If you’re a fan of the Scream films, and you can’t get enough horror films where the villain wears a mask, It’s a Wonderful Knife is your movie. Think of it as Scream meets It’s a Wonderful Life. Directed by Tyler MacIntyre — a hot commodity now having written Five Night at Freddy’s — the new comedy horror romp cuts deep, mixing humor and gore in a seasonal slasher outing that may generate repeat viewings annually.

Kudos to the clever premise: One year after saving her small town from a psychotic masked killer on Christmas Eve, Winnie Carruthers’ (Jane Widdop of Yellowjackets) life is shattered. When she wishes she’d never been born, Winnie suddenly finds herself in a bonkers parallel universe. You guessed it: in this small town, Winnie was never born. There’s some great fun watching all this play out as Winnie discovers that without her “life,” things in her hometown are so much worse. The killer is back, prompting Winnie to team up with a town misfit to identify the killer and somehow return to her own reality.

The film, written by Michael Kennedy, also stars Justin Long (Goosebumps), Joel McHale (Community, Animal Control), Cassandra Naud (Influencer), and Jess McLeod (One of Us is Lying). Director Tyler MacIntyre unpacked the film in this exclusive MovieWeb interview.

Embrace the Mask
It’s a Wonderful Knife Release Date November 10, 2023 Director Tyler MacIntyre Cast Joel McHale, Katharine Isabelle, William B. Davis, Justin Long, Jane Widdop, Jess McLeod Rating R Runtime 1hr 30min
The mask. It’s all about the mask. And in It’s a Wonderful Knife, the mask is eerie AF. It’s blank, in fact, adding to the ominous mystery of the killer. Director Tyler MacIntyre admitted that the idea for the mask used in the film was a collaborative effort. “I definitely had kind of an idea of what it was supposed to feel like,” he said. “I like very blank, kind of neutral masks. Even in my previous movie, Tragedy Girls, which is what I used as a poster. We had neutral masks that were sort of an outlandish color. I mean, somewhat impractical for somebody who’s supposed to be stalking people. But it was described in the script as a white kind of cloak, and sort of seemed like an angel.”

That prompted MacIntyre to, of all things, look at Christmas tree toppers, especially older ones, with blank faces and neutral expressions. “There’s something beautiful about them, but there’s something very scary about them, too,” he mused. “I started to pull references, and we really were going after the texture of a frosted light bulb, so you can see the reflections of Christmas lights in it. Then we played around with the different designs, which our costume designer had a big hand in.”

RLJE Films

As for the concept, MacIntyre said he had been looking for an exceptional project to direct and found great possibility in Michael Kennedy’s script, noting:

“What I really liked about what Michael had done with the script was that it had this great high-concept melding of a couple different genres, but it really has a very sweet soul to it. That’s kind of unusual for a slasher film. I thought it would be fun to bring my sensibilities in terms of the type of visual language I’d like to use. Then what really appealed to me was the opportunity to create this nightmare version of a very Hallmark Christmas world and having a lot of fun juxtaposition. During our short development process, we really pushed it to create that fun contrast so we could spend a lot more time playing those worlds against each other.”

Related: Here’s 9 of the Funniest Horror Comedies Ever Made

It’s a Wonderful Cast
RLJE Films

Joel McHale and Justin Long fans rejoice. The popular actors are in fine form in It’s a Wonderful Knife, elevating the comedy aspects of the overall film. McHale plays Winnie’s father here. Can we trust him? That’s questionable. But, like Scream, every character becomes a suspect.

“We got very lucky with the cast, and this was Jane Widdop’s first lead roles, and they did a lot of great work especially during a very packed schedule,” he said. “They must keep the emotional arc and a lot of very high-concept movie magic, especially the disbelief that goes along with the story. Jane did a great job nailing all that stuff down, so people will be engaged in the story.

“And Joel, you know, shot early in our shoot,” he added. “He’s sharp, kind of legendary, and a comedian. He was such a great example for everybody. He came in and gave it his all. And he shows some colors that he’s not necessarily known for. And Justin was a lot of fun. He really liked making big choices, and had this very specific look in mind. We worked together to shape that. He shot only for about four days, but he was awesome. He had tons of ideas and in this kind of weird character’s headspace. He took some big swings, which I think are fun for this outlandish kind of Christmas story.”

Related: The Best Dark or Sad Christmas Movies

When asked what was more challenging, writing Five Nights at Freddy’s or directing It’s a Wonderful Knife, MacIntyre pauses to reflect before adding:

“Well, you know, I was on Five Nights at Freddy’s for a couple of years working with my writing partner. It had a different set of challenges than It’s a Wonderful Knife had. Ultimately, I’m sure [director] Emma Tammi did a great job on that movie. I haven’t seen it yet, but I’m excited to check it out. I would say that directing a movie is more challenging than screenwriting for me, just because there’s a lot more moment-by-moment problems you have to roll with. But I definitely enjoyed the process a lot more.”

We have a feeling you’ll enjoy the results of that process. Catch It’s a Wonderful Knife at theaters when it releases on November 10, from RLJE Films. You can watch the trailer below: