THE MEAN ONE

Hokey Hallmark meets children’s classic in the new holiday horror THE MEAN ONE. Director Stephen LaMorte and writers Flip and Finn Kobler tell a twisted tale of trauma and small-town secrets through one of our most beloved and iconic holiday villains. A familiar story, but make it merry and murderous.

Twenty years after the Xmas Eve death of her mother in 2009, Cindy returns to her hometown to face the demons of her childhood. When history begins repeating itself, she vows to take back the night and the holiday spirit, no matter how much blood she has to spill.

Clever Seussian signage appears throughout the film, as do homage character names. The sometimes quippy dialogue works around what I can only assume would be a massive copyright infringement case.
The noteworthy turn comes from Cindy’s neighbor Doc Zuess. John Bingham, whose character is reminiscent of Roberts Blossom from Home Alone, is brilliant. His performance legitimizes The Mean One, bringing it out of its Hallmark moments.

Krystle Martin is Cindy. Her professional stunt work shines. From traumatized to trigger-happy, Cindy’s exposure therapy becomes a plot for revenge. Let us not forget our titular character brought to life by none other than “Art The Clown” himself, David Howard Thornton. His mannerisms are glorious. The film would be less memorable without him.

Christopher Sanders‘ narration adds a fantastic touch. The CG blood is straight up over the top. Is The Mean One ridiculously tropey? Yes. Will it be appearing on our eccentric holiday viewing list next week? Also, yes.

THE MEAN ONE is opening exclusively at Regal Cinemas nationwide on December 9th, with special advance screenings taking place everywhere on the evening of the 8th.

Additional details about where to see it on the big screen can be found at TheMeanOneMovie.com.

Directed by LaMorte with a script by Flip and Finn Kobler, THE MEAN ONE stars David Howard Thornton, Krystle Martin, Chase Mullins, John Bigham, Erik Baker, Flip Kobler, and Amy Schumacher. A co-production between A Sleight of Hand Productions, Amy Rose Productions, and Kali Pictures, the feature is Produced by Schumacher, LaMorte, and Martine Melloul. Executive Producers are Jordan Rosner, Gato Scatena, and Zach Stampone.