It’s the most stressful time of the year, so in the alcohol and drug-free future depicted in The Binge, the holidays became hard to bear. That’s why the world decided to move its single day of allowance from spring to winter. And not just any day, Christmas Eve day! That’s right, folks, It’s a Wonderful Binge.
(Brett Roedel/Hulu)
Good friends Hags (Dexter Darden, The Maze Runner films) and Andrew (Eduardo Franco, Stranger Things) each have the best intentions for Christmas, plans that go awry when the binge is moved. Hags is working on a Christmas proposal to his girlfriend Sarah (Zainne Saleh, Good Trouble), whose father (Tim Meadows, The Goldbergs) isn’t exactly pleased with the thought of Hags joining his family. Andrew gets an unexpected visit from an “Angel” (Danny Trejo, Predators) while his girlfriend Kimmi (Marta Piekarz) deals with her mom, Mayor Spangler (Kaitlin Olson, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), who unintentionally aids the binge while trying to stop it.
Although a sequel, knowledge of The Binge is not required to enjoy It’s a Wonderful Binge. One of the original film’s three lead characters, Griffin (played by Skyler Gisondo) is missing, making it feel somewhat incongruous. What is the same, however, is the comedic tone, and the filmmakers have a lot of fun adapting the binge concept to Christmas. For example, a binge advent calendar where you open a door each hour to find another illegal vice to consume. And with Christmas forced to compete with the future’s real favorite holiday, attempts to add new traditions to the classic holiday go hilariously ary.
The film is full of fun cameos. Paul Scheer (The Hotwives of Las Vegas) plays the town’s newscaster, whose live reports become increasingly bizarre as the night goes on (stay tuned through the credits for a bonus!). One of the returning wild characters from the first film is Pompano Mike (Tony Cavalero, The Righteous Gemstones) who now has a girlfriend, hilariously played by Patty Guggenheim hot off her memorable role as Madisynn (“With a ‘Y,’ but not where you think”) in Marvel’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. And Nick Swardson (Reno 911!) joins the ensemble as Kimmi’s sketchy uncle.
(Brett Roedel/Hulu)
It’s a Wonderful Binge boasts a surprisng number of original songs, including a narrative piece from the town carolers called “Worst/Best Christmas Ever” and a theme song for a Chuck E. Cheese rip-off called Chip Chesters. The end credits also boast two songs that tie into the film, including “The Christmas Owl.” The filmmakers have found ways to embue comedy just about everywhere.
Throughout the film, their are homages to great Christmas films of the past. The most obvious is It’s a Wonderful Life, which not only has its title lifted, but much of the Andrew/Angel plot comes from it as well. In case it wasn’t obvious, the screen slims down to academy ratio and color flips to black and white to drive the point home. Even Love, Actually gets sampled for comedy within Hags’ proposal. You could almost make it a drinking game, one that would be illegal on all days but this day in the future.
Overall, despite missing one of its leads, It’s a Wonderful Binge is a funny, edgy alternative to your typical holiday fare, one that’s for adults-only with its TV-MA rating. Technically a sequel, the Morgan Freeman-inspired narration tells you everything you need to know about the first film to enjoy this one, with no knowledge of the previous film necessary. At times, it feels a little like two movies mish-mashed together, but it mostly works in the context of the Love, Actually esthetic.
(Brett Roedel/Hulu)
I give It’s a Wonderful Binge 3.5 out of 5 Freaky Friday moments.
It’s a Wonderful Binge is now streaming on Hulu.