The Christmas Chronicles

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2:34

The Christmas Chronicles

TV-PG

2018

1h 44m

Kids & Family

Holiday

Comedy

Fantasy

Adventure

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

67%

Tomatometer

61 Reviews

76%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Siblings Kate and Teddy Pierce hatch a scheme to capture Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. When the plan goes awry, the kids join forces with a somewhat jolly Saint Nick and his loyal elves to save the holiday before it's too late.

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Critics Consensus

Viewers seeking a fresh holiday viewing option -- or those simply in the mood for Santa Kurt Russell -- should find The Christmas Chronicles well worth a yuletide stream.

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Derek Smith

Slant Magazine

In the end, the film succumbs to the tropes and emotional contrivances of the family melodrama at its core, ending up as a serviceable yet mostly forgettable addition to the already overstuffed genre of holiday-themed films.

Rated: 2/4

Nov 5, 2019

Full Review

Charles Bramesco

AV Club

The film doesn't know how to get out of its own way and foreground what's working, namely the dynamo of screen presence placed more prominently in the advertising than the feature itself.

Rated: C+

Nov 5, 2019

Full Review

Melanie McFarland

Salon.com

The film's no great shakes, but Russell's star power in "The Christmas Chronicles" is a gift anyone should be happy to claim.

Dec 18, 2018

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Dallas King

Flick Feast

With a plot as old as the jokes you find in a Christmas cracker... The Christmas Chronicles, would find itself firmly on the naughty list.

Rated: 2/5

Nov 10, 2022

Full Review

Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

Russell plays Santa with absolute integrity, which in this context means he plays Santa as Kurt Russell playing Santa, which is the only reason most people of legal age would want to watch this.

Rated: C

Aug 24, 2022

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

A fun, spry holiday movie that should fit nicely onto your Christmastime watchlist.

Rated: 3.5/5

Aug 19, 2022

Full Review

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Michael

Good production quality for a Netflix film. Saw it a second time recently on the big screen and really does well there. I was susceptible to the sentimentality of it all. Instant classic.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/08/24

Full Review

Gina C.

Love this movie! Watch it every year

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/12/25

Full Review

Keith S

Such a cool new spin on a Christmas movie, my wife, son (7) and I absolutely love, definitely our favourite Christmas movie. Kurt Russell nailed the role and brought a sack load of humour and fun to the film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/23/25

Full Review

Badrick M.

Definitely top 5 Christmas movie of all time.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/14/25

Full Review

Bilal F

The Christmas Chronicles, direceted by Clay Caytis and released on Nov 22, 2018 is a really great movie, because if we talk about Christmas movies this is genuinely one of the best ones. The film is about the two siblings Kate and Teddy Pierce that were going to hatch a plan to capture Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. When the plan goes awry, the children join forces with St. Nicholas and his loyal elves to save the vacation before it's too late. The plot actually seems very intriguing and sometimes predictable. For the year in which the film was released, the special effects are not bad, that is, they are decent, as well as the photography and stuff. The acting is definitely quite well worked, the expressions, the dialogues, the fluency in which they speak, definitely a great work! In my opinion this may be one of the best Christmas movies I’ve seen in a while, the plot is very emotional and joyful at the same time. I really like this movie because is basically made for almost all ages, and it’s a solid option if you are going to watch it next to your family on a cold winter night at house.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/28/25

Full Review

Jim S

Hating this movie is like hating Santa Claus.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/02/25

Full Review

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Clay Kaytis

Director

Kurt Russell

Santa Claus

Darby Camp

Kate Pierce

Judah Lewis

Teddy Pierce

Kimberly Williams-Paisley

Claire Pierce

Oliver Hudson

Doug Pierce

The Christmas Chronicles: Movie Clip - Kate and Teddy Catch Santa

2:04

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The Christmas Chronicles: Trailer 1

2:34

The Christmas Chronicles: Teaser Trailer 1

1:38

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Synopsis

Siblings Kate and Teddy Pierce hatch a scheme to capture Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. When the plan goes awry, the kids join forces with a somewhat jolly Saint Nick and his loyal elves to save the holiday before it's too late.

Director: Clay Kaytis
Producer: Michael Barnathan, Chris Columbus, David Guggenheim, Adam Kolbrenner, Mark Radcliffe
Screenwriter: Matt Lieberman
Production Co: Cinesite Animation, 1492 Pictures, Ocean Blue Entertainment, Madhouse Entertainment
Rating: TV-PG
Genre: Kids & Family, Holiday, Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 22, 2018
Runtime: 1h 44m

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