The Addams Family 3: Cemetery Chic (2026)
Stars: Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, Isaac Ordonez
Director: Tim Burton
Genre: Dark Comedy, Horror-Comedy, Family

In a world where conformity is king and happiness is forced upon the masses, it’s easy to forget what true darkness really looks like. But for the Addams family, it’s a way of life. In The Addams Family 3: Cemetery Chic, the eccentric, gothically inclined clan returns with their signature blend of humor, heart, and horror. This time, they are up against a suburban nightmare where artificial cheer is the enemy and individuality is the only salvation.

The Journey of Wednesday Addams

At the center of this dark family comedy is Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega), who has now finished her studies at the infamous Nevermore Academy. But instead of retreating into her solitary world of graveyards and shadowed thoughts, Wednesday has found herself drawn into the medical world as a forensic pathologist. She’s embraced her macabre interests with professional precision, reveling in the morbid and the grotesque as part of her day-to-day life.

However, this new chapter in her life presents an unexpected clash of worlds. The city she now lives in is drenched in artificial sunshine — a city where happiness is forced upon every individual, and every corner of town sparkles with perfection. The problem? It’s an unbearable clash for someone like Wednesday, whose view of life is shaped by the unflinching finality of death. She finds herself out of place, her cold, dark aesthetic at odds with the incessantly cheerful environment around her. It’s a humorous exploration of what happens when someone raised in an environment where death is a constant companion, is now surrounded by people whose very existence is built on the denial of death.

While Wednesday tries to fit in and get along with her coworkers, the stark contrast of her macabre outlook versus the sunshine-filled facade she’s surrounded by leaves her struggling. Instead of conformity, she becomes more determined to lean into her dark side, carving out her place in the world in a way that only someone from the Addams family could. With her signature deadpan humor, sharp intellect, and refusal to ever embrace normalcy, Wednesday proves that dark individuality is not only a lifestyle but a necessity in a world that values perfection.

Pugsley’s Digital World

On the other side of the family dynamic is Pugsley Addams (Isaac Ordonez), Wednesday’s equally mischievous but often overlooked younger brother. In this iteration of the Addams clan, Pugsley has grown into his own, but instead of staying rooted in traditional Addams family antics, he has adapted to the changing times with his own brand of business. In an ironic twist, Pugsley has embraced the digital age with open arms and has become an online sensation. His gruesome talents are no longer limited to the basement of their mansion or the backyard of their darkly enchanted home. Instead, he has built a name for himself by selling custom-made torture devices online.

With a growing audience of fans fascinated by his gruesome products, Pugsley has tapped into a bizarre niche in the digital marketplace. His creations, ranging from whimsical to utterly terrifying, have garnered the attention of fans from all over, many of whom are eager to buy into the absurdity of his offerings. It’s a comedic commentary on how, in the world of the internet, there’s always room for the bizarre, and even the most outdated, unsettling hobbies can find a new, surprising audience.

Pugsley’s digital empire plays a key role in expanding the family’s reach in modern times. However, while he’s reveling in the chaotic absurdity of his newfound fame, his family remains caught between the past and present. Pugsley’s embrace of the internet generation’s strange love for all things macabre and absurd forces the family to confront the intersection of traditional horror and new-age technology. His antics only serve to further highlight the absurdity of the world they find themselves navigating — a world that forces conformity and rejects the true nature of dark humor and individuality.

The Addams Family’s Unlikely Retreat

Amid their respective journeys, the Addams family finds itself facing a new, unexpected challenge: Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Gomez (Luis Guzmán) have decided that their children are far too content with life. In true Addams family fashion, this is the last thing that should happen to anyone in their household. Their kids are simply too happy, too normal, and it’s a problem that must be fixed. So, in an attempt to restore their children’s true dark nature, Morticia and Gomez whisk them away on a family bonding retreat.

The retreat, as expected, is far from ordinary. In typical Addams family fashion, the getaway isn’t to an exotic location or an opulent hotel but to a strange, unnervingly perfect 1950s suburban neighborhood. This idyllic suburb is eerily pristine, its manicured lawns and white picket fences making it the complete opposite of everything the Addams family stands for. The neighborhood association enforces conformity with a zeal so intense that it’s practically suffocating. Their cheery, outwardly perfect neighbors are the living embodiment of everything the Addams family despises.

As the Addams family members try to fit into this ridiculous, sterile community, the clashes begin. Morticia and Gomez, as always, maintain their perfect relationship, their dark and twisted love an unyielding force against the overwhelming sunshine of suburban life. However, it’s Wednesday, with her dry wit and deadpan humor, who truly becomes the star of this segment. Her refusal to bow to the norms of this suburb, along with her inability to accept the forced, saccharine happiness of the place, creates a series of hilarious and heartwarming moments. Her interactions with the absurdly happy suburbanites are a perfect reflection of the chaos and absurdity that often exists when an individual refuses to conform to the expectations of a well-meaning but misguided world.

The family’s attempts to navigate this cheerful prison are filled with laughs and disasters. Their distinct brand of darkness begins to seep into every interaction with their neighbors, slowly unraveling the false perfection of the suburban life they’ve been thrust into. As the Addams family members push back against the insufferable “cheerfulness” of their surroundings, the neighborhood begins to show signs of cracks. Their eccentricities, which initially seem to be a source of discomfort, become weapons in a battle to preserve the family’s identity — a battle they aren’t even aware they’re fighting.

Uncle Fester and the Absurdity of Forced Joy

Amidst all the chaos, Uncle Fester (also played by Luis Guzmán) completely loses his mind. His role in the family has always been the comic relief, the madcap genius who rarely makes sense but always manages to add a layer of hilarity to the plot. In this film, Fester takes his eccentricities to a whole new level. With the clash between the Addams family and their suburbia-based tormentors escalating, Fester finds himself in increasingly absurd situations. His antics become even more ridiculous, pushing the boundaries of good taste and common sense. However, his ability to disrupt the normalcy around him proves to be invaluable in the family’s efforts to embrace their dark side. Fester’s chaotic energy is the perfect antidote to the sugary, overly perfect world they find themselves trapped in.

Through Uncle Fester’s comedic breakdown, the movie explores the idea that true madness, in the eyes of the Addams family, is not the inability to function but rather the failure to embrace one’s identity. The overly cheerful suburbanites are, in a sense, the ones who are truly “mad.” They are trapped in a world of forced joy, where everything is sanitized and perfect, stifling any chance for true expression. Uncle Fester’s unhinged moments serve as a stark reminder that the Addams family, for all their quirks, embraces the very core of individuality that this picture-perfect suburb can never comprehend.

The Battle to Preserve Individuality

As the family begins to come to terms with their suburban nightmare, the story takes on a darker, more serious tone — albeit still wrapped in humor and absurdity. The Addams family’s fight to preserve their identity and resist the overwhelming force of forced happiness comes to a head in a dramatic showdown. The suburban utopia, initially seen as a perfect world, is revealed to be a fragile illusion, ready to crumble in the face of true individuality. The battle is no longer just about surviving suburbia but about protecting the core of who they are: a family that revels in darkness, individuality, and the beauty of embracing the bizarre.

In the end, The Addams Family 3: Cemetery Chic explores the timeless struggle between individuality and conformity. The Addams family, in all their weird, wonderful, and macabre glory, proves that being true to oneself is the greatest power of all. They might not fit into a world obsessed with happiness, but their unique brand of darkness is what gives them strength. As the suburban world around them unravels, the Addams family emerges victorious in their ability to remain true to their peculiar selves, proving that sometimes, the darkest places are the brightest ones to call home.

The film, full of dark humor, heartwarming moments, and a message about the importance of staying true to yourself, is a must-see for any fan of the Addams family or anyone who’s ever felt out of place in a world that demands perfection. In a universe where joy is often forced upon us, the Addams family shows us that real joy lies in embracing what makes us different — even if it’s buried in a cemetery.

Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)