“Adult Swim Yule Log” and “Adult Swim Yule Log 2: Branchin’ Out” (Review)
Just when you think 2024 was done with twisted Christmas movies (Terrifier 3 a couple months ago), along comes none other than Adult Swim and Casper Kelly to give us even more. If you know Kelly’s work, you know what you’re in for. If not, buckle up. Adult Swim Yule Log is here to make you go “what the fuck” in jolly fashion.
Adult Swim Yule Log, and its sequel, Branchin’ Out are both available to watch on Max right now. The first one released back in 2022, while Branchin’ Out just released over the weekend. While they take different approaches, both start off as expected: simple, cozy footage of a yule log with Christmas music playing in the background. It seems like something to have on in the background, but that quickly disappears in a couple minutes. The footage becomes something more, something twisted, something crazy.
That’s about as far as I can go unfortunately. Look, as much as I would love to go in depth on these two treats, it would be wrong of me to do that and spoil what Kelly and company have in store for you. It would be just as bad as telling you what’s in your Christmas gifts before you even get to tearing up the wrapping. There’s just no fun in that!
All I can say is I had such a fun time with them, and I think you might too. The first one is an absolute mind fuck. Just when you think you know what’s going on, another curveball is thrown your way to the point where I just gave up trying to guess what was going to happen. It’s clear that that’s the goal of the first Yule Log, along with giving you some pretty unsettling scares. To those points I’d say it’s extremely effective, even if other things slip beyond its grasp. These are definitely horror movies. And there are a couple moments of abuse that are hard to watch. They’re not going to be for everybody. Some might find all the twists and turns a little too much, and I can’t blame them. But I would still recommend it for horror aficionados that want to add a potential new Christmas classic.
While the first Yule Log is more focused on being a mind melter, Branchin’ Out goes another, much different route. It keeps the horror DNA of the first and plunges into a Christmas movie straight out of the Hallmark channel. This results in an absolutely hilarious ride. Kelly really knows how to take areas of entertainment that are comforting, like sappy Christmas movies, and throw a killer monster in there to such an effective degree (see Too Many Cooks for another example). There’s so many moments I want to talk about that had me cracking up but I wouldn’t dare spoil. Add in some freaky ass standout practical effects that you horror freaks are definitely going to love, and you got yourself another messed up Christmas package, even if the movie sags a bit with its set up.
I know these are pretty out there choices, but I still highly recommend taking a chance on these. If you are into this kind of crazy Adult Swim stuff, you’ll love it. If you aren’t too familiar with it, this could open up a whole new world for you, or at least just give you something crazy to add to your holiday nights. If you didn’t enjoy the first Yule Log, I would still highly recommend Branchin’ Out, which is a little more conventional and funny. What’s Christmas without some fucked up variety right?
