24 Days of HorrorXmas- Christmas Presence (2018)

I will be posting Christmas themed horror films over the next 24 days, for the fifteenth night I am listing the 2018 horror comedy Christmas Presence aka Why Hide?

Christmas Presence (2018)

Dir- James Edward Cook

A gathering of friends in a remote English cottage turns deadly when a mysterious force begins to kill them one at a time seemingly by what scares them the most. Christmas Presence doesn't quite feel like a horror movie for the first 30 minutes as the film focuses on issues with the friends and an awkward business pitch involving underwear. The movie then takes a turn into horror as the guests discover one of their friends is dead, and issues of trust begin to cause havoc as tensions between the group escalate, and the secret of one of their friends is made known as all attempts to escape are thwarted by an evil presence. This film was released on Shudder as "Christmas Presence" but also has the title "Why Hide?" The film can't decide if its a serious horror film or a dark comedy, the cast is diverse but the movie does not give you enough time to invest in them before they start to die off. Charlotte Atkinson does stand out as the troubled McKenzie who's story was the only one fleshed out with any backstory. The film takes an unexpected turn at the end that seems almost unnecessary and may turn off viewers. Christmas Presence won't likely become a horror classic with films like Christmas Horror Story and Krampus getting the attention for holiday horror viewer yet being on Shudder does give the viewer a chance to watch a film that would not have been shown in this country otherwise.