Fantasia 2024 Review: ‘Carnage For Christmas’ is a Serviceable Trans Murder Mystery
Carnage For Christmas, which screened at Fantasia Festival on July 19th, follows true crime podcaster Lola (Jeremy Moineau), who co-hosts the Nancy Crew Show with her friend Riley (Olivia Deeble). Closing out her latest episode, Lola recounts the urban legend of the Toymaker from her childhood: In the 1930s, there was a kind man who used to dress up as Santa Claus and hand out homemade toys to children, but one day he snapped and killed his family and then himself. Following a dare to go into the Toymaker’s abandoned house and recite a chant, Lola stumbled upon a grim discovery which kickstarted her love for true crime and sleuthing.
Lola reluctantly returns to her small hometown of Purdan, Australia to stay with her sister Danielle (Dominique Booth) for the holidays. It’s the first time she’s been back since she came out as trans as a teenager, and she has to deal with the intolerant people from her childhood now she has transitioned. Danielle introduces Lola to her friends who are part of the growing queer community, which helps Lola to settle back in, but they start being murdered one-by-one by someone dressed as Santa Claus. Has the vengeful spirit of the Toymaker returned, or is someone using his legend to hide their identity? As a modern Nancy Drew, Lola takes matters into her own hands when the police are useless and enlists her boyfriend Charlie (Zarif) and Danielle for help.
As a character, Lola is a strong and confident protagonist. The prejudice she has experienced throughout her life, alongside her interest and experiences with true crime, have resulted in a fiery personality. Lola is a role model for other trans women because she stands up for herself against transphobia, and is unafraid to say what everyone wishes they could. She represents a fantasy of sticking it to the man from reasonable safety. Lola is confrontational, always one-upping everyone around her with her witty remarks — especially the police (the film is very ACAB). However, her self-righteousness grows old when it becomes her only character trait, showcased during almost every interaction she has. In an early scene, Lola seems genuinely nervous about returning home, but we never see that version of her again, which makes it seem out of character in hindsight. Nevertheless, Moineau’s rendition of Lola is undeniably captivating.
Director Alice Maio Mackay (T Blockers, Satranic Panic), who is trans herself, is only 19 years old (18 at the time of filming), but this is far from her directorial debut. Carnage For Christmas is actually Mackay’s fifth feature-length project. Co-written with Benjamin Pahl Robertson, the low-budget film was made for around $10,000. The production, then, has an amateur feel, but this is no student film — Mackay is confident in her directing. The lighting and sound quality varies, but the shots can be striking at times. The cast also vary in their acting abilities, but they’re a fun bunch whose characters complement one another well, even if they’re not fully fleshed out. The dialogue occasionally feels forced, but it’s in a brazen and commendable effort to bring the days of queer subtext in horror movies rightfully to the foreground.
There’s a gruesome murder reflecting the Viking blood eagle torture method, which was depicted so exquisitely — if I can say that about something so disturbing — in the Hannibal series. It’s obviously not as polished here, and feels a bit out of place with its Goosebumps-like mystery, but it’s still remarkably effective. The team does a fantastic job with their special effects considering their budget, though this scene was clearly the centrepiece. The editing, by trans filmmaker Vera Drew (The People’s Joker), is an inspired choice. In an attempt to lay down some backstory, short flashbacks are littered throughout in style, but they’re quite confusing. The film’s mystery loses its steam as the plot unfolds, despite there being a lot of story for its short 70 minute runtime. For this reason, Drew’s editing isn’t always smart as the film rushes through its scenes — though that might be more reflective of the film’s budget, cutting away from special effects with no sense to linger.
Carnage For Christmas is light on the carnage, but it’s a serviceable trans murder mystery that reveals bigotry, coverups, and corruption in a small town. The film’s juxtaposition of a safe family figure like Santa Claus representing a small town’s vicious hate crimes and prejudice is what makes Mackay’s fifth feature work so well — in addition to a badass trans protagonist to expose it all, of course. Passion and talent is all you need to turn your dreams into a reality. It makes you wonder what Mackay could do with a big budget.
