I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since I first reported on All Through the House. Since I first heard about it in December of 2014, I’ve been excited to see what Todd Nunes was going to bring to the Christmas Gore category. Let’s be honest, the sanctity of Christmas has been ruined for a long time now thanks to titles like Black Christmas and Silent Night, Deadly Night. Hell, Silent Night, Deadly Night even saw a remake of sorts in 2012 courtesy of Steven C. Miller. Still, I’ve struggled to find a holiday horror film that hit me in all the right places, and I wagered that maybe All Through the House could be that product. Was my viewing a perfectly wrapped present or a large lump of coal? Read my review below to find out!
All Through the House is written and directed by Todd Nunes. It features cinematography from Ryan Anderson and special effects from Josh McCarron and Tommy Pietch. Lead cast members include Ashley Mary Nunes (“Robot Combat League”), Melynda Kiring, Natalie Montera, Danica Riner, Lito Velasco (Neve Sleep Again), Jason Ray Schumacher, Cathy Garrett and Jessica Cameron (Truth or Dare, Silent Night). The plot follows “a deranged masked Santa-Slayer who comes to town for some yuletide-terror. He leaves behind a bloody trail of mutilated bodies as he hunts his way to the front steps of the town’s most feared and notorious home.”
To me, All Through the House seemed like a cornucopia of other slasher titles all melted into one. I saw definite nods to Silent Night, Deadly Night, Silent Night, Deadly Night II and Psycho. I saw several other nods to classic slashers, too, but I’d rather not mention them here as they will give you spoilers as to some of the major plot points. All Through the House has been the Christmas horror film that I’ve been waiting for; a film that feels like a nostalgic slasher that mixes blood, boobs and the holiday spirit without trying too hard to be self-actualizing. Almost as importantly, All Through the House was an extremely high quality production yet it managed to withhold some independent integrity and I loved that all technical aspects weren’t 100% perfect. The cinematography from Ryan Anderson, mixed with the bountiful set design and props, made every scene pop with color and grit. The special effects from McCarron and Pietch were great and the blood flowed like paint, bringing me back to a time when the perfect recipes for gore were still being sought out. All Through the House is an old-school slasher set in the present day and it just worked for me.
If you like the traditional slasher method – random death scenes interlaced with backstory – then you’re going to enjoy All Through the House, but it’s also a lot more than that. There is a definite theme of sexual depravity and sexual expression going on and I applaud Todd Nunes for trying to tackle that subject material in a way that wasn’t condescending. There’s a boob getting stabbed, a couple dicks getting hacked off and mentions of pedophilia, so this is not a title for the squeamish or faint of heart. Despite the points I mentioned above, I still believe that All Through the House will most appeal to men and women aged 15 to 30. Yes, it’s a dark horror film about brutal murders on Christmas, but it’s also got enough cursing, dirty humor and nudity to reel in the younger demographic; although, I must say the older generation of horror viewers will get a kick out of it to thanks to the many unpredictable twists and turns. All Through the House is currently screening in film festivals and it has started racking up awards, and I can see why. People are going to get a kick out of this movie…and at the very least they’ll laugh their asses off at the wheelchair death scene.
Before I give my final rating, I really want to applaud Ashley Mary Nunes for her job as the lead actress. Everyone pulled in fantastic performances, but Ashley was far and away my favorite out of the bunch. She has a very Tristan Risk vibe to her, a powerhouse of potential that’s capable of being the girl next door with a dark and hidden agenda. She’s beautiful and deadly. I sincerely hope that she sticks with the horror genre in the future because I cannot wait to see what she does next. I could definitely see her as a rising scream queen. Also, props to Jason Ray Schumacher for bringing the much needed masculinity to an almost completely female line-up!
There’s nothing left for me to say. All Through the House is the perfect stocking stuffer, the perfect present under the tree. It’s an unpredictable gorefest filled with holiday cheer and unadulterated horror. Most importantly, it’s the Christmas themed film that horror fans deserve! I can see it becoming a cult classic in its own right due to its tremendous rewatchability. Only time will tell, but for now it’s solid! Final Score: 8.5 out of 10.
