I think the people who are making Christmas-themed movies today feel that people are more cynical about Christmas. There’s more of an edge.

Maltin is commenting on a perceived shift in the tone of modern Christmas films. Where earlier holiday movies often leaned into uncomplicated sentiment and communal reassurance, newer entries may assume audiences are skeptical of overt sincerity, so filmmakers add irony, sharper humor, or darker stakes—“an edge”—to keep the material feeling contemporary. The remark also implies that popular culture both reflects and reinforces broader social moods: if viewers are thought to be more cynical, the genre adapts by tempering idealism with self-awareness. In that sense, the quote speaks to how even a traditionally comforting genre evolves in response to changing audience expectations and cultural attitudes.