The Killing Tree

On Christmas Eve a grieving widow performs an old ritual trying to bring back her executed husband, but the magic goes wrong and revives him as a murderous, sentient Christmas tree. The tree, driven by rage and a need for revenge against the person responsible for his death, starts stalking the town, turning festive trimmings into deadly traps. As friends and neighbors are picked off one by one, the widow and a small group of survivors scramble to understand what they're facing and to stop the arboreal killer before it closes in on its primary target. The film mixes shock gore with cheeky humor and seasonal satire. Sarah Alexandra Marks anchors the cast with a frantic, darkly comic lead performance.

Released in 2022, The Killing Tree was directed by Rhys Frake-Waterfield and created by Craig McLearie. It stars Sarah Alexandra Marks and Marcus Massey, targeting festival circuits and digital platforms broadly. It used irreverent trailers and social buzz for promotion.

The film never registered major box office receipts in mainstream reports, instead reaching viewers via limited theatrical play and on-demand services, reflecting its status as low budget, niche holiday horror aimed at genre fans, and international grosses were minimal overall.

Its outlandish hook, a vengeful, homicidal Christmas tree, made the movie an easy reference point in online horror circles. Clips, fan art and sarcastic listicles helped the title gain brief attention each holiday season among devotees of gross out, darkly comic fare. It became a seasonal GIF oddity online too.

Critical response skewed negative to mixed, reflected in a low user score, 3.7/10 from 31 votes. Audiences are split between viewers who appreciate the absurd gore and holiday satire, and those who criticize thin plotting, low production values and hit-or-miss humor. Some viewers praise practical effects, others fault uneven pacing.