Reviews pan horror-comedy "Christmas at the Kringles" ahead of 30 October release
Variety and Screen Rant both review the Christmas-themed horror comedy "Christmas at the Kringles", opening in US theatres on 30 October, and both judge it a failure, though Screen Rant credits a mid-film reveal.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2"Christmas at the Kringles" is a Christmas-themed horror comedy that opens in theatres on Friday 30 October, the weekend of Halloween. Screen RantN “Christmas at the Kringles releases in theaters on Friday, October 30.” Read at Screen Rant ↗ VarietyLC “Kevin Lewis' pre-Halloween Christmas movie is tired and unfunny.” Read at Variety ↗ Left · 1Directed by Kevin Lewis ("Willy's Wonderland") from a script by Zack Imbrogno, it stars Ron Livingston and Rachel Bilson as Mark and Julie Severson, with Thomas Lennon and Arden Myrin as neighbours Nick and Carol Kringle, and Rob Riggle, Donald Faison and David Wain also in the cast. VarietyLC “a cast populated by stalwart joke-makers including Ron Livingston, Rachel Bilson, Thomas Lennon, Arden Myrin, Rob Riggle, Donald Faison and David Wain”“Written by Zack Imbrogno” Read at Variety ↗ Mixed · 2The Seversons, whose marriage is struggling, move with their young son Bobby (Jack Jewkes) from the city to the suburbs, where they befriend the Kringles, a family that celebrates Christmas year-round. Screen RantN “Mark (Ron Livingston) and Julie's (Rachel Bilson) marriage is on the rocks” Read at Screen Rant ↗ VarietyLC “the Kringles, a family that celebrates the holiday year-round” Read at Variety ↗
Mixed · 2After a warning from another neighbour, Daryl (Faison), that the Kringles are not what they seem, and with Julie and Bobby missing, Mark must enter the house to rescue them; the film opens with an unexplained murder by a killer in a Santa suit. Screen RantN “Though it opens with an unexplained murder, as many horror films do” Read at Screen Rant ↗ VarietyLC “Mark and Daryl are forced to go in by themselves in the hopes of rescuing Julie and Bobby” Read at Variety ↗ Centre · 1Screen Rant's Alex Harrison says the idea could have been "a fun play on Get Out with a festive twist" but that the film doesn't work: the first act is "painful to watch", the dialogue has an awkward, improvised rhythm, and tension is largely absent. Screen RantN “this idea could've been a fun play on Get Out with a festive twist”“is, frankly, painful to watch” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Centre · 1Harrison names the mid-film reveal of the Kringles' true motivation as the film's most worthwhile element, saying it gives the film "much-needed color", though he calls the worldbuilding haphazard and the film "underbaked, underwhelming". Screen RantN “It's a weightless viewing experience without the reveal, which gives the movie some much-needed color.”“Christmas at the Kringles is left feeling like an underbaked, underwhelming experience.” Read at Screen Rant ↗
Left · 1Variety's Todd Gilchrist is harsher, calling the film "awful on both counts" as horror and comedy, and "as stale and tasteless as last year's fruitcake", and saying it borrows from better filmmakers. VarietyLC “by being awful on both counts: deeply cynical about the Yuletide season but also just completely unfunny”“pilfers from the playbooks of better filmmakers to deliver a movie as stale and tasteless as last year's fruitcake” Read at Variety ↗ Left · 1Gilchrist criticises the editing and the lead performance, calling Livingston's Mark "a jaded, unhappy dick", but says Faison brings "effective (and funny) incredulity" to the final siege and that Riggle's contribution is reliable if not fresh. VarietyLC “Livingston plays him like a jaded, unhappy dick”“Faison manages to inject effective (and funny) incredulity into the final siege” Read at Variety ↗ Mixed · 2He also calls the explanation for the Kringles' behaviour "not only dumb, but it makes little sense" and concludes the film is "like a gift-wrapped box with nothing inside"; Harrison similarly doubts it will draw audiences on Halloween weekend. VarietyLC “like a gift-wrapped box with nothing inside” Read at Variety ↗ Screen RantN “Christmas at the Kringles isn't remotely strong enough to move that needle.” Read at Screen Rant ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Variety's review is a scathing pan that calls the film unfunny and unscary and derivative of better movies.
- Emphasis
- Script, editing and direction, and the performances, with jokes at the cast's expense and comparisons to other films and actors.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not single out any plot element as a highlight and does not discuss the release timing.
- Charged language
- “awful on both counts”“as stale and tasteless as last year's fruitcake”“a gift-wrapped box with nothing inside”
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Screen Rant's review treats the film as a wasted opportunity, with promising premise and a fun mid-film reveal but weak execution.
- Emphasis
- The missed potential, the lack of tension, and the reveal as the one redeeming factor; also the awkward Halloween-weekend release.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Less detail on individual performances, direction and editing than Variety.
- Charged language
- “underbaked, underwhelming”“painful to watch”“Probably More Fun To Make Than To Watch”
- For example
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“it's wasted in just about every phase” — Screen Rant
“Christmas at the Kringles is left feeling like an underbaked, underwhelming experience.” — Screen Rant
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- The film is a Christmas-themed horror comedy opening in theatres around Halloween.
- It stars Ron Livingston, Rachel Bilson and Thomas Lennon, with Rob Riggle and Donald Faison in supporting roles.
- Both reviewers judge it unsuccessful as comedy and as horror.
Where accounts differ
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Whether the film has any redeeming elements
- Left
- Variety finds it "awful on both counts", though it praises Faison's incredulity in the final siege.
- Centre
- Screen Rant finds the mid-film reveal a "much-needed" bright spot and says the horror improves on the comedy, though not enough.
Left1 article
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VarietyLC · · Opinion
‘Christmas at the Kringles’ Review: Seasonal Caper Mixes Comedy and Horror, Missing the Mark on Both
Critical Withering, joke-laden pan that finds the film unfunny, derivative and incoherent, with limited praise for Faison.
Centre1 article
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Screen RantN · · Opinion
Christmas At The Kringles Review: Probably More Fun To Make Than To Watch
Critical Regretful pan that sees a promising premise undone by comedy-heavy first act and weak tension, but credits the reveal.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 28 Oct 15:21 First Screen RantN Christmas At The Kringles Review: Probably More Fun To Make Than To Watch Opinion
- 29 Oct 14:34 +23h 13m VarietyLC ‘Christmas at the Kringles’ Review: Seasonal Caper Mixes Comedy and Horror, Missing the Mark on Both Opinion
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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