Silent Night, Deadly Night

On Christmas Eve, eight-year-old Billy Chapman is traveling by car with his parents when the vehicle stops on a remote road. A man dressed as Santa Claus approaches and murders Billy’s parents in front of him, leaving Billy alive. The killer, who is fatally stabbed by Billy’s mother, is later revealed to be Charlie, a janitor working at Billy’s grandfather’s care home. In the aftermath, Billy comes into physical contact with Charlie, and an electrical surge appears to pass between them. Billy, who now knows that his parents murdered his grandfather for his money, is taken into care following the murders.

Years later, Billy lives a transient life, moving between towns and avoiding long-term relationships. As every Christmas approaches, he begins hearing Charlie’s disembodied voice urging him to “punish” people who have been “naughty” (i.e. are murderers) and directing him to follow a ritual linked to an Advent calendar, instructing him to commit a killing for each day leading up to Christmas. Billy carries out the murders while wearing a Santa Claus costume.

Having killed a Christmas tree grower at a motel, Billy arrives in the town of Hackett shortly before Christmas and takes a job at a gift shop owned by Mr. Sims. There he meets Sims’ daughter, Pamela “Pam” Sims, and the two begin a relationship. As the Advent calendar progresses, Billy continues committing killings, including an attack at a secret neo-Nazi Christmas party. Pam’s abusive ex-boyfriend Max Benedict, a state trooper, becomes suspicious of Billy after observing his behavior and his proximity to several crime scenes. At the same time, reports spread about missing children and a suspected abductor referred to as “the Snatcher.” Upon investigating a car with a tied up child inside, Pam’s father is murdered by the Snatcher on camera.

With Pam desperate for retribution, Billy offers to fulfill her “Christmas wish.” Whilst on the way to the Snatcher’s location, Billy confides in Pam about his childhood trauma, describing the electrical surge he experienced when he touched the killer, explaining that the voice has guided him since then, acting as a pseudo father figure and showing him the crimes of anyone “naughty” as well as guiding him towards them. Pam accepts Billy’s account and is willing to continue with Billy, returning to the Christmas tree farm per Charlie’s advice. Inside, they discover three abducted and drugged children hidden in an underground ball pit. During the confrontation, Pam is captured by the Snatcher and dragged into the pit. Guided by Charlie, Billy pursues and kills the Snatcher with a boxcutter, but is stabbed during the struggle and seriously wounded.

Max arrives at the scene and fatally shoots Billy. As Billy dies, he grabs Pam’s hand, and an electrical current appears to pass between the pair, causing Pam to lose consciousness. She later regains consciousness with Max and sees flashes of his past, showing her that he assisted the two Christmas tree growers in the abduction of the children. Pam attacks Max, biting off his nose, and kills him with Billy’s axe. Following Max’s death, Pam hears the voice of Billy in her head, asking if she’s “ready for this,” to which she grins.

Last Updated: January 06, 2026 at 08:38