Written and directed by Patrick Ridremont, The Advent Calendar confidently unleashes a holiday-themed morality tale. To its credit, the Shudder Original horror film unfurls with expressionist flair. It forgoes a traditional three-act structure in favor of gifting the viewer with near-constant scares. The film doesn't dole out smaller moments of thrills to end with a Big Bad reveal; instead, it revels in watching its main threat maliciously toy with everyone.
The movie's structure fits perfectly with the film's premise: if you were gifted an advent calendar that could grant you one surprise per day -- no matter the bloody cost -- would you accept it? That's the question that The Advent Calendar's lead, Eva (Eugénie Derouand), asks when she receives the magical calendar for her birthday from her friend Sophie (Honorine Magnier).
Once upon a time, Eva used to be a dancer; however, a tragic accident turned her into a paraplegic. Still processing her accident and taking antipsychotic medication for her PTSD flashbacks, Eva is in need of some joy. Sophie teases Eva that this German calendar has very particular rules to follow, which only heightens Eva's curiosity. As the audience, we learn the rules of this soon-to-be murderous box almost immediately, which saves the film from dwelling too much in exposition.
For some, this choice to clearly lay out how the calendar works might come across as a bit too on-the-nose, but what elevates it is how accepting its characters are. In another's hands, Eva and Sophie would debate or attempt to trick the box, but they're immediately game to follow it. In that way, the audience too can let go of disbelief and follow its fever dream logic in a way that invites anything to happen.
Ich, the film's central monster, isn't a questionable threat. It is real and treated as such, while appearing quite often. SFX designer Bas Schwarz teamed with makeup artists Luigi D'Andrea and Michelle Beeckman, who certainly had their work cut out for them as their creation appears in daylight, water and slays. Through it all, the monster holds up its evil look.
Without a doubt, Ridremont embraces this setup. It's hard not to feel anticipation and glee at what the calendar will do next. It's easy to get lost in wondering what consequences will soon befall her unlucky loved ones. Within the first third of the movie alone, there is a toy car scene that stands out as the most inventive kill moment of the year.
Despite the incredible amount of bloodshed in this film, Ridremont steers away from lingering on gore. Mostly, this directing choice feels welcomed. However, in some moments, it'd be nice to hang just a bit longer in the bloody aftermath. Even if the calendar waits for no one, there are some discovered sacrifices that deserve more screen time and not to feel flipped through like a day-by-day calendar.
Of course, it's wholly up to Derouand to sell this reality, and she delivers a haunting performance fueled with just the right amounts of self-loathing, desperation and twisted hope. Die-hard fans of Angela Bettis' cult classic role in May should be ready to sing Derouand's praises. It's heartwrenching to watch Eva descend equally into madness and desire. However, it's worth noting that Derouand is not a wheelchair user in real life; the film would have benefited from casting a woman who is paralyzed and relying on a body double for Eva scenes where walking or dancing was shown. As a co-star, Magnier also excels and portrays the sympathetic friend who's fittingly oblivious to Eva's deeper frustrations.
The Advent Calendar is a welcomed addition to the holiday-themed horror subgenre and excels most in its originality. Shot by shot, it's also beautifully constructed. There are plenty of emotional moments in the film that feel almost painted on-screen with lush colors and vibrancy. Horror fans looking for a film centered around a unique concept will easily fall for this Shudder original.
The Advent Calendar premieres exclusively on Shudder on Dec. 2.