Having run out of good films to remake, the movie industry resorts to the more sensible option of remaking films that were rubbish the first time round.

The latest reboot of 1984 slasher flick Silent Night, Deadly Night brings some serious spark to a series that has already had six instalments, including a previous remake in 2012. Writer/director Mike P. Nelson plays the material surprisingly straight, avoiding the lazy trend for spoofy slasher remakes reliant on ’80s callbacks. Nor does it try to crowbar in modern references (like this year’s I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel) to give the illusion of an update. In fact the only nods to present-day phenomena are True Crime documentaries and one scene involving Nazis.

Instead the focus is firmly on the characters and their story, as Billy (Rohan Campbell) embarks on a killing spree dressed as Father Christmas, guided by an inner voice and a twisted moral code. They should have called it Dexter Halls. The performances elicit genuine sympathy for the characters, and a strong festive frisson between Billy and his co-worker (Ruby Modine). Nelson keeps the framing Claus-trophobic and the story unwrapping in layers, with supernatural elements bringing a little Christmas magic to what is ultimately a film about yuletide trauma.

This is Santasploitation with a soul, closer to the psychological drama of George A. Romero’s Martin than the tacky cynicism of 2022’s Violent Night. Where so many holiday slashers follow the mincemeat-sacks running away from a guy in fancy dress, Silent Night, Deadly Night 7 gets right inside the costume. And if that sounds too heavy, he also murders a bunch of Nazis. Finally a Santa we can believe in.