As we approach Christmas, I have to admit, I do not watch many Christmas themed movies, nor do I like many of the cheesy romance ones that I tend to find on Netflix. But, here are my top 5 Christmas movies!
5. Noelle
Noelle is a cheesy Christmas film. I watched it one year out of boredom, and I’ll re-watch it when I want a fun Christmas movie. It’s a movie where you know there is going to be a happy ending. I love how this film explains that Santa has talents that lets him communicate with everyone and address all the things that Santa would need to do. It’s by not super thrilling, but it’s fun Christmas movie to watch when I want to relax, I love it.
4. It’s a Wonderful Life
I watched this for the first time last year and I’m sad I never got to see it sooner. If follows George Bailey as he wishes he’s never been born, and Clarence, a guardian angel, who show him what the world would be like without him. It’s an emotional film that showcases just how much impact one life can have, and how important community is. Despite the sad moments, it’s a heartwarming film, and I look forward to it becoming a film I can watch every year.
3. Last Christmas
Using the amazing music of Wham!, Last Christmas focuses on Kate/Katarina whose life is a mess. I find her forgetfulness and mistakes relatable, even if they make her slightly unlikable at times. The film manages to touch on identity, family and racism, and the latter part felt particularly relevant in a post-Brexit world even if the movie doesn’t focus on it for huge amounts of time. The twist (which I won’t spoil here) makes me sad every time, but I love the sweet ending that the movie still manages to have.
2. Nativity!
Nativity was a film that came out when I was younger and I absolutely loved. It was set in Coventry, which means that as a kid, the idea of something like this happening to my school was amazing. I loved the songs and the silliness and the kids are amazing in the movie. While I haven’t watched the fourth movie, the second and third films were just as much fun. There are also some great actors in the series of movies like Martin Freeman and David Tennant.
1. The Muppet Christmas Carol
This is a film I watch with my mom every year (and yes, it’s the extended version). This film is ridiculously accurate retelling of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, with surprisingly period accurate costumes, and the brilliant Michael Caine as Scrooge. Caine’s serious acting means that the audience know that it is serious about being a retelling despite… well, despite all the Muppets.
I love all the songs in this movie, especially Marley and Marley and It Feels Like Christmas and despite hating A Christmas Carol in high school because I did it for English Literature, I adore this movie. I love all the lines, namely light the lamp, not the rat’ and the direct quotes from the book. Having Gonzo be Charles Dickens were brilliant and captures the feel of the book and its narrator brilliantly. It also makes me wish that there was a Muppet retelling for more stories. A great video on the perfection of this film can be found here, by In/Frame/Out on Youtube.
Want to read more of my top 5 lists? Check out my top five spooky movies if you’d much rather watch more spooky movies rather than Christmas films. Or maybe check out my book that will be published next year!