Saint

A year after the thoroughly entertaining Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale was released, another European festive comedy horror hits the small screen.

In the middle ages, St Niklas a disgraced bishop travels with his gang of robbers and thieves, raping, plundering and killing. The villagers decide to take the law into their own hands and murder him, prompting Niklas to seek revenge.

Now, every 32 years when there is a full moon on December 5, St Niklas and his helpers rise from the dead to wreak havoc. When teenager Frank (Egbert Jan Weeber) escapes being slain, he finds he's the chief murder suspect. Teaming up with Goert (Bert Luppes), a suspended police detective, the pair decide to unravel the Niklas mystery and try to get rid of this ghostly menace once and for all.

Similar in tone to Rare Exports and even Troll Hunter, this is a zany cartoon-violence inspired horror - imagine if Sam Raimi had directed Gremlins. The result would be a fun take on the genre with gruesome killings and blood soaked effects. Mix this with the stylish direction and comical performances, and the film feels more akin to an American slasher than a European one.

The brisk running time runs at a frantic pace, which never loses steam until a disappointing final act, which feels dull and lazy compared to what has gone before. It is almost like writer-director Dick Mass has lost interest in his own film.

In may not be as original or as good as Rare Exports, but as a piece of entertainment it is incredibly good fun.