We kicked off this episode of the Grave Tone podcast in a bit of a festive slump. Despite being twelve days into December, neither Meaghan nor Arthur had really tapped into the holiday spirit until they watched the newest installment of the Silent Night, Deadly Night franchise. That was the turning point.
After trudging through a mountain of snow and an even bigger pile of seasonal depression, it took a trip to the movie theater to get some Christmas energy flowing.
This episode differed slightly from the usual format. Instead of doing a straightforward review, we took the time to walk through the entire Silent Night, Deadly Night franchise, all seven films, before ranking them and giving a mini-review of the latest 2025 reboot.
And we went all in. Every movie. Every moment. Every brain-melting sequel. And yes, some of those melted our minds.
Breaking Down the Franchise: Movie by Movie
We started off with a quick recap of each movie in the series to set the stage for the rankings. The original Silent Night, Deadly Night from 1984 gave us Billy Chapman, a traumatized kid who witnessed his parents get murdered by a guy in a Santa suit. Fast forward to adulthood, and Billy’s PTSD bubbles over into a murderous rampage, while dressed as Santa. It’s a straightforward slasher with some sad undertones and classic ’80s vibes.
Then came Part 2 in 1987, which is only marginally a Christmas movie. It follows Ricky, Billy’s brother, who has his own traumatic spiral. The first half is just recycled footage from the first movie, but once the new material kicks in, Ricky’s acting is completely unhinged and hilarious. “Garbage Day!” became a household meme, and for good reason.
Part 3: Better Watch Out, from 1989, brought in psychic powers and coma patients. Ricky returns with a new last name, a visible brain, and zero lines. The lead is a psychic woman who accidentally triggers his killing spree through their mental connection. This one, as Arthur said, was like watching someone play a walking simulator. It was boring despite the brain-in-a-jar aesthetic.
Then things went fully off the rails with Part 4: Initiation in 1990. This was a full departure from the storyline, involving a journalist in LA who ends up entangled with a coven of she-demons. It had weird body horror, slug creatures, and zero Christmas content. Meaghan summed it up best: it made absolutely no sense.
Part 5: The Toy Maker came out in 1991 and involved killer toys, a character named Pino (yes, really), and Mickey Rooney as a sinister toymaker named Joe Petto. It’s as weird as it sounds, but oddly entertaining, especially compared to the nonsense that came before it.
After a long break, the franchise was revived in 2012 with Silent Night, which had basically nothing to do with the earlier films except for the concept of a killer Santa.
This one’s more of a straight slasher with a few memorable kills and a lot of absurd one-liners from Malcolm McDowell. One of his best? “Don’t put avocado on a burger. Keep it simple.” That alone earned the movie a middle spot in our ranking.
And finally, we reached the newest reboot in 2025, which leaned back into Billy Chapman’s story but with a fresh twist. We both agreed: it was smart, it was brutal, it was actually really good.
Ranking the Madness: From Worst to Best
We ranked the films from least to most favorite, and while our early choices matched up, things got interesting near the top.
We both agreed that Part 4: Initiation was dead last. The story made no sense, and while the body horror was unique, it didn’t save the movie. The lead actress was giving an Oscar-level performance for a movie that barely deserved a student film award.
Part 3 landed next on our lists. Despite a few cool effects (like Ricky’s visible brain), it was mind-numbingly slow. Meaghan noted the pointless scenes of people walking and talking about things unrelated to the plot. Even casting Tony from West Side Story as a doctor couldn’t save it.
Then came the 2012 Silent Night reboot. It wasn’t great, but it had some charm, especially Malcolm McDowell’s ridiculous one-liners. The kills were average, but at least they looked and felt like a Christmas horror movie. Plus, we appreciated that it didn’t take itself too seriously.
We both had Part 5: The Toy Maker in the middle of our rankings. It was surprisingly enjoyable, with creepy toys, a more coherent plot, and decent performances. After the chaos of Parts 3 and 4, it was a welcome return to something that made sense.
At the top is where our rankings diverged. Arthur gave the number one spot to the newest 2025 film for its smart storytelling, excellent kills, and strong performances.
Meaghan gave her top spot to Part 2, mostly for how wildly entertaining Ricky’s over-the-top acting was. Even though it’s barely a Christmas movie, it was such a bizarre, hilarious ride that it won her over.
Digging Into the 2025 Reboot (Spoilers Ahead)
We gave a spoiler warning and then jumped into a mini-review of the new reboot. We both gave it high marks; Arthur gave it a 7.2 out of 10, and Meaghan hovered around a solid 7. It was fun, well-acted, and had something most of the other entries lacked: good writing.
One of our favorite elements was the way the film wove together bits from previous installments, like Billy’s trauma, the psychological connection from Part 3, and even a vigilante-killer twist.
The new Billy, played by Rowan Campbell, brought awkwardness and intensity to the role in all the right ways. He previously appeared in Halloween Ends, and while that film had issues, none of them were his fault. His performance here is layered and compelling.
Another highlight was the film’s kill sequences. From serious, emotional moments to ridiculous, Nazi-slaying action scenes (yes, you read that right), the kills were memorable and well-staged. Some had practical effects, some leaned on stylized violence, but all were effective.
We also raved about the voice acting from Mark Acheson, who played Charlie, the spirit possessing Billy. His voice had gravitas, weight, and that otherworldly menace you want in a horror villain. Meaghan said he needs to be cast as a dragon in every fantasy audiobook from now on, and honestly, she’s not wrong.
Even Pam, the female lead played by Ruby Modine (Happy Death Day), brought depth and energy. Her rage-fueled outbursts felt earned, and she gave the film emotional grounding without feeling like a generic final girl.
The plot itself had a nice twist, too. What seemed like senseless violence turned out to be targeted justice; each victim had committed a serious wrong. It added complexity to the film’s moral center and gave the killings purpose without getting preachy.
Wrapping It All Up
After watching all seven Silent Night, Deadly Night films, we came away with a new appreciation for how weird and wonderful holiday horror can be. The franchise is all over the place, campy, bizarre, confusing, sometimes boring, sometimes brilliant. But in the middle of that mess, something is enduring. The newest film honors that legacy while also improving on it.
If you’ve never seen the franchise before, you’ll want to start with the original, laugh your way through Part 2, skip Part 4 unless you want your brain to hurt, and end on the 2025 reboot. Trust us, it’s worth it.
And if you ever need a horror podcast that watches seven killer Santa movies in a row just to give you a definitive ranking, well… that’s why we’re here.