Jonathan Best is an actor known for his role in Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984), a film that delves into the unsettling juxtaposition of Christmas and horror. In this notorious slasher, Best contributes to the film's exploration of societal taboos through a chilling narrative. While his filmography may be sparse, his performance in this cult classic solidifies his place in the annals of exploitation cinema, embodying the era's penchant for shock and provocation.
Silent Night, Deadly Night
In 1971, on the Christmas Eve, a family heads to a nursing home to visit the catatonic grandfather of the 5-year-old Billy and the baby Ricky. While his parents go with the baby to discuss the treatment with the doctor in the office, Billy is left alone with grandpa. Out of the blue, he awakens and tells Billy to be afraid of Santa Claus since he punishes who is naughty. While driving back home, a killer posing of Santa Claus lures Billy's father that pull over his car on the road and Billy witnesses the killer murdering his parents. A few years later, Billy and his brother are raised in an orphanage run by the tyrannical Mother Superior that believes that punishment is the better way to educate children. Sister Margaret feels that Billy needs psychological support but the Mother Superior does not agree. In 1984, when Billy turns 18 years old, Sister Margaret finds a job in a toy store for Billy. On the Christmas Eve, Billy's chief Mr. Sims asks Billy to replace the employee that plays Santa Claus for the clients and their children since he is injured. The Santa suit associated to alcoholic drink trigger his insanity and Billy begins his murder rampage punishing naughty people.
