Holidays (2016) | Film Review

Since the days of “Night Gallery” and “Creepshow”, anthologies have remained steadfast as the hit-or-miss sub-category in terror cinema. Reasons being that – unlike most genres – there is no need for insightful character development nor a grossly over-the-top budget. Grab a few stories from notable writers or directors, find a thread to weave them all together, add minimal effects and lacquer on a ton of atmosphere, and BAM! The studio has themselves a bona fide horror flick. Unfortunately, films with a fresh take or even worth sitting through haven’t spawned nearly as frequent.

“Holidays” eschews previous anthology requirements by kicking expectations to the proverbial curb and stringing the narrative along not by a branching story nor a mischievous narrator, but by the overlying theme of the title: Eight distinct holidays bring forth an octagon of dreadful fables. You read that correct, “Holidays” wants to remind you that yes, there are far worse things to suffer through than huffing it through a mall for the last Turbo Man or an annual feast with the in-laws.

Corralling a herd of talented filmmakers, both novice and accomplished – Kevin Smith, Gary Shore, Adam Mortimer, Nicholas McCarthy, Dennis Widmyer, Kevin Kolsch, Scott Stewart, Sarah Adina Smith, and Anthony Scott Burns – “Holidays” drops in on eight distinctly individual tales of the macabre, each story spanning less than 15 minutes of screen time with varying degrees of nuance and gore.

Like any collection of short films, how much you enjoy “Holidays” depends on your taste for each style. Not every mini-movie took me aback, but you can appreciate the varying techniques and approaches each artist took with their respective yarn. “Valentine’s Day” was a quirky little stab at the “Carrie” mythos of teenage rejection and obsession. “St. Patrick’s Day” takes the staple of a drunken night of debauchery and cranks it up with a bonkers twist on maniacal pagans. “New Year’s” offers a modern version of “When Harry Met Sally”, if a sadistic serial killer was on the receiving end of the kiss.

There are a few whiffs – Kevin Smith’s “Halloween” begins with a strong concept, and then hammers the literal nail a bit too hard on the head – yet overall, each film brought forth an idea that invigorates anthologies as an art form by offering creative endeavors tailored to the filmmakers involved. My favorite of all, “Father’s Day” – revolving around a young woman who stumbles across a recorded message from her long-dead father – provided such a profoundly insightful and moving narrative that I am still selfishly clinging to my desperate hopes for a feature-length realization of this entire gem of a premise.

Like any anthology before it, not every story will gel with every viewer. That is exactly why these movies can be so entertaining; if you can’t get on board with one story, wait 10 minutes and you’ll go another round. By pooling together several talented filmmakers, unique stories and a solid cast, there is enough here to entice even the most fickle horror aficionado. And unlike most family gatherings where stragglers hang around far too long or Uncle Steve initiates a rebellion with a tirade over his unhealthy sports obsession, “Holidays” is deliciously wicked fun.