Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Blood and gore in thin, passable holiday slasher comedy.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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It's a Wonderful Knife
What's the Story?
In IT'S A WONDERFUL KNIFE, it's Christmas Eve, and everyone in Angel Falls gathers to see Mayor Henry Waters (Justin Long) light the town Christmas tree. Later, teens Winnie (Jane Widdop) and Jimmy Carruthers (Aiden Howard) decide to go to a party. A murderer dressed in white robes and a white, featureless mask appears and starts killing teens. Winnie manages to save her brother and stop the killer. A year later, Winnie is haunted by these events and feels outcast. She decides things would be better if she'd never been born -- and, suddenly, she finds her wish has come true. But in this alternate version of Angel Falls, Waters controls everything, and the killer is still on the loose. No one recognizes Winnie, and the only one who will help her is the loner Bernie, who's nicknamed "Weirdo" (Jess McLeod). They must set things right before time runs out -- and before the slasher strikes again.
Is It Any Good?
This thin but likable holiday slasher comedy just skates by on its good cheer and enthusiastic performances. The 1946 classic It's a Wonderful Life dedicated 100 minutes to George Bailey's life up until the moment he wished he'd never been born, but in It's a Wonderful Knife, Winnie does it in less than 30 minutes. And that's not really enough to feel the sentiment -- it seems more like she's having a tantrum than a real crisis of conscience. Moreover, the original movie's powerful themes are supplanted here by a lightweight romance and an un-scary serial killer who looks as if Ghostface from the Scream movies had accidentally bleached his outfit.
But then we have Long as the villainous Waters -- modeled after IAWL's Old Man Potter -- deliciously delivering smarmy line readings while calculating how to cheat everyone and make himself more powerful. Widdop gets in some funny moments as Winnie, and her relationship with McLeod's Bernie is effortlessly endearing. Many of the supporting characters offer amusing moments, too. Plus, how can you not love a Christmas horror movie that climaxes in a movie theater that's playing something called I Know What You Did Last Christmas? It's a Wonderful Knife may not win any awards, but, decorated with snow and glittering lights, it's a pleasantly diverting holiday entertainment for those who don't mind a little something from the Naughty List.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about It's a Wonderful Knife's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of horror movies? Why do people sometimes enjoy being scared?
How are drinking and drug use portrayed? Are they glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?
How is bullying portrayed? How are viewers meant to see the Bernie/"Weirdo" character at the beginning of the movie? How does that change by the end?
How does the movie compare to It's a Wonderful Life? How do both films explore the theme of human beings having an impact on one another's lives, no matter how small?
Movie Details
- In theaters : November 10, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : December 22, 2023
- Cast : Jane Widdop , Jess McLeod , Justin Long
- Director : Tyler MacIntyre
- Inclusion Information : Non-Binary Movie Actor(s) , Queer Movie Actor(s) , Gay Movie Writer(s) , Queer Movie Writer(s)
- Studios : RLJE Films , Shudder
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Holidays
- Run time : 90 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : bloody violence, drug use and language
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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