'Black Christmas' (1974) is such a top tier slasher

Nevermind it just being an amazing slasher, or horror film. It transcends the genre and is just an amazing film period.

This movie is cozy, creepy, and unnerving. A bunch of sorority girls getting creepy and violent phone calls from this unknown man in which none of them have any idea he's in the house and killing them one by one.

The performances are strong, the characters are likeable, fun and/or well developed. The kills while mostly obscured still have enough blood, are well shot and definitely creepy. The famous strangle kill and image of her body in the attic in a rocking chair with a plastic bag over her head is an iconic image. I really like Barb's kill as well. We get a glimpse of the killer as she's stabbed to death with a glass unicorn. Her screams going unheard because of the choir of children singing outside. The infamous phone calls are vicious, gross and scary as well. I also love that we never get to find out who the killer who is. The last 10-15 minutes is very bleak. Jess finding out the killer is inside, that her friends are dead, her being attacked by this hidden scrraming feral like man, her killing her boyfriend believing he's the killer, then the ending where the killer is still in the house and ultimately (although heavily implied) her being killed by him after the police leave her there alone. Tragic and sad.

I also really like the pregnancy subplot. It's crazy to think that this b plot was included solely as filler to pad the runtime because of how thin and simple the story is. It's well done, nuanced, and definitely before it's time. To have this young woman who's come to this decision on her own and tells her boyfriend directly that she won't go through with the pregnancy. She's stern, focused and unflinching in her decision to have the abortion. The slow pan in on Olivia Hussey's face when she tells Peter that she doesn't want to marry him and that she can't give up all her plans just because his fell through is so effective. I love it.

I love the aesthetic, the graniness, the blindness to what's happening in this house to most of the girls. As a Canadian who lives in Toronto (Where this film was shot) I'm very proud of this Canadian classic. I should definitely visit the house and get a picture.