Director Mike P. Nelson and star Ruby Modine took the 1984 film Silent Night, Deadly Night and turned it into a “distinctive film drenched in blood” in which both the killer and the final girl emerge victorious.
“I wanted it to be a love story, but I wanted it to be complex,” Nelson told GamesRadar+ during an exclusive interview at NYCC. “You have two people who are dealing with inner demons, and what does that look like when they come face to face? It can either be very, very bad or very, very good, depending on how you look at it.”
It could be, and to be honest, for me, like a butting of heads, a Death Battle between two crazy people is kind of the way to go. But I thought there was more to it than that. And honestly, as I was writing this, I kind of discovered it. And the more and more I wrote and realized it, Billy and Pam started to get closer. I thought: I want them to win. I want this movie to be a win. There are so many horror movies out there now, more than ever, and it feels like no one is winning. And I really wanted these two to win a landslide victory.”
Nelson is right: in the original 1984 film, Billy (played by Robert Brian Wilson) is doomed from the start after a man dressed as Santa Claus kills both of his parents, leaving him an orphan. Although he initially intends to protect her, he ends up killing the love of his life, Pamela (played by Tony Nero). While the film is a classic '80s slasher flick with some incredibly funny kills (horns to the chest, anyone?), it's a pretty grim ending for Billy and Pam. Modina was adamant that her version of Pamela had a different spirit than Nero's portrayal.
“With all due respect to the original, I feel that [2025 Pamela] She has this fierce side to her that is driven by how much she adores and loves the people she adores and loves,” explains Modine. “And she’s trying to find balance within that, in a world that she’s also trying to kind of escape from. When Billy comes to town, there's some hope, like maybe I can calm down. And I just love that she's in the midst of a journey. You shouldn't discuss the trip with Pam. This is actively happening, and you are witnesses to it.”
Silent Night, Deadly Night had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest, where it received mostly positive reviews. Because the slasher film is centered around the love story of Billy and Pam. Central Horror called it “a distinctive film drenched in blood.”
Modine adds: “Because we all, real people, have inner demons that we struggle with. And then when you find someone that you can coexist with and you can say, “I have shit, you have shit, let’s figure out our shit together.”
Silent Night, Deadly Night hits theaters on December 12th, just in time for the Christmas holiday. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2025 and beyond.
