Quick Facts
| Title | It’s a Wonderful Knife |
| Type | Christmas slasher comedy film |
| Release Date | Oct 8, 2023 (Beyond Fest premiere) · Nov 10, 2023 (US theatrical) · Dec 1, 2023 (Shudder) |
| Director | Tyler MacIntyre |
| Writer | Michael Kennedy |
| Composer | Russ Howard III |
| Starring | Jane Widdop, Joel McHale, Justin Long, Katharine Isabelle, William B. Davis |
| Where to Watch | Shudder; digital rental on Amazon, Apple TV, Fandango at Home |
It’s a Wonderful Knife is a 2023 Christmas comedy-horror film written by Michael Kennedy and directed by Tyler MacIntyre.
The film was produced by Divide/Conquer and Seth Caplan, in association with Fourth Culture Films.
The film had its world premiere at Beyond Fest on October 8, 2023, in Los Angeles, then opened in 923 US theaters via RLJE Films on November 10, 2023, before arriving on Shudder on December 1, 2023.
About the Story
It’s about a young woman named Winnie Carruthers who lives in the Christmas-obsessed town of Angel Falls. After a masked killer known as “the Angel” murders several residents — including Winnie’s best friend Cara — Winnie unmasks and stops the culprit. A year later, still grieving, Winnie wishes on a bridge that she’d never been born and wakes up in a nightmare alternate timeline where the Angel is still killing and nobody remembers her. It’s a horror-comedy riff on It’s a Wonderful Life (1946): instead of seeing all the good he’s done, Winnie has to reckon with all the deaths she prevented.
Cast
- Jane Widdop as Winnie Carruthers
- Joel McHale as David Carruthers
- Justin Long as Henry Waters
- Jess McLeod as Bernie Simon
- Aiden Howard as Jimmy Carruthers
- Hana Huggins as Cara Evans
- Katharine Isabelle as Gale Prescott
- Cassandra Naud as Karen Simmons
- Erin Boyes as Judy Carruthers
- William B. Davis as Roger Evans
- Sean Depner as Buck Waters
- Zenia Marshall as Darla Berlin
Composer of It’s a Wonderful Knife
The score is by Russ Howard III, a veteran television and film composer with more than 100 credits. Unusually, no soundtrack album was released alongside the film in 2023 — Howard’s official It’s a Wonderful Knife (Original Score) album didn’t arrive until September 16, 2025, nearly two years after the movie premiered, and runs 25 tracks with cues like “Christmas Morning Miracles” and “Bloody Hands on the Window.”
Where to Watch It’s a Wonderful Knife
It’s a Wonderful Knife streams on Shudder, and is also available to rent or buy digitally on Amazon, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home. The score is available on Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed the score for It’s a Wonderful Knife?
Russ Howard III composed the original score.
Is there an official soundtrack album for It’s a Wonderful Knife?
Yes, but it arrived late — Russ Howard III’s It’s a Wonderful Knife (Original Score) wasn’t released until September 16, 2025, almost two years after the film premiered in 2023.
What is It’s a Wonderful Knife about?
It follows Winnie Carruthers, who stops a masked killer terrorizing her Christmas-obsessed hometown, then gets pulled into a nightmare alternate timeline where the killings never stopped — a horror-comedy spin on It’s a Wonderful Life.
Who stars in It’s a Wonderful Knife?
Jane Widdop leads as Winnie Carruthers, alongside Joel McHale, Justin Long, Jess McLeod, Katharine Isabelle, and William B. Davis.
Where can I watch It’s a Wonderful Knife?
It streams on Shudder, and is available to rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.
Related reading: Movie Soundtracks | Streaming Hub | Prime Video