Eva has been paraplegic for the past three years. When her birthday arrives, she receives a strange Advent calendar as a gift. But instead of the traditional sweets, every day reveals something different; sometimes pleasant but often terrifying, and increasingly bloody. It’s going to be a very deadly Christmas this year.

For in-depth thoughts on The Advent Calendar, please see my colleague Mike Vaughn’s review from its original streaming release here.

Video Quality

The film debuts on Blu-Ray with a 1080p presentation in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio that elegantly captures the look of the picture. The movie has a subdued color palette that is impeccably saturated, especially when the holiday decor brightens up the screen in the production design and lighting. Detail and clarity are standout elements of the viewing experience. There is rich detail on display, especially in the backgrounds and textures of the costumes. The transfer delivers deep black levels that do not struggle with crush or other shortcomings. Objects stand out in the shadows and retain their shape with no unforgivable banding at hand. There is a slight loss in detail in a few of the darkest corners. There is no damage or digital noise on display in this transfer. Shudder has done a worthy job with this release.

Audio Quality

The Advent Calendar arrives on Blu-Ray with an effective DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track in the original French and German with forced English subtitles that represents the film perfectly. Dialogue and a parade of sound effects stay admirably balanced throughout the runtime where nothing gets lost in the track. Surround channels provide some chilling activity with the interior tones and other sounds that make you question what the deadly present is cooking up. The track’s low end provides some vital texture when the tension is building to a frightening reveal. The movie digs deep when it is supposed to, and environmental sounds envelop you quite well. Music fills the room for a dynamic and memorable experience. This track does everything it needs to. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film critic Mary Beth McAndrews provides a commentary track in which she provides some great insights into its status as a holiday horror film, the themes of the narrative, the qualities of the performers, the production design, and more that is worth a listen.

Introduction by Director Patrick Ridremont: A nine-minute introduction from the filmmaker in which he discusses how he developed the idea for the film, his love for movies with magical objects, secrets behind the calendar, and more.

Original Trailer (1:35)
Booklet: A multi-page booklet featuring new writing by film critic Amber T is provided here. This piece gives a well-rounded analysis of the film.

Final Thoughts

The Advent Calendar is not the most overly festive holiday horror film, but it succeeds in utilizing Christmas traditions to create an unsettling tale that forces you to question what you are willing to sacrifice. The movie packs several different types of horror into the story which allows for various types of thrills, even if it can feel a bit too ambitious at times. The strong central performance from Eugénie Derouand keeps things anchored in something genuine, which is the saving grace for the feature. Even with a few bumps along the way, this is an engaging horror outing that keeps you glued to the screen. Shudder has released a Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation and a decent array of special features. Recommended

The Advent Calendar is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Shudder and OCN Distribution have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.