This year, in an attempt to break away or enhance the typical holiday movie viewing that happens in our household, I've decided to give more time to watching festive films while adding some new and/or underapprecaited titles to the rotation.
This year, in addition to our lineup of staple holiday films, I / We will also be watching the films listed below.
No specific order or priority. No specific rhyme or reason, other than it's either been a while since I've seen them or have had recommendations give to me.
I'm looking forward to increasing the density of holiday cheer this year.
Still to Watch
Watched
This one’s easily at the top of my Christmas movie list and never seems to get old. The quick pace of the scenes and steady character development make it easy to stay engaged, no matter how many times I’ve watched it (probably a hundred or more at this point). The film thrives on its awkward moments, layered with unexplained family quirks and subtle hints of love and affection—it’s hard to find much not to enjoy.
If I could change one thing, though, I’d replace Sarah Jessica Parker with someone else. That might smooth out some of the awkwardness, but it would also take away part of the film’s charm. Either way, I know I’ll keep coming back to this one, even as it shows its age.
This film is a disappointing attempt to replicate the charm of the original Home Alone (1990). While it tries to recreate the magic, the addition of a convoluted plot involving a top-secret computer chip and international criminals feels out of place. It’s a misstep that I regret giving screen time to, but knowing myself, I’ll likely revisit more entries in the Home Alone franchise this holiday season—for better or worse.
The storyline held some nostalgic appeal from my childhood, but almost everything else about this film fell flat on a rewatch. The acting is lackluster, the characters lean too heavily on clichés, and Jim Varney’s trademark antics don’t hit the same notes they once did. Honestly, I’d be just fine if I never revisit this one again.
Not bad. I likely won't watch it again, but I didn't regret watching it. The special effects left a bit to be desired, and it was a more than a tad campy, but I'll give it to the writers and producers for dreaming this one up. One thing I'll point out was the significantly out of place animated flashback / story telling that the grandmother offered half way through the film; as the only animated portion of the movie, I was left wondering why they didn't choose to simply live-action it instead.
A nice, but long, holiday film. Paul Giamatti at his best. I really apprecaited the role of Mary Lamb which Da'Vine Joy Randolph brought to the screen; I can't imagine this film unfolding the way it did with someone else in the role. While an untraditional holiday flick, one that doesn't necessarily have a happy ending, The Holdovers was exactly the type of new seasonal watch I was hoping for.
The best thing Seth Rogan has produced was his memoir, Year Book (2021). This film doesn't even come close. It's typical Seth Rogan—a raunchy comedy. The latter 1/3 of the film was the best 1/3, the nods to classic chrismas films weren't plentiful enough to be effective, and I didn't laugh nearly as much as I was anticipating which is unfortunate because I hoping that The Night Before would act as a reprieve from the everyday of life. As an upside, I will say that I THOROUGHLY enjoyed the talking nativity scene; it had me on the floor laughing.
Has a cult following, spawned two remakes (2006 and 2019), and carries some interesting Canadian heritage—being loosely based on a series of Montreal holiday murders. Seemed like enough reasons to press play. The verdict? Not awful, but definitely not my thing. Between its unmistakably Canadian production value (you know exactly what I mean if you've seen enough Canadian films) and the whole slasher element, I found my attention drifting more than once. The plot felt like what I imagine most slasher films deliver, with Christmas serving as nothing more than window dressing. As for the ending—well, if you're paying even minimal attention, you'll see where it's heading long before it gets there. But hey, I went into this with basement-level expectations, so I can't say I was disappointed. The film delivered exactly what I anticipated—no more, no less. Sometimes that's all you can ask for.