The Mean One

The Mean One is a 2022 American Christmas black comedy slasher film directed by Steven LaMorte and written by Flip and Finn Kobler. The film aesthetically parodies the 2000 film adaptation of Dr. Seuss' 1957 children's book How the Grinch Stole Christmas! as a horror retelling and stars David Howard Thornton as the eponymous character, with Krystle Martin, Chase Mullins, John Bigham, Erik Baker, Flip Kobler, and Amy Schumacher in supporting roles. It follows a young woman as she attempts to defend her childhood town from a green-skinned creature who goes on a murderous rampage during the holiday season.

The Mean One
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySteven LaMorte
Screenplay by
  • Flip Kobler
  • Finn Kobler
Story bySteven LaMorte
Based onHow the Grinch Stole Christmas!
by Dr. Seuss
Produced by
  • Amy Schumacher
  • Steven LaMorte
  • Martine Melloul
Starring
CinematographyChristopher Sheffield
Edited byMathew Roscoe
Music byYael Benamour
Production
companies
  • Sleight of Hand Productions
  • Amy Rose Productions
  • Kali Pictures
Distributed byAtlas Film Distribution
Release date
  • December 9, 2022 (2022-12-09)
Running time
93 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$612,260[1][2]

The film was first announced on October 7, 2022, by XYZ Films, who collaborated with A Sleight of Hand Productions, Amy Rose Productions and Kali Pictures on its production. Because it is unauthorized, the film never uses the language of the original book.[3]

The Mean One was released theatrically on December 9, 2022, to negative reviews from critics.

Plot summary

In 2000, in the sleepy mountain town of Newville, young Cindy You-Know-Who witnessed her mother murdered by the Mean One, a bloodthirsty green-skinned creature dressed in a red Santa suit.[4] Twenty years later, Cindy and her father return to the town at the suggestion of Cindy's therapist. But when the ravenous monster soon begins to terrorize the town and threatens to ruin the holidays, Cindy finds a new purpose in stopping and killing the beast.[5]

Cast
  • David Howard Thornton as The Mean One
  • Krystle Martin as Cindy
  • Chase Mullins as Detective Burke
  • John Bigham as Doc Zeus
  • Erik Baker as Sheriff Hooper
  • Flip Kobler as Lou
  • Amy Schumacher as Mayor McBean

Production

On October 7, 2022, XYZ Films announced that they were collaborating with A Sleight of Hands Productions, Amy Rose Productions and Kali Pictures on distributing an unauthorized parody of Dr. Seuss's 1957 children's book How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, which would take place in a horror-like setting.

XYZ Films' Manager of Acquisitions and Development Alex Williams stated:

As a passionate fan of seasonal horror (and the Terrifier franchise), The Mean One is exactly the kind of film that lands on my personal 'nice list.' This movie is a stunningly great time with a ferociously subversive turn from David Howard Thornton – and XYZ Films is so proud to be bringing this soon-to-be iconic Christmas slasher to audiences this holiday season.[6]

On November 23, 2022, it was announced that the film would theatrically debut on December 9, 2022, courtesy of Atlas Film Distribution, with XYZ Films no longer involved in the release of the film.[7]

Release

The Mean One was released theatrically in the United States on December 9, 2022.[8]

Home media

The Mean One was released on DVD, Blu-ray, and digital download on October 3, 2023.[9]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 17% of 23 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 3.6/10.[10] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 29 out of 100, based on six critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.[11]

Vikram Murthi of IndieWire gave it a "D+" grade rating, writing: "While The Mean One wraps up in a predictable fashion, albeit with a somewhat reactionary message that calling out monstrous acts leads people (or Grinches?) to turn into murderous monsters, it also acknowledges social media's involvement in the film's existence. The Mean One originally was a trailer that ostensibly turned into a viral sensation, so much so that it motivated LaMorte to make a full-length feature. Sure enough, the film plays like a plodding, 90-minute version of a two-minute joke that doesn't even have the decency to be funny. A sight gag of a killer Grinch is good for a snort or a half-hearted chuckle. If you build a feature film around him, you become a Grinch yourself."[12]

Alex DiVincenzo of Bloody Disgusting gave the film a 2.5 out of 5 rating, writing: "a concept this outrageous is begging to go full camp, but only occasional moments of self awareness shine among material that's otherwise played straight." He adds that "[a] majority of the performances border on melodramatic", while "Thornton carries the film on his back like a sack of presents."[13]

See also

Other horror films based on children's franchises:

References
  1. "The Mean One". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  2. "The Mean One (2022)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  3. Squires, John (October 7, 2022). "'The Mean One' – XYZ Films Releasing 'Grinch' Slasher Movie Spoof This December". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  4. DeVore, Britta (October 10, 2022). "'The Mean One': A 'Grinch' Horror Parody Is Coming Our Way This December". Collider. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  5. Hermanns, Grant (October 8, 2022). "The Grinch Becomes A Slasher In New Horror Movie The Mean One". Screen Rant. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  6. Cavanaugh, Patrick (October 7, 2022). "The Mean One: Horror Parody of the Grinch Debuting in December". ComicBook.com. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  7. Squires, John (November 23, 2022). "'The Mean One' – Unofficial Grinch Horror Movie Slashes into Theaters on December 9th". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
  8. Anderson, Carys (October 9, 2022). "Grinch horror movie, The Mean One, coming this Christmas". Consequence. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  9. Echebiri, Makuochi (July 5, 2023). "'The Mean One': Twisted How the Grinch Stole Christmas Horror Parody Gets VOD Release". Collider. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  10. "The Mean One". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  11. "The Mean One". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  12. Murthi, Vikram (December 6, 2022). "'The Mean One' Review: A Killer Grinch Bores You to Death in an Unauthorized Slasher Parody of Dr. Seuss". IndieWire. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  13. DiVincenzo, Alex (December 6, 2022). "'The Mean One' Review – Unofficial Grinch Horror Movie Plays Out Like a SYFY Mockbuster". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
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