The Cinerama Christmas Movie Collection – unwrap the ultimate guide to the best festive films

LOVE ACTUALLY (2003)

BY SAB ASTLEY

Since 2003, the tide has gradually turned for Love Actually. That is not to say people don’t fight its corner, but others disregard it as being a bit naff or weird. Yet, despite several now problematic themes, Love Actually remains a classic festive offering due to its ensemble cast, which includes Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Bill Nighy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Andrew Lincoln, Laura Linney, Kris Marshall, and Rowan Atkinson.

The genuinely heart-warming stories aren’t necessarily the romantic ones, from Daniel and his son Sam managing to get through their first Christmas without Sam’s mum to the long-time friendship between manager Joe and rock ‘ n ‘ roller Billy Mack. Love Actually’s joys are to be found in its subplots.

Each story is linked, and if you’re thinking, “Wow, that sounds difficult”, you’d be right. Director Richard Curtis described the editing process as a “catastrophe” and “the only nightmare scenario that I’ve been caught in“. After all, when the editing of your film resembles a three-dimensional game of chess, you are sure of a challenging ride. Nonetheless, Curtis deftly pulls it off, and, in turn, it seems like everything went off without a hitch.

The resulting picture is undoubtedly a love letter to London, taking in iconic locations from Canary Wharf and Hyde Park to the Tate Modern and Selfridges. However, it also speaks directly to the Britpop era, which was in decline by the early millennium, and, in many ways, Love Actually feels like a love letter and a goodbye to it.

JINGLE ALL THE WAY (1996)

BY AGI SAJTI

Brian Levant’s Jingle All the Way is often overshadowed by Home Alone and The Muppet Christmas Carol as a memorable 90s Christmas family film. Yet, it has everything we could ask for from a festive movie while also reflecting the biggest nightmare for most parents: finding that elusive Christmas toy that’s become so popular it’s rare. Jingle All the Way reflected the Toy Story mania of Christmas 1995 (I am sure you all remember the clamour for a Buzz Lightyear figure) and the horror of the fight for “Cabbage Patch Kids” in 1983. It represents everything that many claim is wrong with Christmas: indulgent consumerism.

Workaholic mattress salesman Howard (Arnold Schwarzenegger) feels guilty for not spending enough time with his son, Jamie (Jake Lloyd), and promises to get him a much-sought-after “Turbo Man” action figure for Christmas. However, the toy is so popular that it’s become unavailable, and Howard’s fight to claim one soon escalates into a competition with a fellow dad, Myron (Sinbad).

Jingle All the Way was never going to be part of any academic discussion on cinema, nor was it destined to go down in film history as a masterpiece. But does that mean it’s a bad movie? Of course not! Levant’s film is an enjoyable and ridiculous comedy with a dark edge.

Like the delightfully odd Kindergarten Cop, Schwarzenegger feels entirely out of place, yet his presence makes the film work. Jingle All the Way also brings us the big-screen debut of Jake Lloyd, who would later become Anakin Skywalker, with countless figures of him lining shop windows, only adding to the fascinating themes at play.

Jingle All the Way never attempts to be serious, but it does hold a sharp dissection of the commercialisation of Christmas, which, in retrospect, is rather bold for a mid-’90s commercial film.

THE ADVENT CALENDAR (2021)

BY NEIL BAKER

A beautiful antique Advent calendar awaits a new owner in a small Christmas Market in Germany. It has small wooden boxes, hidden compartments, delicious sweet treats, and a festive riddle for each new owner. But, etched on the back of the box is something strange and eerie: “Schmeiß es Weg und ich Werde Dich Umbringen,” or “Dump it, and I’ll kill you.” 

Writer/director Patrick Ridremont’s outstanding Christmas horror is both riveting and terrifying, as he skillfully weaves elements of Faust with Hellraiser in a twisted exploration of the Christmas wish. Here, a good woman must descend into darkness to claim the spoils that lie before her – the “Ich” that haunts her, a physical manifestation of Freud’s Id, Ego and Superego. The Advent Calendar’s mix of tried-and-tested horror tropes, psychological terror, and folklore feels unique, as does its dark Christmas setting, where the clouds of loneliness shroud the glimmering lights.

The result is a devilishly brilliant festive horror that writhes with tension as it asks a straightforward question: How far would you go for the ultimate Christmas miracle? But be warned, the answer is far more complicated than it would initially appear, as The Advent Calendar leaves us on the knife-edge of a much bigger story. 

SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT (1984)

BY NEIL BAKER

Silent Night, Deadly Night caused quite a stir on its limited cinema release in 1984 as it tore up the slasher rulebook with a young axe-wielding Father Christmas. For years, the controversy surrounding Charles Edward Sellier Jr.’s movie only further cemented its festive cult status, as it proudly earned the badge of a ‘video nasty.’ However, beneath the blood and gore, Silent Night, Deadly Night was hiding a taut, compelling, downright chilling psychological thriller that was as unsettling as it was gory.

Far from just your average slasher, Silent Night, Deadly Night is a devilishly clever festive chiller that still manages to get under the skin of those watching as they munch their mince pies and drink their wine.

BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974)

BY NEIL BAKER

Every year, without a doubt, Santa Claus breaks into our houses, stealing food while spying on our kids. However, somehow this behaviour is okay because he leaves us presents.

It is, therefore, somewhat astonishing that it took until 1974 for someone to link the inherent serial-killer vibes at play during Christmas to the horror genre. However, Bob Clark’s groundbreaking Black Christmas did precisely that, finally embracing the dark side of the festivities with a genre-defining film that gave birth to a horror subgenre—the teen slasher.

Black Christmas would go on to inspire John Carpenter’s Halloween, and while Carpenter often receives the credit for creating the modern teen slasher horror, trust me, Bob Clark’s film is where it all began.

THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (1972)

BY NEIL BAKER

Ronald Neame’s New Year’s Day from hell didn’t just fire the starting gun on a whole host of disaster movies; it set the template for them. With a gigantic rogue wave, Neame’s titanic success turned Christmas and New Year upside down.

Based on the novel by Paul Gallico, The Poseidon Adventure follows a motley group of survivors as they journey deep into a luxury cruise ship that has become a sealed coffin. From climbing giant Christmas trees to swimming through tunnels and navigating upside-down kitchens, The Poseidon Adventure is the ultimate disaster movie, featuring groundbreaking special effects, a heart-pounding adventure, and a heart-wrenching finale.

JACK FROST (1998)

BY NEIL BAKER

Jack Frost (Michael Keaton) is a singer in a rock band that has never made it beyond successful local gigs in Colorado. But all that changes when an agent spots the band’s potential and invites them to a contract meeting on Christmas Eve.

Jack has spent years on the road aiming for success, and his eleven-year-old kid, Charlie, and his wife, Gabby, have often been sidelined as a result. When Jack breaks a promise to watch Charlie play in an ice hockey match, Charlie once again finds himself relegated to second place; therefore, Jack promises to take Charlie and Gabby to their cabin in the mountains for a Christmas together with no distractions, but his work gets in the way again with news of the potential contract signing. But as the band sets off, Jack changes his mind, opting to drive home through a snowstorm where he crashes his car and dies on a mountain road as Christmas Day comes into view.

A year later, Charlie, now twelve, is struggling to process his dad’s death, his emotions a mix of anger, pain, and love as he attempts to deal with last year’s tragic events. But a snowman Charlie built is about to come to life with the spirit of his father as Jack returns for one last magical Christmas with his son.

Despite its grim backstory, Jack Frost focuses entirely on a father-and-son relationship and their complex, unspoken emotions. This enables the film to delve into themes of male emotion and grief, a brave step for any family fantasy movie set at Christmas. The film’s ability to dovetail this message with action and humour that directly appeal to young boys is impressive; from snowball fights to jokes about male anatomy and snowboarding, it understands its young male audience from the outset. It may be dark and sometimes clumsy, but Jack Frost wears its heart on its sleeve as it explores grief, fatherhood and the importance of open communication.

THE TUNNEL (2019)

BY NEIL BAKER

It should be the happiest time of the year as a small Norwegian town prepares for Christmas. However, when disaster strikes in a mountain tunnel, festivities are put on hold in Pål Øie’s polished disaster film, The Tunnel.

The setting is one of the 1,100 mountain tunnels crossing Norway. Christmas celebrations are well underway as we meet Stein (Thornjørn Harr), a tough firefighter and tunnel maintenance man who is recently widowed. Stein’s teenage daughter, Elise (Ylva Fuglerud), is struggling to come to terms with her dad’s new girlfriend, Ingrid (Lisa Carlehad), but as a tanker crashes at the centre of a tunnel, father and daughter will be brought together in the face of disaster.

The Tunnel carefully adheres to the standard disaster movie narrative, introducing us to various characters in its opening scenes as they head toward a festive disaster. Within the slow march toward the catastrophe, The Tunnel finds its feet, with each character allowed space to define their role in the oncoming terror. When we reach the point of no return, cinematography, pace, and performance step up to the mark, reflecting the horror of the events unfolding. Here, The Tunnel plays with a sense of claustrophobia as smoke and fire billow down its carved walls, engulfing cars, trucks and vans.

THE LODGE (2019)

BY NEIL BAKER

In 2014, writer/director Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz brought us one of the best horror films of all time with Goodnight Mommy, and in 2019, they teamed up with screenwriter Sergio Casci to bring us a Christmas from hell in The Lodge.

From the outset, The Lodge envelops us in icy discomfort as Fiala and Franz once more explore themes of family, trust, and subverted innocence, taking the audience on a journey into the depths of psychological terror.

Richard (Richard Armitage) has recently left his wife, Laura (Alicia Silverstone), for a new partner, Grace (Riley Keough). However, the couple’s separation was far from harmonious and their young daughter, Mia (Lia McHugh) and their teenage son, Aiden (Jaeden Martell), were caught in the turmoil. Seeking to build a bridge between Mia, Aiden and Grace, Richard plans a traditional Christmas break at the mountain lodge they visited every holiday in happier times. However, soon after they arrive, the weather leaves Grace stranded and alone with the kids while Richard is at work back in the city. While waiting for Richard’s return, Mia, Aiden, and Grace find the Christmas cheer replaced by a deep, dark, and mysterious nightmare of no escape.

Through its icy blast of psychological horror, The Lodge slowly builds an exquisite sense of isolation and claustrophobia.

THE CHILDREN (2008)

BY NEIL BAKER

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and snotty-nosed kids are full of turkey and chocolate, their hyperactivity mixed with tiredness and tantrums. Sound familiar? This 2008 festive horror is far more than just another Christmas in the trenches as director Tom Shankland takes Invasion of the Body Snatchers and adds a flurry of The Village of the Damned.

Elaine (Eva Birthistle), Jonah (Stephen Campbell Moore), and their kids arrive at a snow-covered country house. The reason for their trip is a joyous New Year celebration with their close family: Elaine’s sister Chloe (Rachel Shelley), brother-in-law Robbie (Jeremy Sheffield), and their kids.

Awaiting them is a freshly prepared meal, accompanied by plenty of wine and whiskey, as the festivities begin. However, it’s not long before Elaine and Jonah’s youngest child suffers a vomiting episode, his behaviour changing from a little cherub to an erratic and reclusive munchkin. But as this mysterious fever spreads to the other children, the festivities become ominous and deadly.

The Children plays to every parent’s worst nightmare, as an unseen force invades the security of their home, turning family members against one another as their kids become killers. It may not chart new ground, but it does offer genuinely creepy, assured horror as the festive celebrations become a nightmare with no escape.