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After a disastrous conclusion to his foray in horror with hisdoomedExorcistreboot, David Gordon Green is back to form inNutcrackers, a somewhat by-the-numbers comedy starring Ben Stiller. LikeThe Best Christmas Pageant Ever,though, I was drawn to this film because of its heart. Amongst the tense political climate and general separation America seems to be facing, it’s nice to shed the cynicism, a message that makes this a nice addition to Hulu’s catalog.
NutcrackersReview
Mike (Ben Stiller) works at an advertising firm or something like that and is about to make a big deal. It’s not particularly important what he does; all that’s important is that he has a boring external goal that he has to face after the death of his sister thrusts him into the role of adoptive father to four children in a rural dump. The kids sort of suck — or at least have a level of hostility that makes for some good gags at the beginning. While initially focused on his goal to make a big sale to his corporate clients, Mike slowly sheds his frosty demeanor as he discovers the true meaning of life: family.
Ben Stiller, Linda Cardellini and The Janson Brothers talks about the Hulu Comedy Nutcrackers
Isn’t it so sweet? A little saccharine, sure, but where this differs from similar but cloying family comedies is in its execution. It’s hard to pinpoint what Green brings to the table as a director, but his direction of Leland Douglas’s script pairs very nicely with a solid performance from Stiller.
It’s neither too obnoxious nor too subtle. It’s sometimes a bit crude but ultimately toes the line nicely and winds up being quite funny. Streaming films seem designed to fit the type of formula thatNutcrackershas mostly cracked. Bring in a big star and set him along in a plot that you could follow while cleaning around the house or watching on your phone. Is it particularly cinematic? Absolutely not. That’s not such a bad thing, necessarily.
The sole thing I look for when determining whether or not these types of family comedies are good is whether or not they are endearing. Endearing comes from a combination of humor and sincerity, and that’s whereNutcrackerssucceeds. Douglas’s script leans nicely into a familiar premise, leveraging expected laughs and now attempting to go much further. It is, of course, a disappointment for those expecting something particularly funny from Stiller, who plays just about the straightest man he has in any of his comedies.
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A band of real-life brothers plays the four children that Mike takes in, and they deserve special praise. The four Janson brothers, sporting the killer names of Homer, Ulysses, Atlas, and Arlo, steal the show as the lovable ruffians Mike takes in. They remind me quite a bit of the “awful children” that Judy Greer’s character takes in duringThe Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and while the writing from this script leaves these boys feeling underdeveloped, they’re still a lot of fun together on screen.
IsNutcrackersworth watching?
It’s a shame that despite the title and advertising material, this doesn’t feel that Christmasy! Only toward the end of the film does this really feel like it wants to embrace the holiday spirit — a huge missed opportunity. Because of that, this weirdly feels out of place as a quasi-Christmas comedy that doesn’t work as a watch for Christmas but is also too specific around a time period to work once the season is over.
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Even if it’s generic,Nutcrackerssucceeds on a few key things: solid acting, a rather funny script, and an excellent dramatic core. It’s nice and heartwarming in all the right ways — a film perfectly fitting in the era of streaming, where films are quickly forgotten. This isn’t anything life-changing, but it’s a rather moving film that works perfectly well as a watch with the family this holiday season.
Nutcrackersis available on Hulu starting November 29.
Nutcrackers Review — Ben Stiller’s Generic Family Comedy is Endearing
Cole Groth
Film/TV Critic
Articles Published :71
Hi! My name is Cole. I’m a twenty-year-old attending the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications. I’ve watched one movie every day since May 2020, with my all-time favorite film being Max Barbakow’s Palm Springs (2020).
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Ben Stiller
