# ‘Christmas at the Kringles’ Review: Seasonal Caper Mixes Comedy and Horror, Missing the Mark on Both

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/christmas-at-the-kringles-review-seasonal-caper-mixes-comedy-and-horror-missing-the-mark-on-both/
- Published: 2026-10-29T14:34:41+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-04T04:59:49+00:00
- Original publisher: Variety
- Original article: https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/christmas-at-the-kringles-review-1236934105/
- Topics: Business, Culture, Entertainment, Film, Horror, Markets, Travel, TV

## Key points

- A Christmas comedy-horror film fails to satisfy either genre.
- Mark tries to save his family from the suspicious Kringles.
- The review faults the film’s pacing and characterisation.

## Summary

Mark Severson, a work-focused stock trader, moves his family to a small town in an effort to repair his relationship with his wife and son. After befriending the Kringles, a family who celebrate Christmas all year, Mark becomes suspicious of them and joins a neighbour in trying to rescue his family. The review says the film’s mix of comedy and horror fails to make either genre work.

Ron Livingston, Rachel Bilson and Thomas Lennon lead a cast that also includes Rob Riggle and Donald Faison. The story shifts from Christmas to Valentine’s Day, when Mark’s wife and son visit the Kringles and their neighbour warns that the family may be dangerous. The review criticises the film’s uneven pacing, thin characterisation and reliance on ideas borrowed from other films.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.