Nutcrackers is a film that we have all seen before. Hot shot, business person and proud workaholic is forced to return to their hometown after a sudden tragedy or some other plot device. In this holiday-set, family film, very important yet seemingly overlooked business man, Mike (Ben Stiller) must go to his sister’s small town to manage the foster sign off of her kids because she and their dad have died.
The outcome of this movie is more frustrating then touching and highly predictable. There is a pressure for Mike to take the kids and little respect for his life and career in Chicago; like Overboard and Life As We Know It, writer Leland Douglas doesn’t care about his main character. Lighthearted films with dark undertones predictably fall victim to shallow reception because they almost alway sacrifice substance for commercial appeal; the work + ambition = bad and family = good equation generally lands with the white, modern practicing Christian who this movie was intended for.
The villainization of Mike completely dilutes the film’s potential and feels outdated; His sister’s entire backstory felt like the real life story of TikTok star Ballerina Farm, who gave up her dreams of being a dancer to be a trad-wife, a label most Millennial and Gen Z women scoff at. Mike is a man with money and success, if he is gonna keep the kids, why can’t they relocate to Chicago? This is a question that the writer and director are not interested in answering because the story really isn’t that deep.
Despite my frosty review, I genuinely enjoyed the film and would watch it again but it should not have been accepted into TIFF. This simple movie was better suited for a Lifetime or Hallmark release. It takes zero risks and offers lazy, formulaic storytelling. Although I enjoyed the screening, I left wondering if it didn’t have the star power behind it, would anyone watch it?
Nutcrackers is playing at TIFF ’24. For more information, click here.
