Most of us know a house like it: the one where the lights go up before the pumpkins come down and the inflatable snowman never really leaves. Christmas at the Kringles takes that neighbor and pushes the idea to its darkest conclusion. The horror-comedy arrives in theaters on October 30, a day before Halloween, which already tells you the film enjoys a bit of mischief.
Ron Livingston and Rachel Bilson play a couple who move to a quiet town hoping to repair their family. Next door, Thomas Lennon and Arden Myrin run a household where every day is December 25. Their relentless cheer slowly reveals itself as something closer to a cult, and the only person willing to help is a boozy, renegade Santa played by Rob Riggle. Director Kevin Lewis, who previously made the Nicolas Cage oddity Willy’s Wonderland, aims the story at what he calls toxic positivity.
The cast is full of familiar comedy faces, and the R-rated runtime of a little over ninety minutes keeps things short. Critics, however, have not been kind so far, and early box office expectations are modest. That does not necessarily doom it. Holiday horror often finds its real audience later, when streaming viewers go looking for something stranger than the usual romantic Christmas fare.
Plot details, the full cast and the first critical reactions are collected in this guide to Christmas at the Kringles.
Our directory verdict: not a must-see in theaters, but a fun candidate for a December movie night with friends who like their tinsel with a twist. Go in expecting silliness rather than scares, and the Kringles might win you over.
