Christmas, the festival taken over by Santa Claus, reindeer, elves, gifts and nine-course meals, lends itself to tropes and movies. Every year, streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are awash with Christmas films. ‘Tis the season to churn out saccharine-loaded mediocrity. But there are still plenty of gems that shine bright all year round.
Love Actually, 2003
Richard Curtis’ ‘ultimate romantic comedy’ with its very White, posh cast has not aged very well over 20 years. But there’s still a bit of magic in this crazy movie with its nine-story arcs that celebrate the complexities of love around Christmas time in London. An added bonus is Hugh Grant dancing to A Party at No. 10 Downing Street. Starring Emma Thompson, the late Alan Rickman, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Hugh Grant and Keira Knightly, it’s a movie that was made for the couch on a blustery Christmas Eve. The take home? Nothing is perfect—not even love actually, but it’s worth fighting for.
Home Alone, 1990
The OG Home Alone is a true classic. It propelled a young Macaulay Kulkin to instant fame as he spent the festive season protecting home and hearth from the dreaded home invaders, the ‘Wet Bandits’. Kulkin, who plays the irrepressible Kevin McCallister, has to channel all his resources to protect himself and his house from dreaded robbers Marv Murchins (Daniel Stern) and Harry Lyme (Joe Pesci). Unlike many Christmas movies of the time, Home Alone dared to upend the traditional narrative of happy families, and picture-perfect Christmas celebrations. Sometimes, parents forget their kids—Home Alone allowed this to happen without too much judgment. And here’s an interesting nugget: the McCallisters would have been in the ‘1 per cent’ wealthy category, according to The New York Times. It’s little wonder, then, that the Wet Bandits wanted to raid their palatial brick home.
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Die Hard, 1988
The best action movie that Hollywood ever produced is also a Christmas movie. The festive theme is hammered home with as much frequency as the bullets that ricochet through the Nakatomi Plaza that’s been taken over by the German criminal mastermind Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and his team. But he’s no match for John McClane (Bruce Willis), a New York Police Department detective who is in Los Angeles to reconcile with his wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia). If that’s not enough, the action unfolds on Christmas Eve. There’s even a Santa Claus. Yes, he’s a dead terrorist, but it’s still Santa, and the soundtrack features Frank Sinatra’s Let it Snow and Christmas in Hollis by Run-D.M.C. ‘Tis the season for miracles. Even Gruber acknowledges it: “It’s Christmas, Theo, it’s a time for miracles. So be of good cheer and call me when you hit the last lock.”
Little Women, 1994 & 2019
Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women opens with a heartwarming Christmas. There is death, there is poverty, but there’s family, love, and a feast. Greta Gerwig’s 2019 film adaptation remains true to Alcott’s Christmas, as does Gillian Armstrong’s 1994 version starring Winona Ryder (Jo), Claire Daines (Beth), Christian Bale (Laurie) and Susan Sarandon (Marmee March). The Christian theme—of forgiveness and redemption, and love and loss—is the overarching leitmotif, which makes this coming-of-age film a perfect Christmas watch.
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Happiest Season, 2020
This holiday movie starring Kristen Stewart checks all the right boxes—it’s a feel-good rom-com about LGBTQ+ relationships that does not rely on over-the-top stereotypes. Abby’s (Stewart) partner Harper (Mackenzie Davis) hasn’t told her parents that she’s lesbian, which becomes more than apparent during the family Christmas holidays. For the sake of love, Abby agrees to keep their relationship under wraps. The icing on this cake is Daniel Levy, who plays Abby’s best friend John.
Carol, 2015
Starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, Carol flew under the radar but is worth revisiting this Christmas. The chemistry between the two actors is electrifying as they explore queer love in New York in the 1950s. Carol Aird (Blanchett) who is going through a painful divorce falls in love with a department store employee, Therese Belivet (Mara). They meet at the store during the Christmas shopping mania, while Carol is looking for a present for her daughter. Theirs may not be a young college romance, but it is a discovery of love at a time when being gay was not acceptable in ‘polite society’.
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Candy Cane Lane, 2023
It’s taken decades but Eddie Murphy has dived into the festive season with his first Christmas movie—Candy Cane Lane. There’s snow, inflatable dolls, Christmas decorations, and a Faustian bargain with an evil elf. It’s not the comedian’s best work when compared with Dr. Dolittle (1998) and his other hits, but it’s perfect for a lazy weekend afternoon before the evening festivities. Murphy plays Chris Carver who is obsessed with Christmas and will do anything to have the best decorated house on the block. Enter the evil elf, and the chaotic plot trundles along with a heavy dose of Christmas cheer.
Silent Night, 2021
For the pessimists put off by all this Christmas cheer, there’s Silent Night. The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw calls it an apocalyptic tragi-satire, which might just be cinema’s new growth. Eight adults and four children gather for a Christmas party. It seems almost horrifyingly normal as Nell (Keira Knightley) and her husband Simon (Matthew Goode) play the frazzled hosts. But the world is about to end. Remember climate change? Here it takes the form of a giant cloud of poisonous gas that’s coming their way.
The Nightmare Before Christmas, 1993
When Tim Burton does Christmas it is musical, fantastical and magical without the gooey sweetness that festive movies are known for. Directed by Henry Selick and written by Burton, The Nightmare Before Christmas has Jack Skellington (Danny Elfman), the Pumpkin King of Halloweentown entering Christmastown in secret. He meets Santa (Edward Ivory), whom he calls Sandy Claws, and, entranced by the festival, decides to improve on it. What follows is Burton-style mayhem. The Easter Bunny gets kidnapped, and Santa, too. And Jack decides to deliver presents in a coffin sleigh. Christmas has never been so much fun.
Krampus, 2015
No festive season is truly complete without the mandatory horror/slasher. There’s the 1974 slasher Black Christmas, and while it has a cult following, there’s a sense of banality behind the gore. Joe Dante’s Gremlins (1984), produced by Steven Speilberg, is a true holiday movie. The horror unfolds in the backdrop of Yuletide cheer, and at its very core, it is a warning against consumerism. For those who disagree with the movie’s Christmas message, there’s always Krampus, a Christmas horror film that draws inspiration from the mythological Yuletide ghoul who unleashes his wrath on those who fail to get into the Christmas spirit.
Happy Holidays!
(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)