4 reasons why Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025) is worth a watch

When a remake of the 1984 cult classic Silent Night, Deadly Night was announced, I was skeptical. I'm not a fan of remakes, and the original movie has quite a cult following. Yet, to my surprise, the remake of Silent Night, Deadly Night, written and directed by Mike P. Nelson, is much better than I expected. It certainly pays tribute to the initial film and its sequels, while offering something fresh that opens up the potential for more sequels.

Here are four reasons why Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025) deserves a chance this holiday season.

Silent Night, Deady Night (2025) has some nice nods to the original

The general premise of the new Silent Night, Deadly Night is the same as the original film. In this latest version, Rohan Campbell, best known as Corey from Halloween Ends, stars as Billy. Like the initial film, Billy's parents are murdered in front of him by someone dressed as Santa. This scars Billy for life. Every Christmas, he dresses up as Santa and kills at least one person.

The set-up in the 1984 film is effective, and Nelson was wise to keep it for the remake. It works and underscores Billy's trauma. Nelson even has a "Garbage Day" shoutout, a fan favorite line from the second film.

Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025) has some gnarly kills

Slasher fans, don't fret! The remake has some really gruesome, stylish, and memorable kills. Nelson didn't skimp on the gore. Additionally, Nelson did something cool with the famous antlers kill from the original movie. He pays tribute to it, while making it relevant for his film.

That said, Nelson doesn't completely repeat the kills or sequences from the original. Instead, he finds unique and creative ways for Billy to rack up a body count. By the end of the film, Billy, dressed up as a maniacal Santa, paints the snow red time and time again.

Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025) finds its own blood-soaked path

Remakes that solely mimic the beats of the original film are never all that memorable. While Nelson certainly has some nods to the 1984 film, he carves out a new path for the franchise. Most notably, Billy has a Dexter Morgan-like moral code. He only kills people that he feels deserve it. Additionally, there's a voice that guides him throughout the remake, similar to Dexter's father, Harry.

There's also a more developed love story in the remake between Billy and Ruby (Pamela Sims). Billy meets her after murdering someone and then moving to a small town to start over and escape the police. The two spark up a romance after working in a cutesy Christmas trinket shop together.

Their romance leads to a pretty different ending than the 1984 film. The conclusion opens up potential for future sequels. I'd love to see this world explored more.

Rohan Campbell is actually good as Billy

I know that some horror fans are likely skeptical of the new Silent Night, Deadly Night because they despised Halloween Ends, especially the Corey storyline. That said, Campbell is actually good in this movie. He has a sort of charm that makes him likeable as Billy. Meanwhile, he can also play a homicidal maniac well, and he flips the switch fast from one sequence to another. If you detested Halloween Ends, be open to Silent Night, Deadly Night. I promise that Campbell is good in it.

Overall, Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025) is definitely worth a holiday watch. It's stylish, bloody, and willing to go its own way, while paying tribute to the older films.

Silent Night, Deadly Night is currently playing in theaters.