Until I received the email about the release of Surviving Christmas With The Relatives, I believed that this was just something we all did. As much as we seek to head home and get our festive fancies on with those we love, there comes a time when about five minutes in, you wish you were somewhere else. Something the characters within the film, out today on DVD and digitally, seek a lot of the time too.

With an all-star British cast, the feature follows two sisters, who head home to their family’s cottage to spend the holidays together. Whilst reconnecting, the pair discover a lot they didn’t know about the other and their families. Including the way, they both react to each other’s differing personalities.

Playing on what we have all come to know and love about Christmas, the film is a fun take on the family mishaps that happen at one of the best times of years. Within a moment’s notice, relatives they are not expecting appear. Family members go missing and fights erupt around them all. However, nothing prepares them for the joy that Christmas still brings.

Whilst not one of the best in terms of story or script, it does play on many tropes that those of us who see it for ourselves in our homes will understand. However, even though the cast is great at trying hard to bring the story to life, it does lose its way halfway through, making it a bit of a bah humbug after a while.

If you are seeking a new festive film this holiday season, this may just be the one for you. Yet, a good old classic may be what you need more. Head into the world of family madness if you dare or just put up with your own this Christmas.

3 Stars

Joey X