Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special

By Marina Gordon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 4+

Queen of Christmas brings glamour to a muted holiday season.

Movie NR 2020 43 minutes
Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 6+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Lebron12James3
Lebron12James3 Parent
December 23, 2021
age 2+

Aqua Tales

normaleigh
normaleigh Parent of 12 and 13-year-old
January 2, 2021
age 2+

We couldn’t see past the boobs

This would have been such a cute show without the excessive need to show boobs. Note that I’m not saying cleavage, but full on boobs without the nipple. Understand that this, apparently, is what Mariah is known for but I didn’t know that before I sat down with my kids family to watch. In the spirit of not trying to body shame and to keep in the Christmas spirit, I didn’t say anything, hoping that a less revealing dress would soon appear. But it did not, so I wasn’t shocked when my kids started talking about how weird it was that a grown woman felt the need to show so much boob in a family show. Bets were placed on which boob would pop completely out first and that was the talk until the end of the show. The show lost its Christmas voice before it even started.

This title has:

Great messages
Too much sex
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Settled into a leather armchair with a wool blanket hanging over the back, Tiffany Hadish narrates the story of MARIAH CAREY'S MAGICAL CHRISTMAS SPECIAL in a variation on "The Night Before Christmas" that begins with an oblique reference to unfestive 2020. "Holiday spirit was low. Few could muster any holiday cheer." Enter "ultimate VIP" Mariah Carey, who gets a red-alert call on her special red crystal-encrusted iPhone from Santa's secretary, Billy Eichner (who can't really be doing Billy on the Street in 2020). She mounts a sleigh to the North Pole, where she sings many of her holiday hits remixed for the special. Along the way she sings with Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, Snoop Dogg, Jermaine Dupri, and the Peanuts gang. But will she generate enough Christmas spirit to light Santa's way around the world? Spoiler: Nothing puts the kibosh on Christmas spirit when Carey's around!

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (1 ):

The Queen of Christmas delivers exactly what Mariah Carey fans want in for the holidays: 11 familiar songs, seven-plus costume changes, and whistle tones that could shatter glass. The gossamer-thin story of Santa (whom we don't see) relying on Carey to generate Christmas spirit sounds a lot like the Elf plot, but the pleasure of seeing Billy Eichner (as Santa's secretary) running around frantically and delightedly interacting with Carey makes up for any redundancy.

The story does seem shoehorned into the gaps around the songs that take center stage in this production. Particularly confusing was the presence of young Mykal-Michelle Harris from Mixed-ish as "Young Mimi" in scenes with Carey's real-life children Moroccan and Monroe. Is she supposed to represent young Carey? Is she supposed to be a friend who has nowhere to be on Christmas? Don't think too hard about it -- just enjoy a sparkly, shiny, 43 minutes of songs, dancing, mild humor, and holiday cheer.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the Christmas season makes them feel. Are you more aware of opportunities for generosity and compassion this time of year? How does helping someone else lift your spirits?

  • How does Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special seem different than other holiday shows you enjoy?

  • What kind of things is your family doing to celebrate the holidays? Are there any holiday movies or TV specials you watch every year? What are some of your favorites?

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate