Surviving Christmas

Surviving Christmas has quietly become one of the more dependable comedies currently available in the US on Hoopla. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. Its 6/10 TMDB score, built from 592 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. Ben Affleck sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. Start it on Hoopla whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Surviving Christmas earns its spot. The jokes in Surviving Christmas land because the characters underneath them are worth caring about. A wealthy executive, Drew Latham (Ben Affleck) has no close relationships and becomes nostalgic for his childhood home as Christmas approaches. When he visits the house and finds another family living there, he offers the residents, Tom Valco (James Gandolfini) and his wife, Christine (Catherine O'Hara), a large sum of money to pretend they are his parents. Soon Drew tests the couple's patience, and, when their daughter, Alicia (Christina Applegate), arrives, things get increasingly tense. Ben Affleck and James Gandolfini lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2004. What keeps Surviving Christmas from feeling disposable is a cast that clearly understands the material better than the format usually demands. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Comedy fans looking for a reliably funny watch will find it in Surviving Christmas. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Ben Affleck sets the tone, but the supporting cast is where a lot of the best moments come from. A reliable pick for any night you want quality comedy without the homework.