There is a house on every street that goes too far with the Christmas lights. In Christmas at the Kringles, that house belongs to Nick and Carol Kringle, who keep the inflatable Santas up all year, sing carols at the new neighbours on day one and have a very particular plan for anyone who joins them for Christmas Eve dinner.
It is a terrific setup for a festive horror-comedy, somewhere between The ’Burbs and Violent Night. Sadly, Kevin Lewis’s film unwraps it and then has very little idea what to do with the box.
A festive nightmare with a great idea on the doorstep and nothing much inside the house.
Movie at a Glance
- US release: In cinemas from Friday 30 October 2026 (wide release)
- UK release: No UK cinema date has been confirmed yet
- Distributor: Briarcliff Entertainment
- Director: Kevin Lewis
- Writer: Zack Imbrogno
- Starring: Ron Livingston, Rachel Bilson, Rob Riggle, Arden Myrin, Thomas Lennon, Donald Faison, Beverly D’Angelo and David Wain
- Runtime: 98 minutes
- Certificate: R (US)
- Genre: Christmas horror-comedy
Viewer Match
- Best for: Anyone who needs a new Christmas horror for the watchlist and is happy with broad, silly comedy.
- Maybe skip if: You want proper scares, sharp jokes or the clever chaos of Violent Night.
- Mood and pace: Loud, scrappy and slow to get going, with the bloodshed saved for the final act.
- Cinema or streaming? This is one to wait for at home, with friends and plenty of mulled wine.
- Spoiler level: Spoiler-free: we only go as far as the invitation to Christmas Eve dinner.
New Neighbours, Old Problems
Ron Livingston and Rachel Bilson play Mark and Julie Severson, who move to the suburbs with their young son Bobby for a fresh start. Across the road, Thomas Lennon and Arden Myrin are the Kringles, a family whose festive cheer is so relentless that it is clearly a warning sign. Mark sees it straight away. Julie and Bobby, for reasons the film never really explains, keep walking back towards the tinsel.
That is the first big problem. A neighbours-from-hell story only works if we believe why sensible people get drawn in, and Zack Imbrogno’s script keeps asking the Seversons to ignore red flags that a child could spot. When the trap finally closes, it feels less like a twist of fate and more like the plot needing them to be there.
A Rogue Santa to the Rescue
The film’s best idea is Rob Riggle as a foul-mouthed, flask-swigging mall Santa who knows the Kringles are trouble and ends up as Mark’s unlikely partner in a rescue mission. Riggle commits completely, and Donald Faison gets a few good moments as a lonely divorcé on the same street. But the comedy leans on improvised riffing and crude one-liners, and very few of them land. It is noisy rather than funny.
Lennon and Myrin, both skilled comic performers, are left playing one note. The Kringles’ smiles are meant to curdle into menace, but there is no slow build of unease, no sense that this ordinary street is slightly off. They are simply weird from the first scene, so there is nowhere for the film to go.
The Gore Arrives Too Late
When the horror does arrive, in the final third, there is some gleeful bloodshed and a couple of decent festive kills. By then, though, the story has been running in circles for so long that it is hard to care who makes it to Boxing Day. The Kringle house is a great piece of production design, and the poster’s nutcracker gag promises a nastier, wittier movie than the one on screen.
A Crowded Christmas Season
Christmas horror is having a busy year, and Christmas at the Kringles opens just as the festive releases start to pile up. If you want something with a little more bite, look out for the festive kidnap caper Ralph’s Perfekt Christmas, and for tonight’s best TV and streaming picks, try What to Watch Tonight.
Spoiler-Free Verdict
Christmas at the Kringles has a brilliant premise, a fun poster and a cast who deserve better. The script never decides whether it is a satire, a slasher or a family comedy, and ends up being none of them.
- Performances: 5/10
- Direction: 4/10
- Screenplay: 3/10
- Score: 4.5/10
- Cinematography: 5.5/10
- Entertainment Value: 4/10
- Overall score: 3.5/10
Star rating: 2/5
Verdict badge: Skip It
One-line verdict: A Christmas cracker with no joke and no prize inside; wait for a quiet night at home if you are curious.
Watch the Official Trailer
Meet the neighbours in the official trailer.
Which Christmas horror film do you rewatch every December? Share your spoiler-free picks.