The Advent Calendar

I found this on Shudder when it got added and the description intrigued me. A horror movie based on an advent calendar has a unique and sinister edge. The ticking clock would naturally create some energy as each day, and each opening of a box on the calendar, would bring the movie to a new level of tension. I'm happy to report this was almost entirely successful, minus a couple small missteps. Let's knock those missteps out of the way first. The ending is a bit abrupt. Like, it feels as if there should be a few more minutes at the end. It's not the worst thing in the world, but it does leave you looking around thinking "wait a minute". Not a deal-breaker, but just a moment that could be handled a little better. The other negative aspect requires some explanation of the movie itself. The movie is, essentially, a re-working of the Faustian bargain. Eva has been paralyzed from a car accident for three years. Her friend gets her the advent calendar, not knowing its terrible history. The rules of the calendar are simple: eat every candy or you'll die, follow every instruction or you'll die, and don't dispose of the calendar or you'll die. At first, Eva doesn't take it seriously, but it quickly becomes obvious this thing is for real. Eventually, she finds out that it will get harder as it goes, but if she can make it to the end, she'll be able to walk again. It's there that the movie makes the second mistake: Eva goes from terrified and confused to "welp, I guess I'm a murderer now" with nary a look back. It does a good job of painting WHY she wants to walk again -- she was a dancer before the accident and misses it, her boss views her as useless despite her handicap not even coming into play with her job function, men don't even consider her a viable romantic partner. But there's neither build towards her accepting the rules of the box to get what she wants, nor is there any horror at doing the dirty work. She just does it, even as the cost becomes higher and higher. Now, some people will be angry that this is even a plot point, as it could be called ableism, and to them, I say go kick rocks. Handicapped people aren't saints because they're handicapped, and they don't want to be fetishized or turned into totems for causes. They want to be treated as PEOPLE. I should know; my son is handicapped. He can be a jackass, and he doesn't like being somebody's cause. Someone who could walk and is angry that they can't could very well want it back, and may be willing to pay a steep price to get it back. This movie is not some slight against those with disabilities; it's a story about ONE CHARACTER who is desperate to get back the life she lost. That's natural. That's human. And in that regard, WOW, does this movie nail it. The acting is superb in this, as you see Eva's resentment of her life build and build. When she learns the box can affect reality, and how she can use it for the better, you see her start to brighten. But we know it's corrupting her moral compass, day by day, and the movie illustrates that. The conceit of the advent calendar gives the movie a natural escalating pace. Each new day brings a new level of "what fresh hell will it unleash?" dread, as the calendar takes with one hand and gives with another. You feel for her desperation, but you know she's making a mistake, and you don't want her to keep sacrificing herself to get what in the end will be a hollow victory. This is the classic definition of a tragedy, but turned into a horror movie, and it absolutely works. Everything else about the movie supports the fantastic performance and basic, but clever, premise. The cinematography, the lighting, the music, and ESPECIALLY the design of Ich, the monster behind the titular object. He is straight out of Hellraiser, a skinned monstrosity of sinew, muscle, and a twisted mask that's probably more horrifying than whatever could be underneath it. And best of all, it takes a familiar, simple premise -- a deal with the Devil -- and turns it on its ear with only the smallest of twists: a countdown of days. It's smart and effective, and it will suck you in. Hooptober 2022 movie #20/31