A Christmas Karen

I hit play on my TV expecting to watch 5 minutes of this and turn it off. Surprisingly there were a few really funny parts that kept me watching, mainly Jackie, Karen's deceased best friend. She was the best character. I was expecting some Christian garbage that you see on Pureflix but it had a lot of dirty jokes and it wasn't overly preachy. The actors do a decent job, which is uncommon for a low-budget movie. I really hope more "Karens" watch this so they can learn to mind their own business and not call the police over minor inconveniences. It's not a classic, but I'm not angry I watched it. Maybe I'll watch it again in a few years during the holiday season.

This is a long movie. It feels like it takes a long time to get through it for what it is, its premise and story and all.

But that being said, it's not horrible.

There are a couple of times that I actually chuckled.

Out loud and genuinely.

The lead actress is actually quite good in her role as the title character.

This feels a step above a direct to dvd type film. To me, it almost feels like one of those Hallmark Channel Christmas movies.

It has that look.

Maybe that was its goal?

Other actors who play the ghosts are decent as well.

You see, the storyline here follows the same pattern as A Christmas Carol with the Karen being a Scrooge-type character, which makes total sense.

It also makes this less of a one punchline joke of a film more suited for a TikTok video and more of a fully realized film which is good and effective.

But it also forces comparisons to far superior films and their takes on Dickens' classic.

An entitled "Karen" who intimidates and bullies all those around her discovers the meaning of Christmas via three ghosts who show her her past, present and future. I only expected to watch this for a few minutes but found it quite amusing and even touching at times. It's obviously the umpteenth version of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" with the new cultural icon (Karen) at its center but it's a fun movie despite the well worn plot. Michele Simms is really quite enjoyable as the horrible Karen who might have some good reasons for being so horrible. Rolin Alexis, Leyla Lawrence and Lee Karlinsky are also quite entertaining with their modern takes on the Dickensian ghosts (I particularly liked the portrayal of the ghost of Christmas Yet to Come as a nervous gamer dude who still retains a menacing edge.). It lacks the professional sheen of a big Hollywood release and there are a few awkward moments where the screenplay doesn't quite work but it's been awhile since a movie surprised me and this one definitely did.

This is a low budget, fun movie. I could see some people being turned off by that fact - the effects are bad, the writing is so so, and the story is obviously just A Christmas Carol with the main character changed out. But what these types of movies offer is carefree fun without ever taking itself too seriously. No 30 minutes of dialogue, needless romance, 'artistic choices', etc that bigger, more expensive projects tend to get into.

That out of the way, it's a really fun movie. It's ridiculous enough to make you laugh a few times, but stays true enough to the original to actually make for a really heartwarming movie that'll have you choking up by the end. And while none of the actors are big stars, they for the most part pull their weight really well.

I wish more would make movies this fun. Highly recommend.

I don't like the expression "Karen". I never use it. I don't like when other people say it. It's a stupid label that I wish would just go away. So with that said, I wasn't expecting much from "A Christmas Karen". This movie turned out to be quite a surprise. There are quite a few laughs in this movie. The cast is likeable. Sure, some scenes work better than others but there are no deal breakers. The movie is also a little bit too long. Ten minutes shorter would have helped. I don't know if I'll ever revisit "A Christmas Karen" but you never know. Stranger things have happened. Honorable mention: a dreamy Ashley B. Jones.