Jim Carrey‘s version of The Grinch is pretty terrifying when you think about it. He’s so scary, in fact, that I wouldn’t want to be the one who has to climb Mount Crumpit and tell him that a cutesy animated Grinch is more popular with Netflix viewers.
Personally, after Jim Carrey‘s portrayal of the iconic festive fearmonger, I don’t see why anyone would even try to make another Grinch. Ron Howard’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas is quite literally the best Christmas movie ever, but 18 years later, Benedict Cumberbatch lent his voice to the classic character. And, wouldn’t you know it, this animated movie was a huge success, raking in over $526 million worldwide to become the highest-grossing Christmas film of all time.
Now, the 2018 Grinch has achieved another accolade, after it beat Jim Carrey’s flick in the Netflix charts. In the UK, Illumination’s modern iteration sits at number four on the most popular list, while Carrey’s classic is at number eight. So, does that mean we’ve finally decided which is the best movie?
Not quite. You see, there are two things to consider here that may be skewing the charts on the best streaming service. One factor is recency bias, with many viewers probably opting for the newer, shinier film because they remember taking their kids to the cinema to see it just a few years ago. Carrey’s 2000s movie largely appeals more to Millennial nostalgia, which does restrict its audience somewhat.
The other, more prominent advantage Illumination’s effort holds is the magic of animation. Kids bloody love cartoons, and any parent wishing to keep a little one quiet is going to be far more likely to achieve a peaceful household if they stick on a film from the folks behind The Minions. To be honest, my three year old son has watched The Grinch every day for the last fortnight, so it’s very likely we’ve contributed massively to this victory.
It’s a far harder sell to get a child to pay attention to a live-action movie from before they were born. Especially when, let’s be honest, Carrey’s depiction of the Grinch is close to a Christmas horror movie at times. He’s truly unhinged, and while I love that myself, toddlers may end up cowering behind the couch if you expose them to Carrey’s wild energy too soon.
Seriously, if I was that little, fluffy, animated Grinch, I would be watching my back. His predecessor is a beast, and he’s not afraid to put an electric razor to good use! As the festive period approaches, you’d better prepare accordingly by checking out our list of the best Netflix Christmas movies, or seeing what’s new to Netflix this month. You can also see what’s going on with The Grinch 2, or find our more about other new movies featuring dudes in red suits, like Deadpool 3.