It’s a Wonderful Knife (2023)

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 HALLOWEEN REVIEWS 2026

Director: Tyler MacIntyre

Writer: Michael Kennedy

Stars: Jane Widdop, Joel HcHale, Justin Long, Jess McLeod, Katherine Isabelle, Aiden Howard, Erin Boyes, Sean Depner, Zenia Marshall



This horror twist on the heartwarming Capra classic gets off to an eventful start by beginning where most slasher films end.



 Our final girl hero, Winnie (Jane Widdop), unmasks and electrocutes the killer known as the Angel within the first ten minutes.



 Traumatized, she numbly watches her family and the rest of the town go on with their lives, seeming to bounce back while she finds everything drained of meaning. 



Finally, she wishes to the Northern Lights that she had never been born and, in the long tradition of Christmas movies, her wish is granted. 



However, if she was never born, then she was never there to stop the Angel, and apparently no one else was either, because she finds herself in an alternate reality where she is unknown and her town lives in fear of the killer, who is very much alive and active. 



This is a fun movie with some surprises and a standout performance from Justin Long as the conniving developer who is so integral to the town’s problems. 



There are some surprising developments regarding the killer’s identity that I didn’t see coming. There is also a suitably happy ending, making this the ideal transition film for those who are looking forward to the holiday season but are not quite ready to let go of Halloween.










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