Movie Review: The Mean One (2022)

Synopsis: As a child, Cindy witnessed a green creature in a Santa suit kill her mother, but nobody believed her. Twenty years later, she returns to her childhood home with her father to face her past while celebrating Christmas only to have her father killed by the same creature. Once again told she is imagining things, with the town drunk being the only person who believes her, Cindy decides to take matters into her own hands.

Who's in it? The movie stars Krystle Martin, David Howard Thornton, Amy Schumacher, John Bigham, Chase Mullins and Erik Baker.


Review: When I came across The Mean One on Starz, I had some serious doubts about a movie that was clearly a parody of the childhood classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas. However, I figured it might be stupid enough to at least give my wife and me a few laughs, so I ended up watching it tonight.

It turned out to be surprisingly good.

I think the thing I liked most about this movie was the mystery surrounding the Mean One (Thornton). It is clear, despite all the denials, Cindy's (Martin) former hometown at least suspects he exists because nobody celebrates Christmas. However, it was unclear who knew the truth and why everyone from the sheriff (Baker) to the mayor (Schumacher) was content keeping the secret.

There was also a question about whether or not Cindy really saw what she thought she saw. At least early on in the movie, the idea of the Mean One being a figment of her imagination or a case of misidentification seemed plausible. I even suggested to my wife he might have been Cindy's split personality, with her committing the killings.

Once we do meet the Mean One and learn more about him (though not enough to give you any sense of an origin story), there was the question about just how Cindy could beat him. He seemed to have almost magical powers, including super speed, and didn't seem affected by bullets. That made me wonder if it was even possible to kill him. 

Another thing I liked about this film was how it managed to slip in references to the original film/children's book without going too overboard. There were some scenes that managed to be funny as a result of it, others that were a bit more serious, but I thought it was entertaining throughout, especially during the final battle, which ended in a clever way.

Final Opinion: It's not a movie for everyone, especially if you are offended when holiday classics are trampled on. However, the film is fun to watch, and I'd recommend it based on that.

My Grade: B+


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Here are some reviews of similar movies:

Movie Review: Violent Night (2022)

Movie Review: Red Christmas (2016)

Movie Review: Black Christmas (1974)

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