BY ROMEY NORTON NOVEMBER 28, 2023
*SPOILER ALERT*
It's A Wonderful Knife (nice play on words there) is the story of Winnie Carruther (Yellowjackets) whose life is less than wonderful one year after saving her town, and her brother, from a psychotic killer on Christmas Eve.
Synopsis
Whilst making a wish that she was never born, Winnie is magically transported to a parallel universe - a nightmarish one where the murderous maniac is back and thriving! Realising that without her things could be so much worse, Winnie must team up with the town’s loner-loser to identify the culprit and get back to her own reality. The film also stars Joel McHale (Community) and Justin Long (Barbarian).
Review
What I loved and was surprised by were the gruesome kill scenes - they are excellently well done and portrayed. Bloody, and gritty, just the way horror fans like it. The killer is dressed in plain white and looks like a nun, or a member of the KKK. Luckily, they make an appearance early on in the film - and you guessed it right. It’s Justin Long (this isn’t a spoiler, it’s obvious when watching, and this film isn’t a guess the killer). Long is on top form in the film - one of his better roles in my opinion. His geeky, cheesy, loser-we-love, extra permatan persona is compelling and you can’t take your eyes off him. Especially when you see a slight change in his expression and he goes from cute to creepy.
Widdop does a fantastic job playing Winnie, who looks very similar to Casey Becker from the Scream franchise. A teenager in crisis, facing her fears and demons as she develops into an adult is a classic horror franchise story, and Widdop’s interpretation is a blend between sweet and strong.
The killer is known as The Angel (as they’re in Angel Falls) cliché as they’re anything but, and in the first universe the killer is the cheesy corporate Barbarian, but in the parallel universe, it’s Winnie’s dad. This little twist is a nod to what grief and manipulation can do to a person. Here Winnie is faced with the challenge of killing her own father before he kills her.
This could be suggesting that in order to find peace we must kill ties with our parents - that Winnie’s weaknesses come from her father and his parenting, and once she faces the fact he’s responsible for her trauma she can heal. (parents aren’t always the best at A. protecting us, and B. helping us build strong coping mechanisms).
The film has a solid pace, keeping you entertained and on your toes. The parallel universe is a nice touch, as that is something very much in the forefront of films at the moment, so to see it as a nightmare and not an exciting adventure is a terrifying twist. The final battle takes place inside a darkened cinema, and Winnie uses the flash of her camera to help see. This is a really effective tool to portray mania and stress as we capture glimpses of the killer at work.
With a sweet ending, underneath the killings, It's A Wonderful Knife has a rather wholesome message about self-acceptance and self-love. That the world is a better place for you being in it. In this case, it’s because she killed a guy, so hey, even your worst mistakes might have a positive impact somewhere. The main thing is, no matter how bad and low you feel, you matter.
STAR RATING
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