A Very Murray Christmas: reviews

What the critics say average 6.8 from 18 outlets

• 8.8 Slant MagazineTed Pigeon It's a gleeful display of song and dance that conjures a fleeting nostalgia and exhilaration that even the hardest of hearts can fall for in late December. Read
• 8.3 IndiewireBen Travers In the end, A Very Murray Christmas delivers exactly what's been promised all along—a show! Read
• 8.0 The Philadelphia InquirerMolly Eichel It's profane and funny and totally out of the ordinary. A Very Murray Christmas won't become a classic of the Christmas genre, but it's certainly a nice way to spend the holidays. Read
• 7.5 New York PostElisabeth Vincentelli An endearingly oddball tribute to the variety specials of yore. Read
• 7.5 NewsdayVerne Gay Amusing, odd, fascinating, indulgent and not quite as funny as you might expect, or hope.
• 7.5 Entertainment WeeklyJeff Jensen Murray decides to improvise a boozy party for stranded hotel guests and workers. It’s here, after a sputtery start, that the irony thaws and a warm, lovely spirit takes hold. Read
• 7.0 VarietyMaureen Ryan When the special drags a bit, it feels as if Netflix, the anti-Scrooge of this free-spending TV era, has paid Murray and Coppola to film a champagne-infused holiday shindig with their friends. Still, A Very Murray Christmas has a sweetness to it that keeps it from lapsing fully into self-indulgence. At its best, the proceedings keep alive the spirit of the Bob Hope-Bing Crosby road pictures Read
• 7.0 The Hollywood ReporterDaniel Fienberg This is an old soul's Christmas special. This is also a Christmas special for grown-ups, both because of a scattering of adult language, but also because Coppola's trademark dreamy/languid treatment of the material would bore younger viewers. Read
• 7.0 TimeDaniel D'Addario A Very Murray Christmas deserves applause, and not merely because artists like Murray and Coppola getting to do their own thing between movies is good. The special is acting out a pose of woozy self-regard, sure, but it represents a commitment to a point-of-view more sustained than many single hours I’ve seen recently. Read
• 7.0 Under the RadarMatthew Berlyant All in all, while not an absolutely great Christmas special since it struggles to find its footing at times plot-wise, it's worth watching for the celebrity cameos and the raucous and at times hilarious singing. Read
• 6.7 The A.V. ClubAlex McCown A special that spits and sputters when the star is required to play-act himself, but comes breezily to life when he dispenses with the semi-serious put-on, and goes full raconteur. The ghost of Nick Winters haunts the proceedings of A Very Murray Christmas more than a little. Read
• 6.7 Uncle BarkyEd Bark A Very Murray Christmas is as uneven as a child’s first effort to build and frost a gingerbread house. It’s also different, which sometimes works in its favor. Read
• 6.0 The OregonianKristi Turnquist A Very Murray Christmas is an odd concoction, flavored by holiday blues, but topped by a coating of sparkly tinsel. Read
• 6.0 SalonSonia Saraiya A Very Murray Christmas is ruminating over its own mingled loneliness and disillusionment and occasional flights of whimsy; mostly, it’s busy laughing at its own jokes. Read
• 5.8 The Detroit NewsTom Long The show certainly has plenty of diverse star power—Chris Rock, Amy Poehler and Michael Cera also appear along the way—but its shaggy approach wears thin until Cyrus shows up. Then again, save the best gift for last. Read
• 5.0 New York TimesNeil Genzlinger The result is a show that probably isn’t destined for repeat viewings but provides a few wry moments and even a listenable song or two. Read
• 5.0 The Washington PostHank Stuever The special isn’t as funny or inventive as one might hope. The set-up is cheesily self-aware.
• 5.0 Las Vegas WeeklyJosh Bell Like Murray’s endearing real-life antics, the show was probably loads of fun for the people involved, but the feeling doesn’t necessarily carry over to the viewing audience. Read