In a year overflowing with holiday sequels and slapstick comedies, The Grinch Caught a Cold manages to pull off a small miracle: it’s both wildly funny and unexpectedly moving. Benedict Cumberbatch returns to voice the world’s grumpiest Christmas icon — this time less green with envy and more green with the flu — in a story that’s as heartwarming as it is hilariously congested.
The premise is delightfully absurd in that Whoville way: just days before Christmas, the Grinch comes down with the flu. Not the mild sniffles, either — we’re talking full-blown, bed-ridden misery. His voice is hoarse, his fur’s a mess, and his cave looks like a tissue factory exploded. Enter his well-meaning friends Darnell (Ice Cube) and Pastor Curtis (Tyler Perry), two chaotic do-gooders determined to help the Grinch recover and keep Christmas running smoothly. Spoiler: it’s a disaster from the first sneeze.
Cumberbatch’s performance brings just the right mix of crankiness and charm to the sickly Grinch. His grumbled one-liners (“I don’t need soup, I need solitude!”) and sneeze-fueled tantrums are instantly iconic. But it’s Ice Cube and Tyler Perry who steal every scene they’re in. Their comedic chemistry turns simple caregiving into full-blown pandemonium — whether it’s accidentally decorating the Grinch’s bed with mistletoe lights or mixing up his medicine with spiked eggnog.
Maya Rudolph, meanwhile, is the film’s heart as Nurse Holly Snow — an endlessly cheerful, borderline magical nurse who arrives to tend to the Grinch and refuses to be scared off by his sneezes or sarcasm. Her optimism is infectious (pun fully intended), and her warm presence balances the comic madness with genuine sweetness. Her scenes with the Grinch are some of the film’s best — especially when she coaxes him into singing a hilariously tone-deaf version of “Silent Night” between coughs.
Director Scott Mosier (returning from The Grinch 2018) embraces the same vibrant animation style, but this time infuses it with cozy, wintry textures — think glowing fireplaces, swirling snow, and fuzzy blankets that look soft enough to touch. The world of Whoville feels more lived-in than ever, bustling with characters who clearly adore the Grinch, even when he’s too congested to notice.
But what makes The Grinch Caught a Cold more than a throwaway holiday gag is its emotional warmth. Beneath the laughs and sneezes lies a touching story about vulnerability and community. For the first time, the Grinch isn’t saving Christmas — Christmas is saving him. When the Whos gather outside his cave to serenade him with a new carol, “Even the Grumpiest Get the Cold,” it’s both hilarious and unexpectedly tender.
Ice Cube and Tyler Perry’s dynamic adds a modern comedic edge to the Whoville mythos. Perry’s Pastor Curtis delivers some of the film’s best lines — including a spirited monologue about “God’s flu being just a blessing in disguise” — while Ice Cube’s deadpan reactions keep the comedy grounded. Together, they bring a joyful chaos that feels perfectly at home in this universe.
The humor lands for all ages. Kids will laugh at the slapstick — the Grinch wrapped in blankets like a burrito, the talking thermometer that scolds him, the avalanche of cough drops — while adults will appreciate the sharp timing and meta winks to classic Christmas films. There’s even a clever nod to Home Alone, when Darnell and Curtis rig up a bizarre “security system” involving candy canes and bear traps to keep out “cold germs.”
As the story builds to its emotional climax, the film slows down for a surprisingly heartfelt moment. The Grinch, weak but smiling, looks out at the crowd of Whos bringing him gifts and simply says, “You showed up. I guess that’s what Christmas is.” It’s a line that feels genuine — a reminder that love, in its simplest form, is showing up even when things aren’t perfect.
By the time the credits roll (set to a new holiday anthem by Lizzo, “Sleigh My Cold Away”), it’s hard not to feel the same fuzzy warmth the film celebrates. The Grinch Caught a Cold may be about sneezes, soup, and slapstick chaos, but underneath the green and glitter lies a message worth keeping: Christmas isn’t canceled by imperfection — it’s defined by compassion.
