A holiday-themed comedy seems to be just what the doctor just ordered, and the new Hulu film nutcracker occurs with a bit of chaos, heartfelt feeling and a nod to tradition. But it’s not an unforgettable experience.

In the film, Ben Stiller plays Mike, an influential Chicago architect who has little time for anyone but himself and whose sister and brother-in-law recently died. Supposedly he’s there to place his four nephews – Justice (Homer Janson), Simon (Arlo Janson), Steve (Ulysses Janson) and Samuel (Atlas Janson) – in foster care. But social worker Gretchen (Linda Cardellini) informs Mike that the foster family has failed and he must act as guardian until she finds someone else.

Whether they’re still suffering from the death of their parents or are simply wild, the children are more than a handful to Mike, who always has one eye on the door, hoping to get back to his own life as soon as possible. But the longer he is forced to stay, the more the children grow to love him, especially when he learns that at least two of them were students at their mother’s dance studio, which gives him the idea of ​​performing a version of a certain holiday classic.

Directed by David Gordon Green and written by Leland Douglas, the film seems to have all the elements that make a holiday film memorable, but the atmosphere is poor from the start. First of all, the audience is thrown right into the mix along with Mike, with barely any introduction to the main characters. Since their backstories are largely missing, it’s difficult to feel anything good or bad about Mike or the children, and so they simply coexist in the first act of the film.

Green and Douglas can never decide what kind of people they want their children to become. The film opens with a scene where they sneak into an amusement park and wreak havoc, and the scenes that follow give the impression that they are people from hell. But when the filmmakers start vacillating between destroying things and being a responsible, down-to-earth kid, the plot becomes confusing and less interesting.

It’s also puzzling why they would cast Stiller, known for playing straightforward characters who go off the rails on many occasions, and then not let him do what he does best. Even when confronted with some of the kids’ worst behavior, Mike keeps his reactions under control, which, while perhaps good for a real uncle, makes for a less entertaining family vacation film.

Stiller still lives up to his star reputation at times, but his character’s arc isn’t particularly inspiring, even as a mild romance begins to blossom between Mike and Gretchen. The Janson brothers, making their film debut together, are fun at times, but their lack of experience shows in their unpolished performances. Cardellini is a nice presence, but she isn’t given enough to do to make much of an impact.

nutcracker is a harmless film in the sense that it’s not so terrible that there’s no way to actually finish it. But there’s little about the story, characters or attempt at being a holiday film that can be recommended as an entertaining family watch, so it will likely fade into streamer obscurity.

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nutcracker is now streaming on Hulu.