It's a Wonderful Knife
Theatrical release poster
Directed byTyler MacIntyre
Written byMichael Kennedy
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyNicholas Piatnik
Edited byArndt-Wulf Peemöller
Music byRuss Howard III
Production
company
Distributed by
Release dates
  • October 8, 2023 (2023-10-08) (Beyond Fest)
  • November 10, 2023 (2023-11-10) (United States)
Running time
87 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$825,971[1]

It's a Wonderful Knife is a 2023 American slasher comedy film directed by Tyler MacIntyre and written by Michael Kennedy. It stars Jane Widdop, Jess McLeod, Joel McHale, Katharine Isabelle, William B. Davis, and Justin Long. It is a spin on the 1946 Christmas film It's a Wonderful Life; however, instead of the lead character recognizing his previous good deeds, the character Winnie discovers how many deaths she has prevented in her town.

The film was released by RLJE Films on November 10, 2023, followed by its streaming release on Shudder on December 1, 2023. It received mixed reviews from critics.

Premise

Winnie Carruthers saved her town, the idyllic Angel Falls, from a psychotic killer on Christmas Eve one year previously, but after wishing she had never been born, she finds herself in an alternate universe in which she doesn't exist, allowing the killer to slaughter once more.[2]

Cast

Production

It's a Wonderful Knife was produced by Divide/Conquer and Seth Caplan.[3] Michael Kennedy spoke of his admiration for Jane Widdop's performance in the television series Yellowjackets prior to shooting the film. He also discussed Justin Long's performance as the town mayor in the film, and how he was channeling a "boomer smarminess" for the role.[4] Principal photography took place in Vancouver from March 20 to April 14, 2023.[5]

Release

It's a Wonderful Knife had its world premiere at Beyond Fest on October 8, 2023, in Los Angeles.[6] It was released in 923 theaters in the United States by RLJE Films on November 10, 2023,[7] and grossed $811,307, with $14,153 in the United Arab Emirates, for a worldwide total of $825,460.[1] It began streaming through Shudder on December 1, 2023.[8]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 54% of 65 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.7/10. The website's consensus reads: "It's a Wonderful Knife takes an enthusiastic stab at holiday-themed horror-comedy, even if it doesn't cut quite as deep as it should."[9] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 51 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[10]

Chicago Sun-Times's Richard Roeper gave the film a score of two and half out of four, writing "As you'd expect, It's a Wonderful Knife is filled with blood-spattered twists on holiday movie tropes. Unfortunately, there are few surprises and only a handful of genuine scares, and the film suffers from subpar lighting and occasionally clunky editing. It's a Knife in need of some sharpening".[11] J. Kim Murphy of Variety wrote "MacIntyre's direction is unfussy enough for It's a Wonderful Knife to recover from such awkward moments. But the frequent stabs at horror are just as easily forgotten. The genre slant promised by the title seems to be less of a tonal responsibility than an excuse to abruptly break out into the occasional suspense set piece". He ended his review with "The film is defined by an overruling superfluousness — it's the sort of thing people might be satisfied with watching from the corner of their eyes while wrapping presents".[12]

Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting scored the film three out of five and said "MacIntyre's latest may not quite seamlessly nail its high concept genre mashup, but with some outstanding performances and a sweet gooey emotional center, it effectively tugs at your heartstrings and captures the spirit of Christmas".[13] Robert Daniels writing for RogerEbert.com gave a score of three and half out of four, "It's A Wonderful Knife has plenty of attributes—charm, blood, and angst—that should fit right in at any family holiday gathering".[14]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "It's a Wonderful Knife". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on November 26, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  2. ↑ White, James (April 27, 2023). "Freaky Writer's Next Slasher Mash-Up Is It's A Wonderful Knife". Empire. Archived from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  3. ↑ Squires, John (April 27, 2023). "'It's a Wonderful Knife' – A Christmas Slasher from 'Freaky' Writer and 'Tragedy Girls' Director!". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on October 12, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  4. ↑ Collis, Clarke (October 5, 2023). "Yellowjackets star is having a killer Christmas in trailer for slasher-comedy It's a Wonderful Knife". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 7, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Active Productions" (PDF). Creative BC Film Commission. February 24, 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 10, 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  6. ↑ Grobar, Matt (September 26, 2023). "Holiday Horror 'It's A Wonderful Knife' Starring Jane Widdop, Joel McHale & Justin Long Acquired By RLJE Films & Shudder Ahead Of Beyond Fest Premiere". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 7, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  7. ↑ Goldsmith, Jill (November 10, 2023). "A24's Nicolas Cage-Starring Dream Scenario Opens In Limited Release With Spoof It's A Wonderful Knife, Doc Orlando, My Political Biography – Specialty Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  8. ↑ Squires, John (November 20, 2023). "It's a Wonderful Knife Begins Streaming at Home in December". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on November 23, 2023. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  9. ↑ "It's a Wonderful Knife". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  10. ↑ "It's a Wonderful Knife". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  11. ↑ Roeper, Richard (November 8, 2023). "It's a Wonderful Knife hacks away at the beloved Bedford Falls Christmas story". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on November 16, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  12. ↑ Murphy, J. Kim (November 10, 2023). "It's a Wonderful Knife Review: A Slasher Spin on the Christmas Classic That Could Use Sharper Instincts". Variety. Archived from the original on November 17, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  13. ↑ Navarro, Meagan (November 6, 2023). "It's a Wonderful Knife Review – Horror Comedy Spreads Holiday Cheer, Not Fear". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on November 20, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  14. ↑ Daniels, Robert (November 10, 2023). "It's a Wonderful Knife movie review (2023)". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on November 24, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
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