Christmas At The Kringles Review: Probably More Fun To Make Than To Watch

At various points throughout Christmas at the Kringles, it’s clear this Christmas-themed horror comedy had potential. A man having to save his family from being brainwashed by their Christmas-obsessed neighbors has a mystery element that could’ve been fun to crack open, and holiday horror benefits from a little self-aware silliness. At its very best, this idea could’ve been a fun play on Get Out with a festive twist.

Unfortunately, it’s just as obvious that this movie doesn’t work. The first act goes for straight comedy as it establishes the dynamic between the two families, and everything before the curtain is fully pulled back is, frankly, painful to watch. The script is too obvious for its own good, and though there’s some talent in the cast, the character choices being made are far more annoying than funny. The dial is turned so far up that there’s virtually no tension, which makes the time spent on this early development difficult to justify.

Things improve some when the horror is introduced, but not enough; the film is unable to push its ideas far enough to truly make the most of them. When the spike in enjoyment eventually tapers off, Christmas at the Kringles is left feeling like an underbaked, underwhelming experience.

A Fun Mid-Movie Reveal Is Christmas At The Kringles’ Only Saving Grace

Though it opens with an unexplained murder, as many horror films do, Christmas at the Kringles spends a lot of time on the settling in of the Severson family before returning to that kind of action. Mark (Ron Livingston) and Julie’s (Rachel Bilson) marriage is on the rocks, and in hopes of a change of scenery doing them some good, they and their young son, Bobby (Jack Jewkes), have left New York City for a quieter life in the suburbs. Unfortunately for Mark, who’s a bit of a killjoy, his new neighbors are among the most absurdly cheery people on Earth.

The film begins in the days leading up to Christmas, and the Kringles are a family that leans into it hard. Nick (Thomas Lennon), Carol (Arden Myrin), and their three children cozy up to the new arrivals, even inviting them over for Christmas dinner, and Julie and Bobby actually enjoy their time with them. But once the holiday is over, the Kringles don’t let up – they seem to still be celebrating all the way to Valentine’s Day. And Mark, still trending downward with both wife and son, has been all too willing to let his family spend their time in the Kringles’ house.

Eventually, though, warnings from another neighbor (Donald Faison) and an abrasive mall Santa (Rob Riggle) finally sink in when Julie and Bobby fail to make it home. The Kringles’ 24/7 festive cheer is hiding a dark secret, and they’ve sunk their claws deep into the Seversons. To save them, Mark has to enter the house treating everyone and everything as a potential threat – including his family.

There isn’t too much about this movie that isn’t revealed in its trailer, but the Kringles’ true motivation is one, so I won’t spoil it here. Unfortunately, it’s also the element of Christmas at the Kringles most worth talking about. The actors, for the most part, are hung out to dry by an awkward, improv-y rhythm of dialogue that only rarely produces something worth laughing at. The over-decorated house set, which features some creative touches, is far more limited than it appears at first. And the violence is undercut by the aforementioned absence of tension. It’s a weightless viewing experience without the reveal, which gives the movie some much-needed color.

It needed fleshing out, however. The film’s worldbuilding is haphazard (and in the case of Riggle’s character, nonsensical), and though it may seem like we learn more as we go, we actually get the full picture relatively early. If properly nurtured, this aspect of the story could have made Christmas at the Kringles feel more expansive than it really was, but the effect is ultimately the opposite. The clearer it becomes that the movie has no intention of shifting into another gear, the less it was able to hold my attention.

The weekend of Halloween is a tricky time to release a film – unlike Thanksgiving or Christmas, going to the movies isn’t especially high on the list of ways to celebrate this holiday. Christmas at the Kringles isn’t remotely strong enough to move that needle.

Christmas at the Kringles releases in theaters on Friday, October 30.