIntyre (Tragedy Girls, Hulu’s Into the Dark — “Good Boy”, V/H/S/99).
In this review, I will be reviewing It’s a Wonderful Knife. As the title of this article suggests, there will be no spoilers from the film present here. References to slasher horror tropes and the film’s titular inspiration—It’s a Wonderful Life—will be made.
TRIGGER WARNING: This film may not be safe to watch if the viewer has a photo-sensitive medical condition(s) such as epilepsy. The film also contains themes of depression and possible suicide.
Discussion
It’s a Wonderful Knife‘s screenplay has its ups and downs, and it should be safe to say that there are more positive points present than negatives. A lot of what the film’s “prologue” sets up for its final act is done wisely and in such a clever manner in areas that it can be easy to miss the smaller details upon a first watch. For example, two characters arguing over the power of their townsfolk leads to something that has an effect on the collective. Yet, it ultimately could have used more narrative development to truly demonstrate how the final product came to be. Whereas Life took an hour to reach its major conflict, Knife got there in over a quarter-hour with just a good amount of character introductions.
Other than Capra’s classic work, the film has callbacks to some good Christmas tales and important staples of horror cinema. The killer makes a jump scare at one point that gives off a Jason Voorhees-type vibe, and for a moment, it is impressive to see. There are a brief couple of references to The Wizard of Oz and A Christmas Carol to add to the theme of reality versus “irreality”—not necessarily fantasy, but a state of being in which the protagonist is haunted by phantasms of livelihood. Moreover, I appreciate the final act’s allusions to both Wes Craven’s Scream 2 and James Wan’s Saw. The latter of which is a callback to a suspenseful scene that involves light, and by comparison, the film plays it out… lightly.
Kennedy’s attempts to follow similar narrative beats to Capra’s Life are fun. The story did have some serious scenes, such as a character’s implication of suicide. However, the screenwriter made an incredible Gothic juxtaposition between darkness and light that is praiseworthy.
Season’s Aesthetics
Visually speaking, MacIntyre’s film doesn’t begin with appeasing VFX and special effects for a horror flick. There is a string of a few moments when the killer attacks two teenagers, which looks a smidge awkward. At times, even, the narrative holds back from providing on-screen kills, and I feel that it could have been a benefit for slasher horror fans. In fact, the film is honestly most horrifying when the killer showcases their bloodiest acts… even when a victim is close to the pearly gate. The prologue also uses jumper cables in a way that is a glorious sight that there may have been promise of what the overall kills could have looked like. While there is a decent body count, it does not bring maximum satisfaction to spectators.
Production designer Tiana P. Gordon’s set pieces are fine—four different houses at most, a wharf, a street, and a movie theater. Given its runtime of an hour and 27 minutes, It’s a Wonderful Knife worked with what the story called for, but the pacing was so brisk that it felt as if the set pieces were not sufficiently utilized. By contrast, Life had its own set of production designs but took time to explore its characters scene by scene.
The Crew Behind It’s a Wonderful Knife
Nicholas Piatnik (V/H/S/99) serves as the film’s director of photography. Arndt-Wulf Peemöller is the editor. Joshua Lam serves as the storyboard artist.
Russ Howard III scores the musical composition for the film. Michael A. Perlmutter serves as the film’s music supervisor.
Co-producer Matt Drake is the supervising sound editor. Parker Bossley is the sound designer. Hugh Wielenga and Sharon Tseng are the sound editors. Vaughn Wagner is the assistant sound editor.
Judy J.K. Lee and Barbara McCarthy serve as the casting directors. Maia Michaels is the Canadian casting assistant. Laurie Pavon Solis is the extras casting director.
Tiana P. Gordon is the film’s production designer. Louisa Birkin is the art director. Matt Carson is the set decorator.
Matea Pasarić is the costume designer. Nikola Stojisavljević is the assistant costume designer. Francis Lafleche serves as the Angel concept artist.
Miel Enage is the head of the makeup department. Xander Chen is the key makeup artist. Shelley Jensen is the hair designer and serves as a key hairstylist alongside Cristina Campoy.
Belen Garcia and Angel Lynne are the still photographers for the film.
Stunt Performers
Yusuf Ahmed serves as the stunt coordinator of the film.
Cody Laudan serves as the Angel stunt double. Holly Racynski is the stunt double for Winnie Carruthers.
Curtis Bracconnier is the stunt double for Henry Waters.
Matt Kennedy is the stunt double for Jimmy Carruthers. Seth Jacob Armstrong is the stunt double for Cara Evans.
Shawn Robidoux is the stunt double for Pete. Andrew Long is the stunt double for Roger Evans.
The Cast of It’s a Wonderful Knife
Jane Widdop (Yellowjackets) portrays the film’s protagonist, Winnie Carruthers. Jess McLeod portrays Bernie “Weirdo” Simon.
Joel McHale (Spider-Man 2, Community, Assassination Nation) portrays David Carruthers, Winnie’s father. Aiden Howard and Erin Boyes play Jimmy and Judy Carruthers, Winnie’s brother and mother, respectively.
Katharine Isabelle (Disturbing Behavior, Ginger Snaps, Freddy vs. Jason, Hannibal) portrays Gale Prescott, Winnie’s maternal aunt and Judy’s sister. Cassandra Naud plays Karen Simmons, Gale’s partner.
Justin Long (Drag Me to Hell, Tusk, House of Darkness, Barbarian) portrays Henry Waters, the central Henry F. Potter-like antagonist of the film. Sean Depner portrays Buck Waters, Henry’s younger brother.
Hana Huggins portrays Cara Evans, Winnie’s best friend. Zenia Marshall plays Darla Berlin, a peer of Winnie and Bernie’s. Jason Fernandes plays Robbie Olenger, Winnie’s boyfriend.
Kiki Faye plays Vicki Pepper. Dimitri Vegas plays Pete, Robbie’s neighbor.
William B. Davis plays Roger Evans, an elderly man and Cara’s grandfather. Sydney Scotia plays Evelyn Waters, Henry’s wife.
Thomas Nicholson plays Wyatt Stone. Oscar Chark plays Eddie, Cara’s boyfriend.
Grace Vukovic and Brandon Ironside play Tara and Chad, partygoers. Jamal Ali, Jude Wilson, and Mark Wilmot are credited as “dumb bro”, “art boy”, and “wharf bro”, respectively.
Performances and Character Developments
Introducing protagonist Winnie Carruthers’s (Jane Widdop) background is smart work on Kennedy’s part. Progressing them from the prologue to the final half-hour exhibits incredible character development, and trying to turn the character into a George Bailey-esque figure is no easy task. Watching Winnie from being prudish—like Yellowjackets‘s Laura Lee—to being a traumatized scream queen and swearing like a sailor can be quite a transition. Compared to Bailey, though, I am not sure if the use of time and space between the prologue and the first act worked feasibly. A certain minor character’s reaction to Winnie’s good deeds feels off, however, this does leave open room for a sequel.
The character’s specific role in terms of being a high school student does tip the scale towards better writing. Their dynamic with Bernie Simon (Jess McLeod) is lovely. While Widdop knows how to perform the role of a traumatized and morose individual, seeing McLeod display bottled-up pain in the final scenes of the film seals the deal for me. It’s a Wonderful Knife places two non-binary actors front and center, and it is worth it. McLeod deserves just as much credit for the role the play in MacIntyre’s film as Widdop, especially with some good cinematic line delivery.
The Adults Are Talking
Katharine Isabelle plays the role of “fun aunt” nicely, but unfortunately, this happens all too brisk and wasteful. Gale Prescott, even from the name itself, is a shining reference to Wes Craven’s Scream legacy characters, Sidney Prescott and Gale Weathers. Isabelle’s own character lives up to this title to a point. That is, until it all goes downhill at the end and the honor just does not feel earned.
Having seen McHale play some serious roles in the past, he does play David Carruthers well. Seeing the jollier side of the character seems akin to someone like Community‘s Jeff Winger. Still, for some reason, the actor does as strong (or stronger) a performance as the grieving and angry father. His scenes with Widdop’s Winnie are a window into the spirit I wish viewers got to see more of, and when he truly reaches into the protagonist’s soul, it’s absolutely poignant. Conversely, David makes for a neat foil to Long’s Henry Waters. Seeing their similarities and differences is noteworthy when it comes to development, even if they seldom physically share scenes together.
Long is no stranger to the horror genre. This is an actor who has given viewers the tragic Darry Jenner, sweet professor Clayton “Clay” P. Dalton, podcaster Wallace Bryton, and a-hole actor AJ Gilbride. When he delivers, he delivers, and in this film, the actor portrays the creepy bourgeois politician in such a way that feels a tad believable. This role is special, not because it is anything awards-worthy but because the delivery is unique enough to be memorable in years to come. Long just needs to take on more character roles in the horror genre like this if he knows what is good for him, but who knows? This could be a rare one for the books.
Final Thoughts on It’s a Wonderful Knife
It’s a Wonderful Knife is life-changing and altering when it needs to be. Of course, it might just perform better with a longer runtime, more bloody kills—on-screen at that—, and overall, a somewhat fortified premise. It isn’t perfect, but at the same time, by no means is it bad. If anything, it’s one of those rare seasonal horror titles that offer a glimmer of hope. Ahead of Thanksgiving, you’d have to be grateful for what it is and has—stylish hair, sweet makeup, and charming music!
3.5/5
It’s a Wonderful Knife is now playing in theaters and streaming on Shudder!
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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
