The holidays are full of fun (and sometimes surprisingly creepy) traditions. Whether you are decorating a tree, mailing letters to Santa, or watching some brand new Christmas movies, there is no shortage of ways to celebrate. One trend that has become very popular in recent years, and arguably is the one I find to be the creepiest, has to be the Elf on A Shelf. It’s also a recurring bit in the upcoming film Oh.What.Fun, and star Jason Schwartzman is on the same page with me.
When Oh. What. Fun hits the 2025 movie schedule, you’ll get your Elf on A Shelf fix in. In the movie, Jason Schwartzman and Felicity Jones play a married couple who are frequently watched by Jones’ childhood Elf on a Shelf, Barnaby. Barnaby is never on a shelf, but pops up in the most unexpected places and is absolutely keeping tabs on Schwartzman’s character.
So, when I had the chance to chat with Schwartzman, I had to ask him about how unnerving Santa and his loyal elf scouts can be. Honestly, I was a little relieved when he was as skeeved out by the idea of Santa (and his Little Helpers) watching you as I was.
This whole idea of having this person [Santa] around watching you, I mean, that the idea was already that someone’s watching because they, you know, they know if you’re naughty or nice.
Story checks out. Schwartzman said he gets nervous around A-listers like Steve Carell, so why not some pint-sized mischief makers? If you distill the idea of Santa Claus down even further, the underlying concept is basically just a strange man in a red suit watching you all year long. Instead of Santa simply observing from afar, his little “helpers” are inside your house, popping up in unexpected places. The actor also told CinemaBlend:
But now we’re also saying that there’s a set of eyes on you. And they’re unmoving, and they’re unflinching, and they’re [going] back to the North Pole and reporting on it very directly. And that is, not, it’s not like pleasurable.
Maybe the elves are not inherently creepy – perhaps they have just seen too many naughty kids? Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if a few of them join Buddy the Elf for some drinking and smoking when the holidays are done. Still, the idea of being under constant surveillance is unsettling. The elves may not have much of a choice, though. Who knows what working for Santa is like? They probably need to unionize.
Elf on A Shelf is only a small part of Oh.What.Fun, but its creepiness is used to great comedic effect. Deep down, I am interested to hear if everyone else is as bothered by these mischief makers as I am. The good news is you can watch Schwartzman deal with them soon, as the flick will be available to stream for those with an Amazon Prime subscription starting Dec. 3rd.
Elf on the Shelf may have started from a sweet place, but one thing is certain: neither Schwartzman nor I would want these little scouts lurking around our house during the holidays.