“Cookies for Christmas—” a horror short written and directed by Adam Raynes—takes the Hallmark-themed holiday film and turns it on its head. The short, at 12 minutes, starts as the set-up for a feel-good family film and becomes instead a slasher piece. Budget information for the short is not available on IMDb; however, the production value Raynes has accomplished here is impressive. For the first eight minutes, you really feel you’re watching any number of the ubiquitous Holiday films on the Hallmark Channel during Christmastime. The sets are cheery and bright, and the acting is spot on for the genre. And when it turns horror, the film’s accomplishment is that despite its parody nature, it still makes you wince. And laugh guiltily. There’s a lot going on here.
The plot here is that Lacey (Ashlynn Hideman) comes home from New York City to visit her small town parents. She’s a rising real estate mogul, and, hoping for a promotion, is going to sell her old high school as investment property, much to the town’s chagrin. “If it wasn’t me, it would be someone else,” she tells herself. And in a film concerned with Lacey’s growth instead of serial murder, overcoming her cold heart would be the point of the film. Coming home, she meets an old classmate, Matthew (Jason Potter), who is babysitting her young sister, Tayler (Kesa Raynes) while her parents attend to an emergency at the hospital—despite this being Christmas Eve. Matthew and Tayler are making cookies for a bake sale to raise money and save the school. It’s the picture of quaintness.
A Hallmark-style Christmas Horror
What’s evident in watching Raynes’ production is the care he’s put into the Hallmark story before all hell breaks loose. You can imagine a weaker film that neglects its settings, acting, and story, assuming the carnage negates the need for these elements. The setting of Lacey’s childhood home is done up like a Christmas catalog. Christmas trees, ornaments, and decorations adorn every corner. The kitchen basks in the scent of holiday cookies (which Lacey thinks are amazing), and there’s even a 1940s-type holiday radio playing in the background. The radio incidentally talks about a ‘killer who escaped from a hospital dressed as Santa’ before being turned off by Matthew as he pours wine for the two to discuss old times.
The horror of “Cookies for Christmas” is also well-done, albeit a bit truncated. Raynes has written three shorts prior to this, and has an interest in the horror genre given his filmography. When the horror starts (in the form of serial murders!), the film switches between macabre and satire, which works. The opening set piece for the murders as Lacey texts her mother is pure gold, and the effect is chilling. Yet when ‘Santa’ (Mike Sienknecht) takes part in his next murder, a laugh escaped my lips, as the prior Christmas cheer facade was so thick, I had no other option. Yet as the film progresses, another kill made my skin crawl despite what I assume to be a low FX budget. Raynes’ film evokes satirical horror in places, yet towards the end tips its hat to gross out filmmakers like Eli Roth. This is not torture cinema, mind you, but Raynes has the ability to make a serious horror film, and it shows.
The Mixture of Genres Just Works
The only real criticism of “Cookies for Christmas” is its run-time, or its transition from camp to horror, which is terse due to the short run. I’d like to see a 20-minute production with more Santa/killer time, as 2/3rds of the film is holiday goodness. It’s not that the horror feels tacked on, because it’s not. But given the quality of production Raynes and Cinematographer Carlo Maldonado were able to squeeze out of the production, it would have been nice to spend more time watching their idyllic holiday setting fall apart. Adam Raynes could have written and directed a full-length Hallmark film. His eye is that good. As are the performances by the entire cast. The point of “Cookies for Christmas”—at least to me—was pure entertainment. In that that vein, Raynes wholly succeeds.
This is a good film. It’s one of the better produced independent shorts I’ve seen in some time, has good performances and sets, and ends in a hysterical moment that’s as innocence shattering as they come. If you like horror with a bit of comedy (while still making you squeamish)—especially sandwiched in-between Normal Rockwell nostalgia‚ ”Cookies for Christmas” is a film you should check out.
“Cookies for Christmas” is currently doing its festival run. Follow The Movie Buff for release information when available.
