By David Dent
Indie Brit directors seem to love making comedy horror films about werewolves. Maybe it taps into this country’s love for our furry friends, or possibly that the essential melancholy of the creature chimes with our cultural penchant to look on the gloomy side of things. A more likely reason is that you can get away with a lot for not much if you make a movie featuring someone wearing a werewolf mask.
Anyway in this one we’re introduced to Lucy Gray (Katherine Rodden), host of the globetrotting ‘Monster Hunters’ YouTube show, who has slowly been using up all her money searching cross continents for thus far non-existent creatures. On her uppers, she returns to Hastings to stay with her mum, Carol (Emily Booth; and if Ms Booth is now being cast in ‘mother’ roles I must be getting old). Accompanying her is trusty cameraperson and fuckbuddy Dustin (Charlie Preston).
As mentioned in the prologue, Lucy could have saved her money and stayed in Blighty, as cave dwelling werewolves have been active in the area since at least the end of the 18th Century; and guess what, they’re still around today. While out filming in the woods on Christmas Eve, also accompanied by Lucy’s old friend, monster expert Rupert (Cian Lorcan), they come across Santa Claus, having a waz break during the annual delivery of presents.
But disaster strikes when Santa is bitten by a werewolf while in his vulnerable state, and it’s not long before he becomes WereSanta. Not only are the residents of Hastings now in danger, but it looks unlikely that anyone’s going to get their presents. The only solution is to take out the head werewolf that started the infestation in the first place, restoring all the bitten – including Santa – to their former selves.
Director Airell Anthony Hayles was heavily involved as co-writer and director of last years’ excellent and rather slick portmanteau movie Midnight Peepshow. But Werewolf Santa rather echoes the scrappiness of his previous feature, 2020’s They’re Outside. This isn’t a criticism, more an observation. Like TO before it, WS adopts a found footage approach as befitting Gray’s role and tells its story in decidedly (excuse the slight pun) shaggy dog style, including crap seaside ghost trains, bickering families and a werewolf attack in a known dogging spot.
Booth, Rodden, Preston and Lorcan make a reasonably fun group to spend an hour or so with, and Hayles at least tries to conjure up a seasonal atmosphere, even roping in genre legend Joe Bob Briggs to voice an animated version of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (although I’m not sure why). Apparently this is the first of a planned three movie Christmas themed horror cycle, and while Hayles is by no means the most polished director working in the genre at the moment, I quite like his have a go movies, soapsud snowflakes and all.
Werewolf Santa is released on UK digital 6 November from Miracle Media
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