Twas the Night review

December 6, 2021 Jeffrey Lyles

A Christmas theme Weekend at Bernie’s is an interesting premise. Throw in some nosy in-laws checking out the new place while the couple nervously tries to keep them from discovering the dead Santa in their house and the scenarios practically write themselves. Twas the Night isn’t able to make good on its potential thanks largely to a cast that can’t make this darker comedy work.

Holly (Nicole Pringle) already feels like the neighborhood pariah after her encounter with the local charity Santa (Abel Rosario) goes viral. The constant clanging of the bell got to Holly and she went off proclaiming she’d kill him if he didn’t knock off the racket.

Holly’s fiancé, Nick (David S. Perez), has largely avoided the scorn Holly’s earned through the neighborhood. Nick’s got bigger issues though as both sets of parents are coming to spend the night on Christmas Eve. This pending visit is nerve-wracking for everyone as neither Holly or Nick have met their future in-laws.

Both Pringle and Perez come off stuff and flat. They seem like they’re just reciting the dialogue instead of credibly delivering it almost like they’re saying lines they don’t believe in.

Co-directors/screenwriters Grant Rosado and Chris Rodriguez fail to bring any tender and pleasant moments early on with Holly and Nick so their relationship never feels authentic. This is a big failing established early on as it doesn’t truly feel like they’re in this relationship or dilemma together.

Deciding to make amends, Holly invites the bell ringing Santa in for some cookies and an apology. One very stilted conversation later, the bell ringer, Jesús, offers to help Holly put up some decorations. Nick suddenly arrives and they’re left with a dead Santa on their steps.

Rightfully concerned Holly’s video would make this accident seem pre-meditated, Nick and Holly scramble to figure out what to do with the body…just as their parents arrive.

Not that there needed to be an explicit statement, but Holly’s parents (Lisa Panagopoulos and Paul Van Scott) clearly seem to have adopted her. It’s a decision that needlessly distracts from the film. Given the lack of Christmas films that feature so few people of color it was a disappointing choice to have Holly’s parents be white. Nick’s father (James Lee Fronck) is also white. At least his mother (Cynthia D. Perry) is a POC.

And maybe this wouldn’t be such an issue if the parents were such charismatic, magnetic presences that it made sense to cast these actors. That’s not the case though as their performances are just as uninspired as the leads. The film desperately needed the parents to bring a spark and unpredictability to this crazy scenario and the biggest challenge they provide is wanting to tour the townhouse.

Some of the film’s issues wouldn’t be as frustrating if there was some redeeming factor. That could have been from the cast truly embracing the nuttiness of this premise and going a little over the top with their performances.

Or Rosado and Rodriguez creating more natural challenges in hiding a dead body in a townhouse. It seems for every potential big issues like the body being stashed in the bathroom while the parents needing to go is handled with little comedic drama negating the opportunity for big laughs.

The ending proves Rosado and Rodriguez aren’t grinches even if it makes some of the characters look even more clueless.

There’s good ideas here, but Rosado and Rodriguez just don’t have the comedic timing or feature film experience to pull it off. It’s not terribly hard envisioning a more dynamic director and screenwriter using this idea and delivering a dark Christmas comedy classic in line with Bad Santa. Twas the Night