Streaming Service: Shudder
Movie Name/Year: The Advent Calendar (2021)
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Length: 104 minutes
Rating: Unrated
Production/Distribution: Sombrero Films, Siddhi
Films, Frakas Productions, Zed, Universal Pictures Video, Cinécap 3, Sofica
Manon 10, Palatine Etoile 17, Canal+, Ciné+, Centre national du cinéma et de
l'image animée (CNC), Radio Télévision Belge Francophone (RTBF), VOO, BE TV, Centre
du Cinéma et de l'Audiovisuel de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Tax Shelter
du Gouvernement Fédéral Belge, Casa Kafka Pictures Movie Tax Shelter Empowered
by Belfius, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale, Alba Films, Splendid Film, Shudder
Director: Patrick Ridremont
Writer: Patrick Ridremont
Actors: Eugénie Derouand, Honorine Magnier, Clément Olivieri, Janis
Abrikh, Cyril Garnier, Vladimir Perrin, Fabien Jegoudez, Jérôme Paquatte, Laura
Presgurvic
Blurb from IMDb: Eva, an ex-dancer, is now
living in a wheelchair, unable to walk. when her friend Sophie gives her an old
wooden antique advent calendar before Christmas, she realizes each window
contains a surprise that triggers repercussions in real life: some of them
good, but most of them bad - Now Eva will have to choose between getting rid of
the calendar or walking again - even if it causes death around her.
Selina’s Point of View:
I cannot express
how happy I am that we’re not starting our ‘Tis the Season event with something
from Hallmark or Lifetime. I’m prepared to watch the big city girl leave it all
behind and learn the magic of Christmas from the plaid-clad farm-boy, but that
doesn’t mean I’m looking forward to it.
Let’s
be honest here. I’m not the biggest fan of French cinema. We’ve reviewed a few
projects from France, and there haven’t been many of those that have spoken to
me. There’s a cultural gap that I have trouble bridging. I don’t entirely
understand what puts me off about them, but there is definitely something.
That’s
not to say French movies are objectively bad. It’s a very personal choice. Cat
tends to loves them. Unfortunately, she’s sick this week.
It
says a lot that, despite my usual preferences, that I found this movie awesome.
I lost
myself in it. Forgot that I was reading the subtitles, even. I did remember once
in a while when something written appeared on screen, though. There were no
translations for those bits and I had to pause to look them up. Every time that
happened, I did get sucked out a little, but that’s more on Shudder than it is
on the actual film.
The Advent Calendar mixes the truth or dare sub-genre
with a dash of ‘be careful what you wish for’ and hands in something more
unique than you’d expect. It even highlights some Christmas magic.
What
I really enjoyed about The Advent Calendar was that it relied so little
on jump-scares. After viewing the trailer, I was certain it was going to be
revolving around your basic jump-scare tactics. Instead, it’s super tense. You
go on this journey with the main character as she fights to fulfill a ton of
orders from some mystical box, and it winds up working.
I
need to add that there are some very triggering scenes. In a film like this you
expect blood and sacrifice, but there are also more sensitive situations
explored in relatively graphic ways. I do believe it works in the story, but
not everyone will have the ability to sit through it.
If
you’re looking for something to watch, and you are just as sick of the
Hallmark/Lifetime holiday variety as I am, this is a wonderful start.
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 71%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – None
Metascore – 51%
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – 6.5/10
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 4/5
Trust-the-Dice’s
Parental Advisory Rating:
R
Movie Trailer:
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