What better day to go on a first date than Christmas Eve. And what better thing to do on that date than to see a strange stage show of even stranger festive frights? All the Creatures Were Stirring is a 2018 anthology of five tales about holiday tragedy.
I first saw All the Creatures when it came out in 2018. This was before Let’s Talk Terror, so many of the movies I watched were just for fun (still are, but you catch my drift). That said, this movie does have a special place in my heart — a comfort that only a horror anthology can bring around the not-Halloween holidays. Directed by Rebekah and David Ian McKendry, All the Creatures walks us through a date night where the community theater actors play out increasingly horrific tales of Christmas terror.
- The Stockings Were Hung: An office party goes wrong when one worker decides to go on a killing spree.
- Dash Away All: A last-minute shopper is tricked by two women to take on their burden of a Christmas demon.
- All Through the House: A modern retelling of A Christmas Carol with a neighbor that is just a bad person all-around.
- Arose Such a Clatter: Rudolph takes revenge when Blitzen is killed in a hit-and-run.
- In A Twinkling: Christmas meets Groundhog Day meets aliens and werewolves when a guest is forced to relive the same holiday dinner with their friends.
Now, All the Creatures Were Stirring isn’t a big-budget film. It’s a love letter to the sinister side of the holiday that everyone secretly has a reason to hate. While it boasts some well-known actors, at times the acting wasn’t quite right. The writing and dialog is the same, being almost there but still having moments where it felt a little off. It’s also kind of sleepy, meaning there were times my eyes would slip to my phone instead of remaining on the screen. But don’t let that discourage you from watching; as a matter of fact, I think All the Creatures is a Christmas requirement!
I reviewed a movie a few years ago with the same kind of vibe to it: a budget anthology with heart. Sure, there’s mediocre CGI — but it’s better than nothing. Yes, were teased with cooler storylines that never pick up — but movies aren’t fun when they show too much, right? And yes, some of the stories are slow — but that’s the point. All the Creatures shows that Christmas magic can go both ways: everyone is happy (good), or everything goes to shit (bad). Take Dash Away All, for example. This poor dad is forced to never see his family again because he decided to do something nice and spend the last few minutes before Christmas shopping for them. He is taught a lesson for something that many, many people do every year. That’s cold as hell… no pun intended.
What All the Creatures doesn’t deliver in big-budget jumpscares, it delivers in thought. All of those long shots are uncomfortable, just like a visit from your annoying aunt when she’s begrudgingly invited over for Christmas dinner. The dialog is forced, like a smile after opening the 5th pair of itchy, scratchy Santa socks your grandparents sent you. But if you look for those small pieces of tinsel that sparkle brightly in the tree branches, or the warmth of the fire and smell of roasted chestnuts, All the Creatures Were Stirring has potential for multiple views! A lot of people lose sight of the hard work that goes into filmmaking; these passion projects are the backbone of horror. We could all stand to take things a little less seriously and just enjoy the ride, just like Chester in All Through the House. A Christmas miracle indeed.
What did you think of All the Creatures Were Stirring? Let us know in the comments!
