[3] The film begins as a static shot of a cabin fireplace with burning yule logs, accompanied by holiday music.
By the fireplace, Alex proposes to Zoe, but they are interrupted by the arrival of the local sheriff and his deputy, who inform the couple of a killer on the loose.
Zoe finds the owner's phone ringing under the couch and, unnerved, she and Alex go unpack, while Ben showers, and the others go use the hot tub.
As they escape, Zoe is also entreated by the little man in the fireplace, who offers her the chance to free herself of her anxiety-ridden life by altering history so she would never be born.
Kelly conceived of the idea in 2021 while watching a yule log video and wondering what would occur if someone's legs appeared out of focus walking across the screen accompanied by dialogue in the background, and whether that would generate curiosity in the viewer.
[4][5] According to Kelly, he was able to pitch the initial concept to Adult Swim directly, given their working history together and was familiar with the system to get it greenlit.
Animation and Adult Swim's parent company, Cartoon Network, Kelly had to deal with post-production delays and the involvement of six additional editors, following the departure of executive Walter Newman, who originally greenlit the project.
[6] Kelly described the decision to add thematic concepts exploring American chattel slavery as a risk he wanted to take.
After uncovering familial history of slave ownership, he felt he had a personal perspective to explore on the issue, including the dilemma of moral relativism.
"[11] The film was produced in secret and released without advertisement on December 11, 2022, following the season six finale of popular Adult Swim show Rick and Morty.
He added, "The Fireplace is a fantastic experimental piece of cinema that, against all odds and better judgment, succeeds as a full-length horror film that's akin to Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
"[16] Writing for Cinema Blend, Jason Wiese described the film as "innovative", saying that it could potentially be received as "one of best Christmas horror movies".
[17] Noel Murray writing for The Los Angeles Times stated, "Kelly tries a bit too much, favoring shock and absurdity over consistency and coherence.
Matt Donato of IGN wrote, "Casper Kelly psychotically spoofs the strangest of strange horror titles that turn anything into a murderous entity while unraveling deadly severe social commentaries.
It's abstract art, theater camp, found footage foolishness, hunt-and-stalk depravity — Adult Swim Yule Log is a whole lot of things but, even with a full 90 minutes, few angles feel fully fleshed out.
"[1] Entertainment Weekly's Darren Franich gave the film a B+, stating, "In these days of TV uncertainty...there's something oddly comforting about the mindbreaking pranks perpetrated by Adult Swim...Fireplace works just as hard to upend your expectations, even if it doesn't hit Kelly's highest heights.
Andrea Laing returns, starring as Zoe, who survived the attack and must navigate the traumatic horror movie experiences she suffered while trying to move on with her life, and finding herself inadvertently trapped within a traditional Christmas romantic comedy.