Bad Tidings (2024)

I guess you can add "Home Alone" to the growing list of Christmas movies the British do better than us. That seems to be the primary point of reference in Bad Tidings, with the caveat the protagonists are adults, not kids. Still, the premise of this TV movie centers on unlikely protagonists alone on Christmas Eve dealing with ostensibly dangerous robbers. The complication here is the heroes are engaged in a bitter feud and need to overcome their issues with each other if they want to survive the night and save their neighborhood.

Oh, right: it's a neighborhood this time, rather than a house.

At any rate, that's the gist. This is fusing an enemies-to-friends motif (take your pick) with the Home Alone home-invasion-lite template. If it had been made here a decade ago, I have no doubt it would have been awful. But the UK, for whatever reason, seems preternaturally good at this stuff, so the movie winds up delivering something funny and entertaining. It doesn't really transcend that or offer any kind of moving drama, but for the most part it doesn't try. It aims for Christmas comedy and hits its mark, which is really all you can ask for.

I should note that this was written by Laurence Rickard, Martha Howe-Douglas, and Chris McCausland, in case anyone reading this (unlike me) knows who the hell any of those people are. Apparently they're popular British comedians, which... yeah, I mean... this is a solid movie. That checks out.

In addition to the writing credit, McCausland co-stars as Scott, a blind man living across the street from Neil (played by Lee Mack, who... look, I don't know who any of these people are - sorry), a security system salesman who's convinced Scott is poisoning the community against him. That's mostly in Neil's head, by the way: for the most part, Scott is relatively easy-going, though he enjoys pushing Neil's buttons, if for no other reason than he's exhausted by everyone else being cloyingly nice to him due to his blindness.

Their rivalry escalates in a couple ways. First, Scott and Neil wind up competing for the job of coordinator of the community watch, a position neither actually wants. However, their desire to show up the other results in them elected co-chairs when a tie goes sideways. In addition, there's a running gag surrounding Scott's Christmas lights annoying Neil, who finally decides to one-up him in this area, despite the fact Scott won't actually be able to see said lights. But, in typical Christmas comedy fashion, Neil overdoes it, knocking out power to the entire block. The rest of the neighborhood - including Neil's exasperated wife and teenage daughter - leave to spend Christmas with relatives, while Neil and Scott stay behind to look after the area.

Cue the Brennans, a family of robbers led by matriarch Stacey (played by Rebekah Staton, who I actually did recognize from a couple episodes of Doctor Who I half remember). Having just been released from prison, Stacey is eager to start stealing again, and a news report about a supposedly deserted neighborhood without power is too good to pass up. Along with her husband, their adult son, and teen daughter, they arrive and start scoping out the area, conveniently missing the two occupied homes.

Soon, Scott and Neil are forced to work together as they try to hide from, evade, and eventually fight back against the thieves. None of this is particularly surprising - it's obviously just a matter of time until they set booby traps and weaponize Scott's hearing - but the comedy is executed effectively, and by the time Neil's teen daughter rides in to the rescue, it had all won me over. Hell, I actually found the subsequent neighborhood Christmas dinner in the darkened streets kind of moving.

I don't have a great deal more to say about this. It's not reinventing any wheels or subverting expectations or really doing anything you don't expect, but I found it funny and - at times - a bit endearing. This certainly isn't in contention for "greatest holiday movie of all time," but it makes for an enjoyable watch, provided your expectations are reasonable enough.