Werewolf Santa – Review

Having received its World Premiere at FrightFest 2023,  Werewolf Santa, a comedy horror from Airell Anthony Hayles (Punch, Midnight Peepshow) – and featuring a cameo from the venerable Joe Bob Briggs (Casino, Face/Off)

Angsty teenager Lucy (Katherine Rodden – The Outer Circle) hosts a failing YouTube show called Monster Hunters. She travels home to spend Christmas in Hastings with her bickering, divorced parents Carol (Emily Booth – The Reverend) and Charlie (Mark Arnold – Teen Wolf). Confused me for a minute as, no offence to either, Emily Booth and Katherine Rodden look about the same age.

Filming for her channel on Christmas Eve, there’s a full moon (fact fans will know, Christmas full moons are rare. 1977 and 2015 are the last times this happened, next one’s 2034) she witnesses a pissing Santa being bitten by a werewolf before turning immediately into a wolfy dude. Bonus!

This is a low budget, daft horror comedy, that is more gore and comedy than horror. Nothing about it’s going to scare you, but you just go along for the ride. It’s got blood, guts, Christmas music and that pet peeve of mine, crappy foam snow!

If you grew up through the late 90’s and early noughties then you’ll probably know Emily Booth’s work, and this is often reminiscent of the Horror Channel continuity slots she used to present.

Having Joe Bob Briggs name (and image) attached adds some gravitas, as does Teen Wolf’s Mark Arnold.

The film’s fun with a nice amount of gore (mainly aftermath rather than kills) and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a werewolf in a Santa costume before.

Will Lucy and the gang manage to find the Alpha Werewolf, armed with nothing but a hash cookie and a silver bullet?

Find out when Werewolf Santa howls onto your screen this holiday season.

Available on DVD and digital now.