©Courtesy of Briarcliff Entertainment
The holiday season is often associated with warmth, generosity, and togetherness. Beneath the festive decorations and Christmas cheer, however, darker truths can lurk. The new horror comedy Christmas at the Kringles explores the unsettling intersection of holiday traditions, family dynamics and the macabre. Through its blend of dark humor and horror, the film challenges the familiar comforts of the season, embracing the darkness that can hide behind even the brightest celebrations.
Kevin Lewis, who directed the 2021 action comedy horror movie, Willy’s Wonderland, helmed Christmas at the Kringles. Fellow genre veteran, Slayers scribe Zack Imbrogno, wrote the new horror comedy. Thomas Lennon, Arden Myrin, Ron Livingston, Rachel Bilson, Rob Riggle, Beverly D’Angelo, David Wain and Donald Faison lead the film’s ensemble cast.
Christmas at the Kringles follows the Seversons, a family starting fresh in a quiet suburban neighborhood. However, their next-door neighbors, the Kringles, celebrate Christmas year-round. What begins as charming quickly turns unsettling.
Mark and Julie (Livingston and Bilson) grow concerned about their son’s growing attachment to the quirky family next door. After a heated confrontation with Nick and Carol (Lennon and Myrin) about their yearlong devotion to Christmas, Mark heads next door to bring his family home.
The Severson’s patriarch then uncovers the Kringles’ true intentions: to hypnotize and indoctrinate his family. What follows is a life-or-death rescue mission, as Mark teams up with a rogue Santa in a high-stakes fight to save his family.
Briarcliff Entertainment distributed Christmas at the Kringles exclusively in theaters this weekend. The feature’s official release comes after it made its world premiere at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival on October 15.
To help promote the theatrical release of Christmas at the Kringles, Lennon generously took the time to discuss his starring role in the project during its release week. During the conversation, he explained that he was drawn to the movie because of its unique holiday premise and the character of Nick Kringle. Furthermore, he shared how he developed the character’s distinctive backstory while collaborating with Lewis and his co-stars. The actor discussed these insights and more during an exclusive interview, which can be viewed in the video above.
Director : Kevin Lewis
Producer : Andrew Ortenberg, Tom Ortenberg, Liam Finn, Kevin Lewis and Jordan Dykstra
Cast : Ron Livingston, Rachel Bilson, Rob Riggle, Arden Myrin, Beverly D’Angelo, David Wain, Thomas Lennon and Donald Faison
Screenwriter : Zack Imbrogno
Distributor : Briarcliff Entertainment
Production Companies : 19th Hole Productions and Astria Studios
Rating : R for some strong bloody violence, language and some sexual material
Genre : Comedy, Action, Horror
Original Language : English
Release Date (Exclusively in Theaters) : October 30, 2026
Runtime : 1hr 38m
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Here’s the trailer of the film.