Black Christmas (1974)★★★★☆

I was surprised by how much I liked this movie. I shouldn’t have been, because I love Christmas and slasher films, but for some reason I had low expectations for this. I’m happy to say it exceeded those expectations.

It’s pretty scary right from the start, and those obscene phone calls make it somehow more realistic and more terrifying. The cast is all great and full of familiar faces like Margot Kidder (as Barb). The name Olivia Hussey looked familiar to me but it wasn’t until I saw her face (as Jess) that I realized she’s Topanga’s aunt from an episode of Boy Meets World (nerd alert?).

It’s mostly well paced though there are a few slow points in the middle. The end feels satisfying while also ambiguous, which might be the best kind of ending for a scary movie. I’m hoping that the mid-2000s cast of the remake is good enough to hold a candle (or some Christmas lights) to this one.