Black Christmas (2019)  ★★½

THE original version of Black Christmas is considered somewhat of a trail-blazer.

This Canadian horror film was released in 1974, four years before John Carpenter’s Halloween, the film that is usually considered to have given birth to the modern slasher.

Black Christmas is simple in the extreme: a group of college students are stalked and murdered.

It was remade in 2006 and most recently again in 2019 with a twist to establish its credentials in the era of female victims fighting back.

It’s the Christmas break but, for mostly unexplained reasons, a sorority house at Hawthorne College is still pretty busy.

Our central character is one of the sorority sisters, Riley Stone, played well by Imogen Poots.

Riley is a bit of a pariah at the College, having previously accused the popular head of one of the male houses of sexually assaulting her.

Meanwhile one of the Professors (Carey Elwes) is under scrutiny amid suspicion of being a predator.

In the midst of this charged environment a masked killer starts taking out the sorority sisters.

I enjoyed the film more than I anticipated. While it is formulaic in suspense and scares, the MeTo movement elements add some depth and interest.

Overall, not the worst mainstream horror film out there. That title goes to Fantasy Island.