| The Killing Tree | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Rhys Frake-Waterfield |
| Screenplay by | Craig McLearie |
| Cinematography | Vince Knight |
| Edited by | Rhys Frake-Waterfield Scott Chambers |
| Music by | James Cox |
Production company | Dark Abyss Productions |
| Distributed by | Uncork'd Entertainment |
Release date |
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Running time | 72 minutes |
The Killing Tree is a 2022 British horror film directed by Rhys Frake-Waterfield, from a screenplay by Craig Mclearie. The film follows a serial killer named Clayton Slayter, who's resurrected as a murderous Christmas tree by his widow after being killed by police. The film received negative reviews from critics.
Widow Morrigan was part of a serial killer couple who murdered several families on Christmas. Her husband, Clayton Slayter, was killed by the police after murdering Faith's family. This Christmas, she brings her husband back to life with a satanic ritual. However, he is reborn as a Christmas tree. In return, he first kills his wife. He then heads towards Faith's house to finish his work.
Meanwhile, Faith tries to cope with the events and decides to throw a Christmas party with her best friend Becky and all her friends. As the Christmas tree gets closer, Faith slowly gets drunk. The tree kills people randomly on its way to the house and eventually attacks it. In the end, only Faith survives. When the tree tries to attack her, her murdered parents appear in the form of a giant tree and burn the Christmas tree into a pile of ash with fiery eyes. Faith loses consciousness.
When she wakes up, she is surrounded by her friends. She seems to have dreamed the whole thing and decides to move out of her parents' house.
The film's effects were created using a combination of practical effects and CGI. Practical scenes involving the tree were achieved with an actor wearing a tree costume. [1] [2]
The film was Given a Direct To Video release by Uncork'd Entertainment in November 2022.
The film largely received negative reviews from critics. Many reviews highlight the poor acting and unattractive effects, as well as the plot. [3] [4] [5] The film has 17% on Rotten Tomatoes from Critics. [6]