The holidays are a time for family, food, and cheer, but they can be a real nightmare for those with difficult family dynamics. That’s certainly the case for the family in writer-director Michael Gabriele’s feature debut, Unholy Night, which had its world premiere at Fantasia International Film Festival. The film opens on an idyllic Christmas gathering, which ends in carnage—but it’s carnage we don’t see, only hear, as we follow the perspective of a teenage girl (Morgan Saunders) who hides under the table until it’s over. Some decades later, Gino (Marc Bendavid) emerges from his parents’ basement on Christmas Eve, ready to help with the festivities—but it doesn’t take long before he’s criticised by his mother (Toni Ellwand) for wearing a Hawaiian shirt and by his father (Ron Lea) for cutting the cantaloupe melon into cubes instead of slices. These things matter to his parents, who have high expectations and family traditions to uphold. Gino also fumbles a surprise appearance from his ex-girlfriend Rene (Shailene Garnett), who is still pissed because Gino never told his family they were dating.
When Gino’s more successful siblings, Angela (Cristina Rosato) and Franky (Olivier Renaud), join the mix, it highlights just how much of a black sheep Gino really is. Still living at home, he has no girlfriend, no children, and works as an Assistant Paint Specialist who doesn’t even paint—something his family can’t quite understand. With the arrival of his extended family, Gino tells himself he can get through one dinner, but it’s soon interrupted by the arrival of his dead Nonna (Jacqueline Robbins), and other dead relatives who appear throughout the film—all primed for a murderous rampage.
Gabriele takes the zombie trope and uses it as a vehicle to explore the ways in which the expectations of family members can weigh on us long after they’re gone. The dead, who are called “i ritornati,” are unlike traditional zombies, however. Set apart from the living by their grey skin, glowing eyes, and generally dishevelled appearance, they know who they are, have their own memories, and can talk. They waste no time communicating the importance of Italian family traditions and expectations, ensuring that they are both followed and met. The dead are lovely one minute and then trying to tear your head off the next—and I mean that literally. It’s a fun and creative way to capture those shifting dynamics, which can flip like a switch. The film also tackles the way family trauma is dealt with as it becomes clear that the teenager in the film’s cold open was actually Gino’s mother.
Gabriele balances comedy with horror alongside plenty of gruesome kills. It has an overarching silly tone which makes its violence and gore reminiscent of The Evil Dead. There’s fun to be had in Nonna bashing a loved one with a pan of boiling water or shoving a wooden spoon down their throat. As the outcast, Gino gets a chance to prove he’s good for something and his unique skills aren’t all for naught. When it becomes clear that the dead are plaguing the entire neighbourhood in a supernatural curse, Gino and Rene begin to question what really triggers the return of the dead. This is a thread that stitches the plot together but feels rather underwhelming by the film’s end.
Unholy Night has an ensemble cast. With a lot of characters to balance amongst its living and dead, they’re not very well fleshed out. Gabriele does a good job at representing a general Italian family and their relationship dynamics, which will certainly be a big hit with Italians and those immersed in their culture. The set design successfully captures the atmosphere of an Italian family home. Still, all the characters get in the way of the cathartic, emotional beats and the film’s visually eerie and compelling supernatural climax. The latter was still strong enough, however, that it will stay with me for a long time. There are strong scenes in the mess, but it’s still a generally entertaining ride that offers a fresh take on the zombie genre and the way family tradition, expectation, and difficult dynamics are explored. Honestly, Christmas with your family really can feel like it’s portrayed in Unholy Night, and it’s great to feel seen.
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