Oh. What. Fun.: A Holiday Film That Surprises More Than It Sparkles

Holiday films are usually predictable. We expect twinkling lights, cozy sweaters, old romances rekindled, and the ultimate reassurance that everything will be okay by Christmas morning. Oh. What. Fun.—a 2023 dark comedy set during a dysfunctional family’s Christmas Eve gathering—does not offer that kind of comfort. Instead, it flips the holiday-movie formula on its head, delivering a sharper, messier, and surprisingly genuine story about family chaos, hidden wounds, and the complicated love that binds people who drive each other crazy.

While the title suggests a cheerful seasonal romp, the film immediately signals that it has something more daring in mind. At its core, Oh. What. Fun. is about honesty—the kind of brutal, uncomfortable truth that bubbles up when old resentments meet forced holiday cheer. And yet, in all its cynicism, the film finds a strange warmth, reminding us that the holidays aren’t always magical, but they do have a way of forcing transformation.

A Familiar Setup with an Unfamiliar Bite

The film centers on the Fletcher family, who reunite in their childhood home for the first time in years. Christmas, at least for them, is less of a celebration and more of a truce. Their mother, Margaret, insists on maintaining the illusion of tradition: perfectly decorated cookies, matching pajamas, and enforced sibling bonding. But the tension under the surface is palpable from the moment the siblings step through the door.

This setup feels familiar—many holiday films start with fractured families returning home. But Oh. What. Fun. distinguishes itself by leaning into the discomfort rather than the sentimentality. Instead of smoothing over long-standing issues, the film aggravates them, treating its festive setting as a pressure cooker. What follows is not a tidy journey toward reconciliation but a chaotic unraveling that somehow leads to unexpected clarity.

Characters Built on Conflict and Care

The story thrives because each member of the Fletcher family feels sharply defined, flawed, and real.

Emily, the eldest, is responsible but exhausted, stuck in a cycle of caregiving and guilt.

Jamie, the middle child, performs happiness like a job, hiding her anxieties behind Instagram-ready smiles.

Leo, the youngest, would rather be anywhere but home, carrying sarcastic armor to shield deeper insecurities.

And then there is Margaret, the matriarch, determined to keep the family from falling apart—even if she has to ignore every obvious sign that they already have.

Their dynamic is not rooted in cruelty but in habit. They love one another, but that love has been shaped by years of misunderstanding and unspoken disappointment. Holiday movies often rely on exaggerated caricatures, but the Fletchers feel recognizably human: people who want connection but don’t quite know how to offer it.

Comedy in the Cracks

Though the film digs into dysfunction, it also manages to be genuinely funny. The humor is dry, self-aware, and rooted in character rather than gimmick. Miscommunications, awkward attempts at bonding, passive-aggressive gift exchanges, and failed traditions create a rhythm that feels both painful and hilarious. The comedy highlights a universal truth: when families try too hard to pretend everything is fine, things inevitably get worse.

The standout comedic sequence comes during the family’s attempt to revive their old tradition of decorating gingerbread houses. What begins as a wholesome activity devolves into subtle sabotage, competition, and insults hidden beneath frosting. The scene captures the film’s essence perfectly—funny, tense, and far more honest about family dynamics than the average holiday special.

A Holiday Aesthetic with a Dark Edge

Visually, Oh. What. Fun. embraces classic holiday imagery—warm lighting, glowing tree ornaments, and soft snowfall outside the windows—but uses it ironically. The aesthetic isn’t there to comfort the characters; it's there to contrast with the emotional chaos happening inside the house. This contrast gives the film a memorable tone: festive on the surface, turbulent at its core.

The cinematography frames family interactions like intimate theater, with long takes that let tension simmer and explode. It’s a bold stylistic choice for a holiday movie and one that suits its themes perfectly. Instead of hiding conflict behind snappy editing or background music, the film forces us to sit with awkward silences, sharp dialogue, and unresolved feelings.

A Holiday Film That Rejects Easy Resolutions

Perhaps the most refreshing thing about Oh. What. Fun. is its refusal to tie everything together with a perfect holiday bow. The film doesn’t end with neat forgiveness or sudden understanding. Instead, it offers something more realistic: small steps, tentative reconnection, and the beginning—not the end—of healing.

By the closing scene, the Fletchers are still flawed. They still argue. They still misunderstand one another. But they also listen a little better. They reveal truths they had buried for years. They finally acknowledge that loving one another doesn’t erase the need to grow as individuals.

In a genre obsessed with transformation through holiday magic, Oh. What. Fun. argues that the real magic lies in honesty—even when that honesty is painful.

A Reflection of the Holidays as They Really Are

For many viewers, the film resonates because it dares to show the holidays as they often feel: stressful, emotional, and tinged with nostalgia for something that never truly existed. Not everyone has a picture-perfect family. Not every Christmas is filled with warmth. And yet, there is something powerful about returning to the place where your story began, even if that return is messy.

The film captures that complexity beautifully. It reminds us that the holidays can be a battleground, a refuge, or a mirror reflecting the people we’ve become. Sometimes they’re all three.

Why the Film Stands Out

Oh. What. Fun. stands out in an oversaturated holiday market for several key reasons:

• It treats dysfunction with empathy, not mockery.
• It balances humor with sincerity, without leaning too far into melodrama.
• Its characters feel like real people—not archetypes.
• It embraces a darker comedic tone while still offering emotional payoff.
• It challenges the idea that holiday stories must end with perfect harmony.

In a genre that often sacrifices truth for sentiment, the film finds a way to do both: it reveals the messiness of family while still holding space for hope.

Final Thoughts: A Holiday Movie for the Rest of Us

For viewers tired of overly polished Christmas films, Oh. What. Fun. is a breath of fresh air. It’s sharp, witty, heartfelt, and unafraid to explore the emotional undercurrent of family reunions. It acknowledges that the holidays can bring out the worst and best in us—and sometimes the worst is what needs to surface before the best can grow.

It’s not a film about perfect holidays. It’s a film about real ones.

And in that honesty, it finds something far more meaningful than holiday magic: the courage to be genuine, even when the truth is inconvenient.