‘Spirited’ Review: Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds Deliver an Instant Christmas Classic

Spirited, the Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds musical coming to Apple TV+ next Friday, has achieved the near-impossible: a fresh, inventive take on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

The story of Ebenezer Scrooge has been adapted and retold so many times, most of us could recite the tale of the Christmas-hating miser who learns to love humanity in our sleep. But it’s been a minute since we’ve seen a Christmas Carol adaptation worthy of being added to your family’s annual December viewing rotation. I’m pleased to report that not only is Spirited a new holiday classic, but it’s the best Christmas Carol movie since Kermit the Frog played Bob Crachit in The Muppet Christmas Carol.

Directed by Sean Anders, who also co-wrote the script with John Morris, Spirited takes place in the modern day, in a world where the Dickens story already exists. But here’s the twist—that story really happened. In fact, in the world of Spirited, the Christmas Carol redemption story happens every year. Each year, a new unsuspecting perp that is widely agreed to be a terrible human being is selected for the program, and the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Sunita Mani), Present (Ferrell), and Yet to Come (Tracy Morgan) get to work on turning said terrible human into a decent one. A year’s worth of research goes into crafting the perfect simulation dream experience for this perp, all to be experienced on Christmas Eve. On Christmas morning, the perp wakes up a completely changed person, and, because this is a musical, they sing about it. This year’s target? The ruthless Clint Briggs (Reynolds), a borderline sociopathic man who creates controversies for a living.

Right off the bat, the jokes are sharp, a little mean, and a lot self-aware. That’s the go-to tone for Ryan Reynolds movies these days, and it doesn’t always work, but in this instance, it very much does. The talented cast helps, including strong supporting roles, like a literal Karen played by Australia’s national treasure Rose Byrne and the relentlessly thirsty (and relentlessly hilarious) Ghost of Christmas Past played by scene-stealer Mani. Ferrell, who already has one beloved Christmas character under his belt, is more reserved and competent than Buddy from Elf. But he still brings that wide-eyed, Christmas-loving optimism, and he’s still very good at it. Reynolds is comfortable playing the quippy jerk, as usual, but finds more depth than some previous iterations. (His quips, also, are mercifully restrained, and often given to the side characters—a testament to Anders’ and Morris’ script.)

Perhaps the most delightful aspect of Spirited is that this is a Musical with a capital M. Ferrell, a known Eurovision fanatic, clearly loves a spectacle and knows how to do them right. The show-stopping numbers—composed by Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, and Dominic Lewis—just keep coming. They are reminiscent of the golden age of movie musicals, with impressive choreography, creative staging, and a talented chorus. One particularly theatrical number features a dreamy dance sequence using flashlights, and it’s gorgeous.

Unfortunately, the leads are not known for their singing. While Reynolds manages to hold his own, Ferrell and Octavia Spencer (who is otherwise lovely in her role as Ferrell’s romantic interest) require liberal autotune to keep up with the musical caliber. The exception is Broadway star Patrick Page, who recently earned a Tony nomination for the critically-acclaimed Hadestown. He’s by far the best singer, and the film’s greatest shortcoming is not giving him more to do. (They even cut off Page’s big number before it’s finished. The audacity!)

But what really makes Spirited sing isn’t the singing at all—it’s the script. In addition to an entertaining story, believable characters, and several fun twists that I won’t spoil here, Spirited comes with a surprisingly nuanced social commentary. Clint’s job is, essentially, to create division. He makes people angry, whether it’s at the Big Fake Tree industry for ruining the sanctity of Christmas, or at the 11-year-old kid who once called homeless people “gross.” Clint knows that angry people are far easier to manipulate, to the benefit of his clients (like a Christmas tree farm and his niece who is running for student council, respectively). I admit, I wasn’t expecting the new Will Ferrell/Ryan Reynolds movie to double as a metaphor for deceitful politics, social media-driven cancel culture, and the current state of our divided society.

Anyone selling Spirited as merely a light, fun Christmas tale isn’t giving this adaptation nearly enough credit. Like the Dickens story that it’s based on, Spirited offers a sharp admonishment of the rich and powerful. It won’t make the waves that Dickens did, but maybe—as Ferrell’s character repeatedly hopes for—it will make a ripple. You never know who’s listening.

Spirited is now playing in select theaters and will begin streaming on Apple TV+ on November 18.