Jake & Pete’s Christmas Special

Jake & Pete’s Christmas Special follows the titular characters in their small town in Gloucestershire, when the spirit of Christmas seems to have left. Jake and Pete must find a way to restore it in time for Christmas, just around the corner. Heavily reminiscent of South Park (1997-), the piece even pays loving homage to the series as it clearly wears its influences on its sleeve with its deeply raunchy and absurd comedic elements.

One of the most endearing qualities of the piece is the gorgeous animation, which suits the tone and setting perfectly for the Winter season in Gloucestershire. Its animation is predominantly impressive to witness despite its budget limitations. The film also surprisingly feels incredibly grounded, given the absurd nature of the more fantastical elements of the narrative. However, the use of a visualisation of gameplay implemented into the animation can look bizarre and unnatural, ultimately detracting from the film’s style. Specific pieces of dialogue are also delivered inadequately due to the use of subdued voice acting, which detracts from the experience. While many of the comedic gags effectively land, the raunchy dialogue becomes grating and repetitive towards the end, despite its limited runtime. However, the live coverage sequences are mostly brilliant as they employ social commentary on the current state of the cost-of-living crisis within the UK.

The piece feels profoundly British within its iconography and references, which may not resonate with audiences outside the UK as much. It's accompanied by a lovely Winter backdrop, which is integral to the narrative and again feels heavily inspired by South Park. The central three characters, Pete (Taylor Taberner), Jake (Luke Marley) and Beth (Kaitlyn Walker), all work well together with fun onscreen chemistry as their banter and charm are the driving point of the experience. On the other hand, specific supporting players are deeply unlikeable due to their absurd and misogynistic nature. While the social commentary is justly impactful in its attempt at darkly comedic satire, many of the gags come off as problematic and sometimes uncomfortable to digest as a viewer. The film can also lose some steam towards the conclusion, thanks to how stilted and awkward the central conflict between characters feels at times. Its narrative amounts to just minor, with a lack of character development for either Jake or Pete, and their bizarre motives don't give the audience enough reason to care enough about where they eventually end up.

The performances across the board are solid, in particular Kaityn Walker, who portrays Beth. She is ultimately the heart and soul of the narrative and a far more likeable leading player than Jake and Pete. Another major standout is the use of music, which is effectively implemented throughout to fit the tone and Christmas setting. This is a prime example of a piece of filmmaking that may resonate with a target demographic of teenagers for repeat viewings, thanks to its provocative and edgy humour.

Jake & Pete’s Christmas Special is a fun and endearing comedic piece with an effective splice of social commentary regarding the state of the cost-of-living crisis in the UK. While it may suffer from bizarre creative decisions in the art direction and insensitive jabs at creative talent in the film industry, it draws on well-loved influences to deliver a charming Christmas delight.