Aubrey Plaza has been a pretty hot topic lately,

from the role of a dark witch in Agatha All Along
to the already iconic Wow Platinum in Francis Ford Coppola’s latest Megalopolis. However, her recognizable, deadpan voice was put to good use long ago, and we’re not referring to pieces like Parks and Recreation. Aubrey Plaza voiced one of the internet’s most famous memes, Grumpy Cat, in the Lifetime movie Worst Christmas ever for Grumpy Cat (2014). As Grumpy Cat’s first and final film appearance, this made-for-TV movie was (perhaps unsurprisingly) a critical smash.

It follows the eponymous heroine as she teams up with a young girl to save a mall pet store, a valuable dog, and ultimately Christmas. Worst Christmas ever for Grumpy Cat It was directed by Tim Hill, who had also directed other fur films. Garfield: A Tale of Two Kittens (2006) and Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007). Now he’s considered a member of an elite so-bad-it’s-good club, starring a current industry darling. Worst Christmas ever for Grumpy Cat is the perfect choice for a silly, festive movie night with friends. Here’s everything you need to know about this forgotten romp:

A grumpy phenomenon

Tardar sauce, or as it was much more popularly known, “Grumpy Cat,”

was one of the biggest internet phenomena the world has ever seen
. Grumpy Cat was ubiquitous in the 2010s, known for her unique frowning face caused by a form of feline dwarfism. The meme featured Grumpy Cat getting annoyed or annoyed by all the irritants of life, combined with recognizable text at the top and bottom. Grumpy Cat was remarkably lucrative, selling everything from books to video games to a partnership with Friskies. Actually, Worst Christmas ever for Grumpy Cat Grumpy Cat describes himself as “the biggest money cat on the internet”. It was only a matter of time before the Grumpy Cat team made their way into the cinema. In this case, about two years after the meme was created.

A good reason to watch Worst Christmas ever for Grumpy Cat Last but not least, Grumpy Cat is really cute. It’s easy to see why she’s had a hold on the internet for so long. When filming began, the Grumpy Cat image itself was worth $1 million. Apparently the world agreed that Grumpy Cat was adorable. Lifetime’s acquisition of the Grumpy Cat intellectual property was no surprise, and it’s not even shocking that they had an A-lister like Plaza on board.

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So bad it’s good

Worst Christmas ever for Grumpy Cat currently has a 27% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has been all but forgotten. Still, some critics have acknowledged that while it’s not the greatest cinematic experience in the world, it has an undeniable charm. Secure, Worst Christmas ever for Grumpy Cat is a mess. The characters’ motivations are sometimes difficult to understand (for example, the conflict in the film is that two famous rock stars have kidnapped a valuable Leonberger dog), but do they also go out of their way to convey that they don’t have money problems? ), the dialogue is rudimentary at best and there are plenty of creepy feelings.

Bad films are a genre all their own that deserve to be celebrated
. They just require that someone approach the matter with the right attitude. A decade apart “Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever”After the original release, it might soon be time to celebrate all of its flaws. Now it’s become Christmas camp and a hilarious highlight on Plaza’s resume.

For a family life film, Worst Christmas ever for Grumpy Cat offers a remarkable amount of meta-commentary on capitalism and fame. There’s also quite a bit of adult humor (although it’s rated G). All in all, it’s a really great cast for Plaza and a really entertaining watch. Apparently,

Plaza had little knowledge of Grumpy Cat
when she signed up for the project and had to do research to prepare for her role. There are clear allusions to this and also to the fact that Plaza speaks “Grumpy Cat” throughout the film.

Grumpy Cat addresses the audience directly several times. It’s surprisingly funny, sardonic and sometimes self-aware. Grumpy Cat functions as a pseudo-Grinch, pointing out the inconveniences and ironies of the holidays. If you’re interested in finding out what a Christmas movie really means, or the rise and fall of a great meme, through some not-so-subtle commentary from one of this generation’s best deadpan comedic voices, then Worst Christmas ever for Grumpy Cat could be a sleepover hit for you that you should definitely check out. You can stream Worst Christmas ever for Grumpy Cat on Disney+ and Tubi.