In Dallas Jenkins’ The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, a group of kids wreak daily havoc on Emmanuel, a small town somewhere in America. The Herdmans, according to the narrator (Lauren Graham) of this uneven tale, are “the worst kids in the history of the world” — a title earned by Ralph (Mason D. Nelligan), Leroy (Ewan Wood), Claude (Matthew Lamb), Ollie (Essek Moore), Gladys (Kynlee Heiman) and Imogen (Beatrice Schneider) through a host of shenanigans ranging from personally offensive to downright harmful. 

A nifty montage at the beginning of the holiday feature shows the Herdmans bullying kids and adults with impunity; taking the Lord’s name in vain; smoking cigars; stealing from local businesses and even setting fire to a dilapidated shed. Because of their repugnant behavior, residents of the community hardly believed the Herdmans were “real,” says the narrator. “No one knew why they were that way.” And it appears that few people — including, at times, includes the filmmakers — sincerely want to find out. 

Based on the 1972 children’s book by Barbara Robinson, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a classic American tale that foregrounds the noncommercial meaning of the holiday. Working from a screenplay by Ryan Swanson, Platte Clark and Darian McDaniel, Jenkins (who is best known for The Chosen, a historical drama about the life of Jesus) crafts a tale that moves unsteadily between poignancy and a kind of emotional sterility.

The movie comes alive when it’s sketching the town’s petty grievances, or the relationship between the protagonist, Beth (Molly Belle Wright, playing a younger version of Graham’s narrator), and her mother, Grace (Judy Greer). But it lacks the same dynamism when it turns its attention to the Herdmans, who seem increasingly like ciphers for the film’s ecclesiastical themes. 

The action kicks off when Mrs. Armstrong (Mariam Bernstein), the director of Emmanuel’s annual Christmas pageant, gets injured and is forced to hand over supervision of this year’s show to Grace, whom the other church moms don’t respect. The film doesn’t detail the dynamics between all the women, but a few moments recall scenes the fish-out-of-water scenes involving Rachel McAdams’ Barbara among the PTA moms in Kelly Fremon Craig’s Judy Blume adaptation, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Like Barbara, Grace wants to prove to this judgmental cadre that she can be relied upon to maintain this storied tradition. Her relationship with her daughter likewise echoes Barbara and Margaret’s, as another assured representation of an uplifting mother-daughter bond.

There’s a lot of pressure on this year’s pageant, which is the town’s 75th and doubles as a critical fundraising event, so Grace panics when the Herdmans bully their way into the main roles. How can she get these notoriously unruly children to comply? She initially brainstorms with her husband Bob (Pete Holmes) and Beth, but the trio don’t have to scheme for very long. It turns out the story of Jesus is more than enough. The Herdmans, whose parents always seem to be at work, have never been to church. When the six kids reluctantly come to Sunday school, lured by the promise of free food, they soon find themselves enamored by the story of Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus. 

And why wouldn’t they be? As the Herdmans engage with the Biblical narrative, they identify similarities between themselves and the Holy Family. Scenes of the young crew checking out books at the library and poring over each word as they see themselves in the pages remind of the grip stories have on young minds, how they can open entire worlds for readers.

Imogen, especially, becomes empowered by Mary’s tale. The young girl, who secretly wants to be considered delicate and pretty like popular girl Alice (Lorelei Olivia Mote), comes to realize that resilience is its own kind of beauty. Schneider’s performance as the unruly preteen, whose rough edges mask a softer and more sincere side, makes it easier to buy Imogen’s transformation. But it also highlights a nagging sense of incompleteness when it comes to the Herdmans’ story. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever never quite lands its most poignant moments because Imogen and her siblings remain stubbornly at a distance.

While Jenkins offers glimpses of these kids’ lives throughout The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, more sustained attention — more backstory on the parents’ absence, or more insight into the daily routines of the Herdmans — would have positively complicated the film. It could have underscored how much of the townspeople’s disdain of this clan stems from classism, and how rejection of difference contradicts the tenets they profess to believe in. Most of all, however, focusing on the Herdmans would have helped land more forcefully Jenkins’ lessons about how the true meaning of Christmas is shaped by community. 

Review: Meet Me Next Christmas is a cozy holiday rom-com that embraces the genre’s classic tropes while adding a splash of musical charm. As part of the holiday season lineup on streaming platforms, it has the feel of a traditional Christmas rom-com but with a few twists that make it a light, enjoyable watch. Christina Milian stars as Layla, a driven woman whose holiday tradition of attending a Pentatonix Christmas show takes on new meaning when her recent breakup leaves her yearning for a Christmas miracle to find her true love.

The film follows Layla’s frantic quest through New York City as she attempts to secure last-minute tickets to the sold-out concert, hoping to meet her “soulmate.” With the help of a spirited concierge, Layla navigates an array of comedic challenges, all designed to test her resolve and holiday spirit. The narrative is built around standard rom-com archetypes, with exaggerated characters and outlandish plot points that bend to create a magical love story.

Milian’s portrayal of Layla is spirited, bringing warmth to the character as she juggles career, heartbreak, and romance. Although her character is well within the holiday-movie mold—a successful professional who finds herself on a romantic adventure—Milian’s performance injects an energy that makes her easy to root for. Layla’s journey also features humorous mishaps, spontaneous dance numbers, and near-misses that are easy to see coming, making the movie feel delightfully predictable.

One of the film’s unique touches is the inclusion of Pentatonix, the popular a cappella group known for their holiday music. They make a few cameo appearances, adding comedic moments and playing up their celebrity status, which adds a playful element to the storyline. Unfortunately, their role is minimal, and the movie doesn’t fully utilize their musical talents or potential impact on the plot. Had Pentatonix been more integrated into Layla’s story, their presence might have felt more meaningful.

Despite these missed opportunities, Meet Me Next Christmas is a charming addition to the holiday lineup. Its familiar formula, mixed with lighthearted musical elements, delivers the warm, feel-good experience that fans of Christmas rom-coms expect. It may not break new ground, but it’s an easy, heartwarming watch for anyone looking to get into the holiday spirit—perfect for a cozy evening with hot cocoa and holiday lights.

Red One—Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Chris Evans’ action movie about rescuing a missing Santa Claus to save Christmas—is being bombarded with negative reviews.

Directed by Jumanji helmer Jake Kasdan, Red One opens in theaters on Friday, November 15. The Red One review embargo lifted Wednesday, however, and movie critics aren’t too impressed by the film in early reviews.

The official logline for Red One reads, “After Santa Claus—Code Name: RED ONE—is kidnapped, the North Pole’s Head of Security (Johnson) must team up with the world’s most infamous bounty hunter (Evans) in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas.”

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Red One also stars J.K. Simmons as Santa Claus, Bonnie Hunt as Mrs. Claus and Kristofer Hivju as Krampus. The cast of Red One also includes Lucy Liu, Kiernan Shipka and Mary Elizabeth Ellis.

As of Wednesday, Rotten Tomatoes critics have collectively given Red One a 35% “rotten” rating based on 20 reviews.

The rating, of course, could change for the better or worse once more critics see the film and post their reviews before the film opens on November 15.

What Are Individual Critics Saying About ‘Red One’?

Owen Gleiberman of Variety is among the top Rotten Tomatoes critics who panned Red One, writing “Red One could almost be the movie version of Vampire Assassin 4. It’s that busy and bumptious, that overstuffed with cheesy digital effects, that generically derivative a piece of violent kitsch.”

David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter also gave Red One a “rotten” review, writing, This is a high-concept, CG-saturated bore that lacks heart and infectious humor, even if it huffs and puffs its way to a little poignancy in the end.”

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Additionally, New York Magazine/Vulture’s Alison Wilmore’s “rotten” review of the film notes, “If Red One were a disaster, it’d be more interesting. Instead, it’s a technically passable action-comedy transparently stitched together from parts scavenged from other movies.”

Despite the smattering of negative reviews, Red One did manage to impress some of RT’s top critics, if only slightly.

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As such, William Bibbiani of The Wrap writes, “It all averages out to slightly above average. For a film like Red One that’s about as good as anyone could hope for.”

Screen International’s Tim Grierson also gave Red One a “fresh” review with some caveats, writing, The mixture of laughs, sentiment and action should satisfy undemanding families, and the story’s world-building offers enough novelty to what can otherwise be a predictable package.”

Rated PG-13, Red One opens in theaters nationwide on November 15.

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