The Big Picture

It’s a Wonderful Knife is a holiday-themed horror comedy that puts a Gen Z spin on the classic Frank Capra and Jimmy Stewart film, It’s a Wonderful Life. Joel McHale, the star of the movie, tells Collider in an exclusive interview how he was drawn to the film’s combination of horror and comedy and praised the script and director. McHale also discusses his previous holiday film Merry Friggin’ Christmas and his experience working with the late Robin Williams. He also provides an update on the highly-anticipated Community movie.

When it comes to Christmas movies, so many of us turn to perennial classics to get us in the mood for some festive, fireplace-crackling fun. But if you’re looking for a “not-so-silent night” with a little jingle hell, Shudder’s newest slasher, It’s a Wonderful Knife is your best bet for some creatures stirring. The holiday-themed horror comedy puts a Gen Z spin on the Frank Capra and Jimmy Stewart classic It’s a Wonderful Life by turning the premise into a rather modernized version of the nightmare our beloved hero George Bailey endures. In an exclusive interview with Collider for the Christmas horror movie out now on Shudder, It’s a Wonderful Knife star Joel McHale tells Collider that jumping at the chance to put a spin on “one of the greatest movies ever made” through its film-noir elements was a large appeal for him.

“[It’s a Wonderful Life] threads so many needles, and it’s science fiction, I mean, on top of everything else,” he told Collider in an exclusive sit-down. “Jimmy Stewart is one of the greatest movie stars of all time. I mean, that movie is literally perfect, and so why not add slashers? Why not add a faceless angel that shows up and kills people?”

It’s a Wonderful Knife After saving her town from a psychotic killer, Winnie Carruthers’ life is less than wonderful. When she wishes she’d never been born, she finds herself in a nightmare parallel universe where without her, things could be much, much worse. Release Date November 10, 2023 Director Tyler MacIntyre Rating R Runtime 90 minutes

What Is ‘It’s a Wonderful Knife’ About?
In the film, out now on Shudder and available to rent on video-on-demand, the Tyler MacIntyre (V/H/S/99) directed feature by screenwriter Michael Kennedy (Freaky) tells the story of Winnie Carruthers (Jane Widdop), who saves her town from a psychotic killer on Christmas Eve. However, a year later, she wishes she had never been born, as too many things have changed, and like Stewart’s George Bailey, finds herself in a nightmare universe where she discovers that without her existence, things are much worse. Her family, led by Joel McHale’s patriarch David Carruthers, can’t even recognize her. Now with the faceless angel back, she must team up with one of her classmates to identify the killer and get back to her reality.

McHale tells Collider that while some older movies might seem dated, there are certain movies we watch that can weave their threads into our modern society. “Like, Back to the Future, which my boys watch — they thread an interesting needle that doesn’t seem old to us and I feel that way about It’s a Wonderful Life,” he said. “Of course, it’s dated and in black and white and all that, but you don’t think about those things.”

The Script for ‘It’s a Wonderful Knife’ Killed It With Joel McHale

Twisting the classic with a bit of horror was an exciting move for Joel McHale, who is a big fan of the genre and enjoys watching horror movies — even going on to cite Hereditary as one of the best horror films ever made. “I really do like horror… I love the genre, but if the movie’s not good, then I don’t like that movie. It’s like [when people say], ‘Oh, I like romantic comedies!’ I do too. I like good ones… and then, you know, there’s ones that aren’t scary at all,” he laughed. “If the script is good, and you know, the director’s good, then I don’t care what genre it is — unless it’s an adult film.”

McHale’s taste for adult films aside, the Emmy-nominated actor admits when he read the script for It’s a Wonderful Knife, he knew it was “really good” and decided to meet with the director, whom he praises for knowing exactly what he was doing. The actor adds getting the chance to work with co-stars Jane Widdop and Justin Long was an experience he appreciates. “Jane Widdop is terrific, and people like Justin Long are some of the best. I mean, he’s extraordinary,” he tells Collider. As for his on-screen daughter, played by Yellowjackets star, Widdop, McHale continues praising her performance, adding how she “really carries the movie” and is a “really funny” young star.

While McHale is humbled that their “tiny little movie” is finally resonating with audiences and out for everyone to watch on Shudder and video-on-demand, he believes the horror holiday genre has come into its own since it first took off between the 1970s and 1980s. “Like Silent Night, Deadly Night back in the ‘80s, and now it’s, this is going to be a thing. This is going to be like holiday movies. It’s gonna be like this every year. Thank God. It’s great.”

How Joel McHale Took on Two Roles for ‘It’s a Wonderful Knife’

Similar to the Frank Capra and Jimmy Stewart classic, It’s a Wonderful Knife takes up the alternate universe mantel most sharply. But it also finds Joel McHale splitting his time between two very different versions of Winnie Carruthers’ father, David — one of the more down-to-earth, Pa Bailey-type characters of the film. In flipping David on his head, which also involves stunts that McHale did himself, the actor tells Collider it was a fun juxtaposition to what the script called for.

“I like that stuff because it’s a challenge and it’s twists and turns, and the director [Tyler MacIntyre] really was able to set the tone. When we went to the noirish reality you could [see it]; the lighting — everything was wonderfully adjusted. And, so I find that really fun,” he said. With the film’s genre playing across styles and themes, McHale said the challenge of creating a horror comedy that was also effective at scaring people is like a rollercoaster. “I know it’s such a cliché, but it was like, rollercoasters — you’re screaming and laughing and having fun, and then you’re your body says you are going to die. And then you go have a pretzel with horrible cheese on it.”

Joel McHale’s First Holiday Movie ‘Merry Friggin’ Christmas’ Starred Robin Williams
Image by Phase 4 Films

While It’s a Wonderful Knife might be a new favorite holiday horror comedy, this isn’t Joel McHale’s first festive rodeo. The Animal Control and Community star previously starred in a dark festive comedy almost a decade ago with the late great, Robin Williams. The film, Merry Friggin’ Christmas featured an ensemble cast alongside the two comedians, including Lauren Graham, Candice Bergen, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Oliver Platt. Though the holiday movie is one that McHale humbly admits isn’t the greatest of all time, he still appreciates and recognizes the experience of working with Williams as a moment he’ll forever cherish.

“They say don’t ever meet your heroes ‘cause you’ll be disappointed. And I could not disagree more with that because he was a hero of mine and continues to be. And he was everything I could have ever hoped for — he was just lovely,” McHale tells Collider exclusively. “When he died, I sat on a bench and cried. He was just exactly what — he was just so wonderful. And his heart was so big.” McHale, overwhelmed with emotion adds how Williams was “such a superstar” because of how he wore his heart on his sleeve. “His heart fills up the screen.”

Related Robin Williams’ Best Performance Came in His Most Disturbing Film The classic funny man finds humor in the darkest place in this film written and directed by Bobcat Goldthwait.

While reminiscing, McHale reveals there was one scene in particular with Williams that struck him as an actor, appreciating not just what he could learn from Williams but how the veteran star helped the movie’s lead. “There’s a scene where he and I are in the truck having a pretty big heart-to-heart son-to-father talk. I remember, like, they were supposed to be kind of pretty emotional. And I was like, ‘I don’t know how to do this, really. I’m not sure if I’m gonna get there or how this is gonna work.’ I was kind of nervous. And it’s Robin Williams.”

But then McHale took it slow and listened to Williams doing his lines and managing what he could through the interaction. “When we got there, I was like, ‘I can’t believe this is happening. And we did it over and over again and, it was just lovely,” he said, adding how Williams had a “direct line from his brain to his mouth, to his heart.” It was this experience of working with him that McHale states “kind of opened up inside” of him with a lightbulb moment. “It was like a secret little planet and we got to be on it,” McHale said, adding how much he misses Williams, and to this day is friends with his daughter Zelda and his sons. “Fuck, yeah, I’m sad he’s gone.”

In what is, however, a full circle moment for the It’s a Wonderful Knife star, McHale’s former co-star was also part of one of the first sitcom parodies ever of Frank Capra’s classic, It’s a Wonderful Life. As stated in the George Bailey Was Never Born podcast and shared with the actor in our on-camera interview, the Mork & Mindy episode from 1979, “It’s a Wonderful Mork,” parallels the classic plot — a fact that left McHale in awe.

Image via NBC Universal

Joel McHale understands the season of giving is on another level with Community fans expecting to hear back about the highly-anticipated movie following the “six seasons and a movie” mantra. With the Dan Harmon film first being announced in 2022 and filming taking its time, especially amid the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, the actor jokes the movie is already done.

“We just shot it. We just got it done. We shot it, we shot it yesterday. It only took a few hours. I couldn’t believe it,” he joked. But McHale adds that as long as everyone gets their schedules aligned, it should finally start filming soon. “That will probably be next summer… that’s what I hope for.”

McHale adds that everyone from the Community cast is in, but that they just need to make the time now, especially as he’s shooting Season 2 of Animal Control and Season 3 of Crime Scene Kitchen for FOX. “More cake, more animals, more cake shaped like animals, but no cake eaten by animals because that sugar, it’s no good.” In the meantime, McHale is set to come back for the series in March with the cast starting up shooting in Vancouver this month. “Very excited, very excited. They picked us up for two seasons, so bless you, FOX. And then we’ll shoot Crime Scene [Kitchen] in between those seasons… so I’m thrilled. I love the cast and I think, you know, I freaking love animals. So it all works out.”

It’s a Wonderful Knife is now playing on Shudder on AMC+ and available to rent on video-on-demand. For the complete interview, watch our video above or head to Collider’s YouTube channel.

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