As someone who'll watch anything related to A Christmas Carol (however tenuous the link), I came in with high hopes. Helgren doesn't waste time; the film opens with foreboding music and unsettling visuals of our killer preparing his Scrooge getup. When a mysterious package appears on an unsuspecting woman's doorstep, we immediately clock that this isn't your average Secret Santa.

Our opening victim makes the textbook horror blunders of running upstairs instead of out the door, then barricading herself in rather than legging it to safety, but Helgren moves past this obligatory moment quickly. Once the first kill lands, the film pivots sharply into festive cheer with a stunning overhead drone shot of pristine white snow accompanied by jolly Christmas music. It's an effective tonal whiplash that establishes the film's darkly playful intentions.

 

The friends meet at Chandler's grandparents' old home, and yes, the outdoor blizzard effects are charmingly dodgy in places, but that only adds to the appeal. The "getting to know the characters" drags slightly, but Helgren soon hits his stride. The film settles into a steady, suspenseful rhythm, lobbing red herrings and suspicious glances around like a festive game of Cluedo. The characters are walking clichés: the mean girl, the washed-up jock nursing his ego, the shifty butler, all classic whodunnit stereotypes.

 

Things stumble around the hour mark. I'd mentally narrowed down my suspects but found myself starved of proper clues to confirm anything. It's frustrating when a whodunnit withholds evidence rather than letting you solve alongside it (though, to be fair, I'd probably complain if they were too easy; can't win, eh?) More critically, the characters lack depth. They're vessels for the plot rather than people you genuinely invest in, which means their inevitable demises land with a shrug rather than a gasp. The killer's motivation, when revealed, actually makes twisted sense rather than feeling tacked on for shock value. The kills are more stylistic than gory; they feature more creative staging than explicit carnage.

 

Still, The Naughty List of Mr Scrooge delivers solid seasonal scares. The Scrooge mask is effective and creepy, the festive atmosphere feels authentic, and the central mystery holds your attention even when the cast doesn't quite earn your sympathy. It's a perfectly serviceable Christmas horror/slasher that knows exactly what it is, undemanding fun for a holiday horror marathon. Helgren has shown he can handle genre-blending competently, but I hope he gives himself meatier characters to play with next time. If you think this is a spin on the old tale, you will be bitterly disappointed. It's not Dickens, it's just a damn good Christmas Slasher, and one that will be in the Christmas selection film box of MY Christmas futures!