Again this time of year: Christmas movies are everywhere. The Hallmark-branded Christmas story has become a subgenre in its own right and is starting to spread to Netflix and other platforms. Now, AMC+ is also in the game Christmas with the Campbell family, takes a silly, clumsy twist on some of the brand’s most popular antics. Brittany Snow’s sweet sincerity has the effect of elevating the plot, but there’s also an element of surprise that’s hard to overcome (but perhaps it makes more sense when one realizes that Vince Vaughn helped write the script). It could be easy to dismiss holiday-themed dishes like this because it’s predictable or too delicious. However, in the following cases Christmas with the Campbell familya holiday movie that doesn’t have much appeal despite its interesting premise.
Amateur photographer Jess (Snow) loves the simple things in life, disappointing her boyfriend Sean (Alex Moffat). Christmas is approaching and Jessie is eagerly preparing to spend the holiday with Sean and his family at their picturesque cottage when Sean suddenly breaks up with her. Despite this, Sean’s mother Liz (Julia Duffy) insists on asking Jesse to come live with her and her husband Robert (George Winter). Since Sean decided not to go home for Christmas, this seemed like a perfect scenario. However, Jesse soon finds himself questioning his decision to spend time with the Campbell family, especially when Sean’s charming cousin David (Justin Long) appears and swoons over her.
Christmas with Brittany Snow and the Campbells
While some people may balk at the idea of voluntarily spending time with their parents-in-law, there are some that are persuasive. Christmas with Campbellthe‘ setting. Jessie has a real kinship with Liz and Robert, possibly due to some of her past family issues that never really materialized. It’s not too hard to believe that an innocent person like Jessie could visit her ex-boyfriend’s parents. What’s even more puzzling, however, is why Jesse and Sean have lasted so long. As written by Vaughn, Dan Ragana, and Barbara Kimlica, Sean is a dull character who seems primarily interested in sex and money, in that order. Moffat Points Out His Badness, But Sean’s Astonishing Lack Of Depth Sets Him At odds With This Healthy Story Christmas with the Campbell family try to say. The same goes for the sexual humor throughout. While nothing happens on the screen, there is a lot of dialogue throughout Christmas with the Campbell family. The obscene humor doesn’t match the sexy side of things, nor does David’s rant about kissing his aunt.
General Manager Clare Niedepruem keeps things on track, making sure Christmas with the Campbell family And it’s no exception to its popularity. The film also features the help of Snow, whose bright-eyed portrayal of Jesse has gone a long way to keeping viewers on this journey. She shines here, and her chemistry with Lang makes the bond between Jesse and David more believable than her connection with Sean. Lang’s voice sounds silly at times, but he captures David’s charming sense of honor well. Christmas with the Campbell family Overall solid and reliable. Alongside Moffat, Duffy and Winter are a beautiful (and surprisingly vulgar) couple on screen, and Joanna Garcia-Swisher is excellent as well, though she makes some really embarrassing innuendos masquerading as casual dialogue.
Justin Long and George Winter spend Christmas with the Campbells
The romance between Jesse and David, though not ecstatic, makes viewers laugh. The journey isn’t the most exciting love story on screen this year, as Niederplum showcases their flirtation in a steady and direct way. There’s not much tension here, but there’s a bit of sweet satisfaction. Unfortunately, Jesse and David’s love story later became all too familiar. Christmas with the Campbell family When screenwriters hit one of the most common and frustrating hurdles in the romance genre. This makes the climax a bit frenetic, but the audience won’t be surprised by that Christmas with the Campbell family Complete. After all, this is a movie whose ending was decided from the start, there’s nothing wrong with such an ending. There is comfort in knowing that everything will be happy and smooth in the end.
Christmas with the Campbell family Tried to make some big moves to change up the traditional holiday movie formula, but the end result remains the same, with a few confusing moments. The seriousness of the cast, especially “Snow”, makes up for the lack of several other elements. However, this romance most likely won’t captivate viewers after first viewing. There are plenty of other offerings for even more fun this holiday season.
Christmas with the Campbell family will be released and streamed in AMC+ theaters on Friday, December 2. The length of this film is 88 minutes and it is not rated.