Just before Christmas, young Zoe, her brother Franklin and their family move into a secluded mansion with a dark past. While the adults focus on renovating the place, the bored kids find a toy chest hidden in the attic, and are delighted when the toys inside magically come to life. But bizarre events soon begin to take place – events that threaten the family’s lives. As the special day dawns with gifts piled under the tree, the body count rises and the blood starts to flow. This original “scary-tale” will have the kids screaming for the holidays!
|
Kyana Teresa | Hannah |
|
|
Georgia Waters | Rose |
|
|
Verity Marks | Alicia |
|
Dayo Ade | David |
|
|
Saul Elias | Franklin |
|
|
Zoe Fish | Zoe |
|
|
Ernie Pitts | Emmett |
|
|
Lauren Marshall | Mrs. Modig |
|
|
Max Nelson | Ten Year Old Boy |
|
|
Muriel Hogue | Nurse |
|
Paul Braunstein | Toy |
|
|
Earl Holloway | Toy |
|
|
Alison Marks | Toy |
| Director | Nicholas Verso |
|
| Writer | Dana Gould | |
| Producer | Anthony Fankhauser, Dana Gould, Melinda Wells McCabe, Stan Spry, Devan Towers, Eric Scott Woods | |
| Musician | Matthew Rogers | |
| Photography | Paul Suderman | |
| Nr Discs | 1 |
|---|
| Owner | Jackmeats Flix |
|---|---|
| Location | Deleted |
| Purchased | On Oct 28, 2020 at GalaxyRG |
| Watched | Dec 14, 2024 |
| Index | 3085 |
| Added Date | Oct 28, 2020 11:37:09 |
| Modified Date | Dec 16, 2024 10:19:09 |
My quick rating - 3.4/10. I popped this flick on and watched as it attempted to blend Christmas cheer with sinister scares, but what I got was more a lump of coal than festive fright. The setup is standard haunted-house fare: a family moves into a spooky old mansion to renovate it, only to stumble upon a mysterious toy chest that unleashes chaos. While this premise could have led to an enjoyable holiday horror romp, the execution falls painfully short. Let’s start with the toys themselves. The weird CGI-stop-motion hybrid effects are a mixed bag. Occasionally, the animation evokes an unsettling, otherworldly vibe reminiscent of vintage holiday specials—but for every effective moment, there are several where the toys look downright goofy, undercutting any sense of tension or fear. I can honestly say the toy effects from the original 1989 Puppet Master looked more convincing. The acting doesn’t help matters. Across the board, performances are flat and unconvincing, making it difficult to care about the characters or their inevitable demise. Zoe and Franklin, the children at the heart of the story, lack charm, while the adults are bland and forgettable. As for the plot—well, calling it “non-existent” might be generous. The movie stumbles through its runtime with a series of disconnected events, with no meaningful buildup or payoff. The “dark past” of the mansion and the toys’ malevolent origins are barely explored, leaving the story feeling hollow. The filmmakers seem more interested in piling on random carnage than crafting a compelling story. The body count does rise as promised, but the lackluster kills and absence of suspense make the carnage feel perfunctory. Even the holiday setting, which should add some ironic charm to the horror, doesn't help. In the end, the film is a forgettable misfire that squanders its creepy concept and festive setting. With bad acting, a threadbare story, and hit-or-miss effects, it’s hard to recommend this film—even as a guilty pleasure. If you’re craving holiday horror, there are far better options out there.
| IMDB |
| TheMovieDb.org |
English 
Nederlands 
Deutsch 
Français 
Español 
Magyar 
српски 
Dansk 
Italiano 
Svenska 
Slovenčina 
Português 
