YouTube monster hunters Lucy (Katherine Rodden) and Dustin (Charlie Preston) go in search of werewolves in the seaside town of Hastings, but when they find one, it is taking a bite out of Santa. When Santa becomes a werewolf himself, the wannabe social media stars attempt to track down the red-suited monster and shoot him.
With a budget that probably couldn't stretch to a celebratory post-production box of mince pies (certainly not Tesco's Finest), found footage horror Werewolf Santa is unable to do its loopy premise justice, the lack of money evident throughout, from the painted MDF Santa sleigh, to the foam standing in unconvincingly for snow, to the cheap and rather nasty captions and childishly rendered comic-book panels, to Santa's patently fake beard and 'tache. I'm guessing that Joe Bob Briggs recorded his opening narration out of charity.
I really wanted to like this film, as I was kindly given a screener to watch by director Airell Anthony Hayles, but as much as I admire and appreciate the hard work and dedication required to make any film, I cannot see past this film's many shortcomings, of which a lack of cash is just one. Played for giggles rather than scares, Werewolf Santa is supremely silly, but doesn't deliver enough genuine laughs, much of the gags falling flat, while attempts at emotional beats feel strangely out of place amidst the lunacy. Scares are also in short supply, with a chase scene in a ghost train the only part that comes close to delivering any tension (the operative word being 'close'). Successfully combining horror and comedy is a fine art that few master, and Hayles' film fails to bring these two genres together in a satisfying manner.
To their credit, the cast give it their all, doing the best they can with the material (Mark Arnold from Teen Wolf and Brit cult actress Emily Booth being the 'recognisable stars' of the film), but the film is screaming out for a sharper script, someone who can draw, and better special effects (which brings me back to the budget...).
3/10 - Needed to be funnier, bloodier, and have a werewolf that looks more like the one on the poster.
