After last year’s Alternative Christmas Film Advent Calendar’s globetrotting venture this year things settle in to spend Christmas at home. There are a good deal of classic British Christmas films, and plenty of festive features which love to pitch a rom-com in London or a castle in the country, but this year the Calendar grabs a mince pie and takes a look at some lesser known or thought of British Christmas films.
It wouldn’t be Christmas in the UK without TV channels bringing about an animated take on a classic fairy tale or short children’s book, or, of course, there are plenty of pantos available across the country. So, behind the first door of this year’s calendar lies a quasi adaptation of Hansel And Gretel in the form of Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?
Christmas parties going wrong are a frequent favourite of festive features (Die Hard is a prime example), however it’s long after the party is over that the real darkness is shown to orphaned siblings Christopher (Mark Lester) and Katy (Chloe Franks), who themselves weren’t invited to wealthy American widow ‘Auntie Roo’s’ (Shelley Winters) in the first place. But, for Katy, it’s difficult to leave once the party is over when Auntie Roo – really called Mrs Forrest – takes a shine to the young girl who reminds her of her own deceased daughter, who she tries to communicate with via dodgy seances. And thus a twisted tale of entrapment begins.
Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? could so easily play out as a family film, and in many ways it does, however the occasional shot amongst the sinister 70s tone brings about the (currently) 15 – if re-rated today it’d probably get a 12 – rating. Fear of potential Christmases past begins to arise within Christopher and Katy as they witness an increasing madness in their former host. The decorations around the large house are similar veils of seasonal cheer and goodwill, behind closed doors they take an even more fake appearance contrasting with the threat of the homeowner, and her tragic past.
Yet, the darkness at play finds itself wrapped in that familiar fairy tale style. Leaving for something where the characters don’t walk off 100% happily, although certainly relieved, through the snow. It’s a festive feature with a slight bite to it, making it all the more enjoyable within its casing. Is Auntie Roo a panto villain? Perhaps one with a more manic edge thanks to Winters’ increasingly unhinged performance, but she slots perfectly into the film making for a strong antagonist for the central siblings to try and evade. This is a straight-faced, grown-up panto leaning into its darker edges and making for a much sweeter treat for doing so.
Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? can be watched in the following places:
Amazon/ Prime
To find out where else the film is available to buy, rent or stream, particularly if you’re in another country, JustWatch is always worth taking a look at.
Just A Little Bit Random 