A Christmas parasite feeds on teen angst—and grows under your skin. Literally.
Christmas, 1981. At the big holiday house party, 18-year-old Kim discovers that this gathering — with its mixture of alcohol, flirting, and teenage embarrassment — is the perfect feeding ground for the mistletoe-inhabited demon, which seems to be thriving off of the teens’ hormones and anxieties by attaching itself like a parasite. Once it starts growing beneath their skin, their worst fears about themselves come to light, and no can be trusted. Now, Kim and her friends have an almost impossible task — get a grip on their insecurities to defeat this evil force, or face something much worse — death.
Practical Effects
Gross-out creature effects that'll ruin mistletoe forever.
Direction
Hagins nails the excruciating social dynamics of teen parties.
Writing
Insecurities manifest as actual monsters—clever metaphor, gnarly execution.
Director
Emily Hagins
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Emily Hagins directed her first feature at age 12, making her one of horror's youngest filmmakers—this is her long-awaited return to creature features.
The mistletoe parasite metaphorically weaponizes the 'kiss cam' coercion of holiday traditions—consent becomes literally life-or-death.
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