Silent Night, Deadly Night

On Christmas Eve in 1971, the Chapman family drives to a state mental hospital to visit their grandfather. Although he is mentally ill and does not recognize them, they leave infant Ricky with him while discussing matters with the doctors.

During their brief absence, Grandpa shares a terrifying secret with young Billy, revealing that Santa rewards only good children and punishes those who are naughty. This unsettling revelation instills a deep fear within Billy, particularly about his own behavior throughout the year.

As the family drives home, Billy, troubled by Grandpa's words, questions his mother about Santa Claus's potential punishment of her. Her panicked dismissal of Grandpa as a silly old fool only escalates Billy's fear that Santa may actually choose to punish her.

While driving home, the Chapman family unintentionally encounters a man dressed as Santa Claus who is robbing a gas station. This violent encounter ends with the clerk's murder, a harbinger of tragedy waiting for Billy's family.

The Santa-robber brutally confronts the Chapman family, resulting in the murder of Billy's father and a violent assault on his mother. Traumatized, young Billy witnesses this horror as he flees into the bushes, leaving deep psychological scars.

Fast forward to Christmas 1974, Billy and Ricky are living in a Catholic orphanage. Billy struggles with nightmares and traumatic memories, particularly during the holiday season, causing concern among the staff.

Billy's gruesome artwork depicting his trauma leads to punishment from the Mother Superior. Unaware of the true depth of his issues, she embodies the rigid discipline that complicates Billy's recovery.

Billy accidentally witnesses two older children engaging in inappropriate behavior, triggering flashbacks of his traumatic past. This experience exacerbates his mental instability, adding to the fears associated with the holiday.

As Christmas approaches, the return of a man in a Santa suit sends Billy into a spiral of dread. His psychological trauma resurfaces, intensifying his feelings of danger and fear.

By spring 1984, Billy, now 18, secures a job at a local toy store, appearing to lead a normal life. However, looming holiday memories stir uncomfortable feelings within him as Christmas draws near.

An accident forces Billy to wear a Santa suit when their scheduled Santa injures himself. This situation becomes a turning point for Billy, linking him to the very fears associated with his traumatic childhood.

On Christmas Eve, during a company celebration, internal abuse at the store sets off Billy's repressed trauma. Feeling the weight of his past, he snaps, convinced that he must punish those he perceives as naughty.

Billy, still dressed in the Santa suit, embarks on a violent rampage at the toy store and into the neighborhood. The culmination of his broken psyche manifests in a tragic spree that terrorizes the innocent.

As the chaos continues, Billy infiltrates the orphanage, confronting the now wheelchair-bound Mother Superior. This confrontation symbolizes the culmination of his untreated trauma and the price of neglect throughout his upbringing.

In his dying breath, after being shot by police, Billy tells the frightened children, 'You’re safe now. Santa Claus is gone.' This chilling statement serves as a haunting conclusion to his violent legacy and a foreboding shadow over his brother, Ricky.