Village Voice by April Wolfe

It’s only October, but Christmas has come early for horror fans.

Los Angeles Times by Noel Murray

From the shockingly raunchy dialogue to the ironic yuletide pop songs, this movie is a fun kind of nasty.

Entertainment Weekly by Clark Collis

Peckover’s sharp directing keeps things nicely nasty without ever going too far over the top — though it’s possible some gore-averse Scrooges may disagree. If you want to gift yourself a holiday film that decks the halls with blood, this is one to put under the tree.

TheWrap by Alonso Duralde

Delightfully unpredictable and surprisingly shocking, this is the kind of wintry wickedness that will see you through both Halloween and Christmas, especially if you like those holiday flavors together.

Total Film by Jamie Graham

This is also a Christmas horror-comedy – and one of the best since Gremlins.

The A.V. Club by Katie Rife

The film will continue to defy your expectations.

Arizona Republic by Bill Goodykoontz

Co-writer and director Chris Peckover clearly knows his way around both the holiday and horror genres, and while this isn’t the first time someone has blended the two, it is one of the more-effective efforts. It’s scary and fun, if your idea of fun involves occasional gore and torture, things like that.

We Got This Covered by Matt Donato

Better Watch Out is a good movie you should watch knowing nothing about, like a spoiler-free Christmas morning.

Variety by Dennis Harvey

What starts out looking like a prank run amuck gradually grows more sinister, with director Chris Peckover (“Undocumented”) nicely handling the swerves toward dramatic peril and fatal consequences while still maintaining a confectionary “family entertainment” veneer of antic doings in a glossy suburban setting.

The Hollywood Reporter by Jordan Mintzer

The sadistic horror comedy Safe Neighborhood is the kind of film that’s tough to categorize but easy to enjoy, especially if you like watching teenagers do some very twisted things for the holiday season.

The Film Stage by Jared Mobarak

Only when I was certain of the stakes could I sit back and let the proceedings unfold, my skepticism evaporating to appreciate the sadistically laid plans.

San Francisco Chronicle by G. Allen Johnson

A horror “comedy” about a deranged 12-year-old boy with a script that feels like it was written by a deranged 12-year-old boy.