Jingle Bell Heist Review: Olivia Holt’s Likeable Screen Presence Can’t Prevent This Lump of Coal of a Heist Movie/Rom-Com Hybrid
After spending 90 minutes plus streaming Jingle Bell Heist, this one is best described as looks can be deceiving — something like when you come across a beautifully photographed Christmas turkey posted on social media, only to find out it tastes dry and bland. Given the title, it should have been a fun holiday-themed movie, boasting a heist genre which takes place during the Christmas season with a mix of rom-com led by a cute and attractive pair starring Olivia Holt and Connor Swindells. But director Michael Fimognari and screenwriter Abby McDonald do not seem to be interested in giving us what we want. Well, at least not the kind of holiday-themed heist/rom-com hybrid that (most) of us would expect.
Before I delve into the review, here’s what Jingle Bell Heist is all about: Two strangers — Sophia (Holt) and Nick (Swindells) — aren’t the fortunate ones like other people who are looking forward to Christmas. They are desperately cash-strapped, and both have their own problems. Sophia has to put up with the fact that the department store where she works as a retail assistant at a minimum wage is short-staffed. In other words, she is also responsible for mopping the floor whether she likes it or not.
Despite working two jobs, her salary isn’t enough to cover her expenses, especially since she needs to deal with her cancer-stricken mother. Desperate time calls for desperate measures, resulting in Sophia robbing her obnoxious boss, Maxwell Sterling (Peter Serafinowicz). Her action is caught red-handed by Nick, who is coincidentally planning to stage a robbery in the same department store. Except that he isn’t one of Sterling’s employees, but rather a phone technician who has been spying on his store’s security system. The two strangers eventually meet up, and since both of them share a common goal, they decide to work together to pull off the heist. On paper, it’s entertaining.
But again, Jingle Bell Heist belongs to the expectation vs reality angle, where the reality rears its ugly head. The ensuing heist — with all the planning and disguises, complete with Sophia and Nick donning full Santa suits — is sadly lacking the much-needed stakes and excitement. The story simply goes on autopilot, even though Fimognari does try his best to juggle between the heist, action, rom-com and even drama.
Speaking of the latter, Nick is also given a backstory, where we learn he needs money to take care of his little daughter, and not to mention dealing with his estranged ex-wife. Sophia and Nick’s respective struggles may have been relatable since it can happen to anyone, but too bad the execution tells a different story. I get that the added drama is meant to sympathise with their predicaments, but the so-called emotional beats simply feel maudlin.
Jingle Bell Heist may have been clocking in less than 100 minutes, but it sure feels like an eternity sitting through this disappointingly limp effort. It is such a big waste of opportunity despite its potential setup, and I do enjoy Holt’s performance in this movie. She has that instantly likeable screen presence, only to be hampered by a weak script and feeble direction that fails to do her justice. The same also goes for the otherwise charming Swindells, who is equally wasted here.
The attempted rom-com angle between them is devoid of the necessary spark and chemistry. And although Fimognari and McDonald try to spice up the movie with a few twists surrounding these characters’ motivations, it barely matters anyway. Frankly, it shouldn’t be titled as Jingle Bell Heist. Jingle Bore Heist is more like it — the kind of holiday-themed movie that belongs to the naughty list.
Jingle Bell Heist is streaming on Netflix.
