From the filmmakers behind the found footage anthology sensation V/H/S/99 comes the festive comedy horror, It’s a Wonderful Knife. The movie follows Winnie Carruthers, a young woman who saved her town from a serial killer one year previously. Despite her bravery in tackling the killer, Winnie believes she could’ve acted faster to prevent the death of her best friend.
Wracked with guilt, Winnie wishes she’d never been born. Soon, she’s transported to an alternate dimension in which she doesn’t exist… and, most importantly, in which a masked killer still stalks the town. Keep reading to find out everything we know so far about It’s a Wonderful Knife.
When and Where to Watch ‘It’s a Wonderful Knife’?
Image via RLJE and SHUDDER
It’s a Wonderful Knife will be released theatrically across the United States on November 10, 2023. You can use the link below to check out showtimes and theater availability near you:
If you’re too busy to catch the movie on the big screen this holiday season, worry not: It’s a Wonderful Knife will be available to stream on the horror platform Shudder on December 22, 2023, just in time for Christmas. Shudder features an outstanding collection of terrifying movies available to stream right now, from genre classics to modern favorites and everything in between. Monthly plans start at $6.99.
Earlier this year, It’s a Wonderful Knife premiered at Beyond Fest, where it was met with rave reviews. It then went on to screen at numerous horror festivals across the globe, including the United States, Canada, and Russia.
Does ‘It’s a Wonderful Knife’ Have a Trailer?
RLJE Films released a trailer for It’s a Wonderful Knife on their YouTube channel in October 2023. Interestingly, the trailer hints that It’s a Wonderful Knife is set to go against the grain regarding the tried and tested slasher formula when The Angel is unmasked less than 40 seconds into the video. Don’t worry if you’d prefer to skip the trailer and wait until the movie’s release to find out who’s under that snowy white mask – we won’t spoil it for you here. The trailer also shows us exactly how It’s a Wonderful Knife earned its R-rating: with violent showdowns, epic kills, and blood by the bucket load. Of course, with Justin Long in the cast as Mayor Waters, there’s a much-needed comedic element among the terror, but still, it’s clear to see It’s a Wonderful Knife will be spreading holiday fear across the world this Christmas.
What Is ‘It’s a Wonderful Knife’ About?
Set in the peaceful town of Angel Falls, It’s a Wonderful Knife is described as an unlikely mash-up of one of the most popular slashers of all time and the feel-good holiday staple It’s a Wonderful Life. The genre-bending fright fest centers on teenager Winnie Carruthers, a girl known for saving her entire town from a bloodthirsty killer aptly known as “The Angel” on Christmas Eve. One year later, however, Winnie’s moment of glory is well and truly over. On a cold and snowy night, a depressed Winnie wishes she’d never been born and is thus plunged into a nightmare parallel universe where The Angel is still at large. As Winnie slowly discovers how many deaths she managed to prevent in her previous life, she and the town’s misfit band together to stop The Angel’s reign of terror once more.
Who Stars in ‘It’s a Wonderful Knife’?
Yellowjackets’ Jane Widdop stars as Winnie Carruthers, with Joel McHale (Community) and Erin Boyes (I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House) as Winnie’s parents David and Judy, and Aiden Howard (Goosebumps) as Winnie’s brother Jimmy. Joining them is Jess McLeod (One of Us Is Lying) as Bernie Simon, Katharine Isabelle (The Order) as Gale Prescott (Scream fans will no doubt recognize the homage), William B. Davis (The X Files) as Roger Evans, Justin Long (Barbarian) as Mayor Henry Waters, Sean Depner (Riverdale) as Buck Waters, Zenia Marshall (One of Us Is Lying) as Darla Berlin, Jason Fernandes (Cruel Summer) as Robbie Olenger, Hana Huggins (The Flash) as Cara Evans, Kiki Faye in her feature film debut as Vicki Pepper, Dimitri ‘Vegas’ Thivaios (Jurassic World Dominion) as Pete, Cassandra Naud (Influencer) as Karen Simmons, Sydney Scotia (Some Assembly Required) as Evelyn Waters, Thomas Nicholson (Yellowjackets) as Wyatt Stone, and Oscar Chark (You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah) as Eddie.
What Is the Background of ‘It’s a Wonderful Knife’?
As mentioned, It’s a Wonderful Knife puts a horror-themed spin on the holiday classic It’s a Wonderful Life. In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Tyler MacIntyre explained that instead of being shown good deeds from her past life, Winnie realizes how many deaths she prevented by unmasking The Angel. MacIntyre spoke highly of the movie’s lead, Jane Widdop, and shared how the actor was first brought to his attention when he saw their outstanding performance as Laura Lee in Showtime’s Yellowjackets. Following Widdop’s “amazing read” in the audition room, they were cast in the role of Winnie, and filming began in Vancouver in March 2023.
Who Made ‘It’s a Wonderful Knife’?
It’s a Wonderful Knife is directed by Tyler MacIntyre (V/H/S/99) and written by Michael Kennedy (Freaky). Producers include Kennedy, Daniel Bekerman (The Witch), Seth Caplan (First Girl I Loved), Jensine Carr (Agnes), Greg Gilreath (Vengeance), Adam Hendricks (Cam), Marc Hofstatter (The Golden Compass), Sarah Lebutsh (Coherence), and Steffen Wild (The Reckoning). Music by Russ Howard III (Tragedy Girls), and cinematography by Nicholas Piatnik (V/H/S/99).
Movies Like ‘It’s a Wonderful Knife’ That You Can Watch Right Now
Totally Killer (2023) – A mash-up of Scream and Back to the Future, Totally Killer is a slasher comedy that manages to strike the perfect balance between fun and frightening. The movie begins in October 1987, with the murder of three teenage girls: each stabbed 16 times on the night of their 16th birthday. The killer, later named by the tight-knit community as the Sweet 16 Killer, was never found. 35 years later, teenager Jamie Hughes (Kiernan Shipka) persuades her overbearing, Halloween-hating mother to let her attend a concert. However, when she returns home, she learns the Sweet 16 Killer is back to wreak havoc in the small town of Vernon once more. In close pursuit, Jamie hides from the killer in a science project time machine, but when it’s accidentally activated, she’s plummeted back to the year 1987. Jamie teams up with the teenage version of her mother to stop the killer from beginning their first spree – all while navigating 80s high school culture and finding a way to ensure she isn’t trapped in the past forever.
Scream (1996) – A sadistic killer known as Ghostface begins targeting the town of Woodsboro, California, as teenager Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) struggles with the upcoming anniversary of her mother’s death. When Ghostface sets his sights on Sidney, she and her school friends take a deep dive into the “rules” of horror movies to avoid becoming Ghostface’s next bloody victim.
Krampus (2015) – Krampus is a sinister holiday horror featuring an impressive cast including Parks and Rec’s Adam Scott and Hereditary’s Toni Collette. The movie begins three days before Christmas, with youngster Max Engel (Emjay Anthony) writing his annual letter to Santa Claus. When the Engels’ larger-than-life extended family arrive for the holidays, however, Max’s much-loved Christmas traditions take a nosedive. Mocked for his belief in Santa, an ashamed Max tears up his letter and declares his hate for the festive season. Later that night, an unexplainable blizzard isolates the Engels from the rest of their town, and when a horned creature is seen roaming around their property, they realize their lack of Christmas spirit has attracted an evil demon.
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