It's a Wonderful Knife (2023)

2 1/2 Stars (out of 4)

Bailey Grind

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

It's pretty thin, not doing much either with the It's a Wonderful Life themes, nor as a slasher movie, but this likable comedy barely skates by with its good cheer and enthusiastic performances.

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 begins 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 were never born. Suddenly she finds her wish has come true. In this alternate version of Angel Falls, Waters controls everything, and killer is still loose. No one recognizes Winnie and the only one who will help her is the loner Bernie, nicknamed "Weirdo" (Jess McLeod). They must set things right before time runs out, and before the slasher strikes again.

The 1946 classic dedicated 100 minutes to George Bailey's life up until the moment he wishes he'd never been born, but in It's a Wonderful Knife, Winnie does it in less than 30 minutes. It's not enough to really feel the sentiment, and it seems more like a teenage tantrum than a real crisis of conscience. Moreover the powerful themes of the original movie are supplanted by a lightweight romance, and by an un-scary serial killer who looks as if Ghost Face from the Scream movies had accidentally bleached his outfit.

But then we have Justin Long as the villainous Waters — modeled after Old Man Potter — deliciously giving his smarmy line readings over a fake set of teeth while calculating how to cheat everyone and make himself more powerful. Widdop gets in some funny line readings as Winnie, and her relationship with McLeod's Bernie is effortlessly endearing. Many of the supporting characters offer amusing moments as well. Plus, how can we not love a Christmas horror movie that climaxes in a movie theater which is 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 that don't mind a little something from the Naughty List.