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Silent Night, Deadly Night

Silent Night, Deadly Night

Thriller · Horror · 1984

After a man dressed as Santa Claus brutally murders Billy Chapman's parents, little Billy then endures the cruelty of a sadistic nun at his orphanage. Years later, when adult Billy has to fill in for an absent in-store Santa, his childhood trauma brings him to the breaking point.

Movie details

Silent Night, Deadly Night

“He knows when you've been naughty.”

1984 Thriller · Horror 1h 19m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

5.9 / 10

Community rating

After a man dressed as Santa Claus brutally murders Billy Chapman's parents, little Billy then endures the cruelty of a sadistic nun at his orphanage. Years later, when adult Billy has to fill in for an absent in-store Santa, his childhood trauma brings him to the breaking point.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Silent Night, Deadly Night?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Charles E. Sellier Jr.

Written by

Michael Hickey

Robert Brian Wilson

Robert Brian Wilson

Billy at 18

Lilyan Chauvin

Lilyan Chauvin

Mother Superior

Gilmer McCormick

Gilmer McCormick

Sister Margaret

Charles Dierkop

Charles Dierkop

Killer Santa

T

Toni Nero

Pamela

R

Randy Stumpf

Andy

Linnea Quigley

Linnea Quigley

Denise

Court is in session

Put Silent Night, Deadly Night on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Adrenaline Seeker

“Its refusal to behave is the point.”

The strange choices create the kind of friction that follows you out of the theatre and into the argument.

The prosecution The Prestige Tourist

“Oddness is not depth.”

A film can break every rule and still leave nothing behind but the memory of how hard it tried to be singular.