Christmas at the Kringles arrives in theaters on Saturday, Oct. 31, but Third Coast Review’s critic argues that the holiday timing is less a seasonal choice than a warning about the film’s uneasy blend of Christmas sentiment and horror comedy.
The film follows the Severson family as they leave the city for the suburbs. Mark and Julie, played by Ron Livingston and Rachel Bilson, settle next to Nick and Carol Kringle, portrayed by Thomas Lennon and Arden Myrin. The neighbors present themselves as an unnervingly perfect family that celebrates Christmas throughout the year.
The critic describes the Kringles’ household as a source of potential danger rather than comfort. Their children have Christmas-themed names and their outward cheerfulness is presented as excessive. A family living nearby, played by Donald Faison, warns the newcomers to avoid the Kringles without explaining the reason behind the warning.
A horror-comedy without much comedy
Third Coast Review says the film identifies itself as a horror comedy but fails to deliver enough humor to support that label. The review says the Kringles behave in ways that are far removed from ordinary human conduct, while the Seversons respond too mildly to warning signs that the critic considers obvious.
- Genre: Horror comedy with a Christmas setting
- Theatrical release: Saturday, Oct. 31
- Principal cast: Ron Livingston, Rachel Bilson, Thomas Lennon, Arden Myrin and Donald Faison
- Additional cast: Rob Riggle appears as a local mall Santa
The review also criticizes the performances as too exaggerated or too restrained. According to Third Coast Review, the Kringles’ exaggerated behavior and self-amused humor make the family difficult to accept as believable characters. Livingston’s performance, the critic writes, gives the impression that Mark is uncomfortable with the situation, while the Seversons’ subdued reactions weaken the tension the film is trying to create.
Rob Riggle plays a mall Santa who is described as abrasive toward the Seversons and as someone who drinks occasionally. The critic signals that the character becomes more relevant later in the film, but the review’s discussion of him avoids explaining that development.
A holiday release with a different kind of seasonal strategy
Holiday movies often receive a degree of critical leniency because audiences may be looking for sentiment, familiarity or light entertainment, Third Coast Review says. The critic places Christmas at the Kringles outside that forgiving tradition, arguing that its theatrical release asks viewers to pay premium prices for a film whose central comic approach does not work.
Rather than presenting a straightforward Christmas story, the movie uses the season’s imagery to frame a suburban mystery involving a family whose constant cheer appears threatening. Third Coast Review’s assessment is that the concept does not overcome the film’s weak jokes, uneven character reactions and broad performances.
For viewers looking for a conventional holiday movie, the review offers little encouragement. For those interested in a Christmas-themed horror comedy released on Halloween, the film’s premise may provide the unusual combination of seasonal decorations and menace, although Third Coast Review’s critic concludes that the execution falls short of the idea.
