With so many festive movies to choose from on streaming platforms, finding something can feel as tricky as untangling the Christmas fairy lights. Well, sit back and relax, because these six festive recommendations offer you a diverse and different festive screening list.
1. JOYEUX NOËL (2005)
Joyeux Noël received positive reviews upon its 2005 release, but has since been forgotten in the festive mists of time. Joyeux Noël is an outstanding Christmas movie – its real-life story of humanity in the face of destruction is compelling, emotional and brave.
On Christmas Eve of 1914, in the trenches of Europe, a group of German, British and French soldiers laid down their weapons for a brief moment of solidarity in the face of hate and conflict. The result was an act of humanity, reconciliation, and hope that, sadly, only lasted for one day. Joyeux Noël never shies away from the brutal reality of war while demonstrating that peace is always possible when we listen, talk and build bridges of understanding across nationalistic divides.
2. ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS (1991)
A Christmas kids’ movie about family separation and divorce doesn’t exactly sound like the most festive offering. But the year was 1991, and divorce was increasing rapidly in the UK and across the pond in the US, so what was the harm in exploring a Christmas stuck between two warring parents?
Many critics felt that the subject matter of Robert Lieberman’s Christmas movie, starring Ethan Embry and Thora Birch, was depressing for kids. In contrast, others argued that the yuppie affluence on display was nauseating. The critics were right on both levels, but All I Want for Christmas also carries a warmth and charm that makes it incredibly festive and sweet despite its significant flaws. Plus, if you look past the sickly-sweet Americana, All I Want for Christmas harbours a much deeper discussion of parental separation and a teenage realisation that not all wishes can come true. Or can they?
3. ELF (2003)
After years living as an elf with Santa, Buddy discovers he’s human and that his birth father lives in New York City. So the oversized Buddy the Elf sets out to track him down, but the human world isn’t quite as happy as he thought it would be, and neither is his real dad!
Over twenty years on from its premiere, Elf has become a firmly established family favourite and a present that keeps on giving due to the beautiful and downright silly performance of Will Ferrell and the far more straight-laced performances of many of those humans that surround him, including the brilliant James Caan.
But what makes us return to Elf every year, despite its simple premise and plot, is the childhood wonder Buddy conveys in a human world that has become cynical, greedy, and self-obsessed. Like Miracle on 34th Street, Elf asks us to believe in something better and search for the magic and wonder we once held as kids. No matter how much of a Grinch you might be around the holidays, like all the best Christmas movies, Elf demands a smile, a chuckle and yes, even a tear.
4. CHRISTMAS WITH THE COOPERS (2015)
Receiving negative reviews upon its release, Christmas with the Coopers (also known as Love the Coopers) suffered from a highly misleading pre-release ad campaign that portrayed the movie as a lightweight festive comedy. However, in reality, Christmas with the Coopers is a tender and humorous family drama that explores themes of connection, belonging, and love. It’s not perfect, but it doesn’t need to be. All Christmas with the Coopers needs to provide is joy, charm and festive cheer, and it does just that from the opening scenes to the last. I don’t know what critics watched back in 2015, but they got this film wrong.
5. ONE MAGIC CHRISTMAS (1985)
One part It’s a Wonderful Life and one part A Christmas Carol, Disney’s One Magic Christmas often felt more like a horror than a family feel-good flick, and the critics picked up on this in 1985. The critics were right in many ways; the film’s ad campaign and poster didn’t match the story, but that disjointed advertising campaign makes One Magic Christmas such a fascinating Disney misstep and a movie that everyone should explore at least once.
One Magic Christmas may not break new ground, but it is a fascinatingly dark Disney outing that deserves far more attention.
6. GET SANTA (2014)
Sometimes, directors throw a curveball, and Christopher Smith’s Get Santa is one; after all, this guy brought us Creep, Severance, and Black Death.
With Get Santa, Smith offers something different—a rare festive gem that appeals to kids and adults alike, with sharp, delightfully silly humour. Add to that the brilliant Jim Broadbent as Santa alongside a veritable who’s who of British talent, from Stephen Graham to a young Kit Connor, Joanna Scanlan and Rafe Spall, and you have a festive comedy that has only grown in popularity over the years since its initial release.
Get Santa is, in essence, a delightfully different take on Miracle on 34th Street. This cracking family comedy explores life, missed opportunities, and the wrong turns we so easily take, as Smith masterfully weaves together a host of laugh-out-loud moments with something far more delicate and emotionally resonant.
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