Options for Yuletide viewings are vast. Whether you’re a self-professed film buff or a lover of the popular classics, watching with the whole family or looking for something a little more grown-up, there are films to suit every preference. And with all that choice, it can be hard to narrow them down – which is why we’ve collated a list of the best and brightest films to watch this festive season, either cosied up for a night in or at one of the fabulous venues around town. And don’t just take our word for it – we’ve asked some Bathonians for their recommendations, too…
So what makes a good Christmas movie? Well because this is a season steeped in tradition, let’s start with the classics. The golden oldies are wonderfully rewatchable year upon year, and in some cases they’ve been remade countless times. Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, for instance, has been reproduced for the silver screen over 100 times since the book was published in 1843. The remakes range from the 1913 silent films Scrooge, starring Seymour Hicks to The Muppets Christmas Carol (1994) which features Michael Caine playing Ebeneezer Scrooge, to the animated A Christmas Carol (2009) with a star-studded cast including Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, and Colin Firth. Even the heart-warming, supernatural comedy drama It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), starring James Stewart and directed by Frank Capra, is loosely inspired by the classic tale.
Other classics include Miracle on 34th Street (1947), a musical comedy so loved that it was remade with Richard Attenborough and Mara Wilson in 1994, and White Christmas (1950), who’s titular tune is instantly recognisable, emanating Christmas nostalgia.
Film buff Mark Kermode has said that a dark, anti-good cheer character is a winning element: “A Christmas Carol has a dark secret, and it’s one that Dr Seuss understood when he created the Grinch; it’s that there’s something about Scrooge’s sheer refusal to ‘play nice’ at Christmas that makes him a refreshing character who is easy to relate to.”
This format can be seen again and again, from Frosty the Snowman (1969), Gremlins (1984) to the gothic stop motion animated musical fantasy film, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).
There are plenty of horror movies with a ‘festive’ theme, including Black Christmas (1974), Christmas Bloody Christmas (1992) and Red Snow (2021). Perhaps the appetite for festive horror is a development of the malign-character-brings-drama format, but it’s more likely because so many of us just love a good fright.
A common trope comes in the form of a big challenge to achieve in the countdown to the big day. For example in All I Want for Christmas (1991) Santa’s directive is to get a child’s divorced parents back together and in Nativity (2009) Martin Freeman is a teacher in a rag-tag school putting together a nativity play.
Naturally, romantic alliances are a dominating factor in a good festive film experience. Take the multi romantic strands of the star-studded Love Actually (2003), Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001), The Holiday with Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Kate Winslet and Jack Black and While You Were Sleeping (1995) with Sandra Bullock. These deal with universal emotions, give us a comforting warm, fuzzy feeling, known in the trade as ‘experiential control’, where knowing that a happy ending is coming makes the watch restorative.
While children’s Christmas films are notably intergenerational, they’re perfect for popping on the TV and keeping the little ones occupied while you prep for the big day. Arthur Christmas (2011), Frozen (2013), and Dr Seuss’s The Grinch (2018) all feature captivating animations and joyous humour, and, in the case of Frozen, songs that will become the soundtrack to your holiday season.
At the time of its release the visuals of The Polar Express (2004) were undeniably groundbreaking, and its enchanting magic means that it still features regularly on Christmas cinema schedules; and the 2019 traditionally animated and multi award-winning Klaus’ retelling of Santa’s origin story similarly makes it a new favourite for kids and parents alike.
Filmmaker John Shackleton
“Growing up in the ’70s, Christmas movies weren’t all jingle bells and action heroes. With only three TV channels and a VHS recorder, the holidays meant staying up late to watch strange, often deeply emotional films. One Christmas Eve, The Elephant Man left my family in tears, with my sister declaring it had “totally ruined Christmas!” Another year, we dove into the surreal chaos of Tommy, a rock-opera spectacle starring everyone who was anyone at the time. By the ’80s, films like Close Encounters, 1984, and Brazil had well and truly set my imagination on fire. They proved to me that in cinema anything was possible, and though unconventional for the season, they shaped my sense of wonder at the joy of limitless storytelling, reminding us that Christmas is about more than tradition – it’s about dreaming big!” shackletonfilms.co.uk
Malachi Bogdanov, Theatre Director and Director of Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair
My favourite is It’s a Wonderful Life. It beautifully illustrates the value of community, and the impact one person can have on the lives of others. George Bailey’s journey reminds us to appreciate the simple things in life and connections that make living meaningful. Well worth a watch. The Snowman is up there in my top three. The film is captivating with its stunning animation and hauntingly beautiful score. Its wordless storytelling evokes a sense of wonder and nostalgia, transporting me back to childhood memories of winter magic and imagination. White Christmas has a bit of everything combining music, romance, and humour, making it a perfect holiday classic. The iconic songs and amazing performances by Bing Crosby and the gorgeous Rosemary Clooney create a festive atmosphere that fills the room with holiday spirit. Together, these films capture the original essence of Christmas, but of course you can have a lot of fun with, Die Hard, Elf and A Muppets Christmas Carol!
bcaf.co.uk
New film releases in 2024
Bringing things up to date, there are some brand-new blockbusters hitting our screens this Christmas season. Red One, starring JK Simmons, Dwayne Johnson and Lucy Liu, is an action-comedy about the search for a kidnapped Santa Claus, and is now showing at The Odeon. Christmas Eve at Miller’s Point is a comedy drama starring Michael Cera about a rambunctious extended family reuniting in their Long Island hometown for the holidays and is showing, appropriately, on Christmas Eve at The Little Theatre. Or for a slightly different embrace of the Christmas spirit, try Terrifier 3 at Showcase Bristol. Though be warned, it’s not for the faint hearted…
If you fancy a trip to the cinema but want a break from the festivities, there are a number of other highly anticipated films with an end-of-year release date: Gladiator II, Wicked and Paddington in Peru are all screening at Everyman, The Little, and Odeon; and Disney’s Mufasa and Moana 2 are both at Odeon and Everyman.
And you can make an event even out of the more established festive favourites. Watch It’s a Wonderful Life at The Little Theatre on 20 December, and The Muppets Christmas Carol with Live Orchestra at The Forum on 11 December. Also in concert at The Forum is the fabulously indulgent Love Actually on 17 December, Nancy Myer’s The Holiday with music by Hans Zimmer on 9 December, or the spectacular Bath Philharmonia is accompanying the much-loved The Snowman on 14 December.
For some family fun, try the interactive screening of The Polar Express on 1 December, where you can head along in your pyjamas and have hot chocolate and ice cream while you watch the film. Wonder cinema’s Drive In in Keynsham is screening the family comedies Home Alone and Elf, and The Little is showing a range of Christmas films ranging from It’s a Wonderful Life to Bridget Jones’s Diary and the 2023 critically acclaimed The Holdovers on 10 December.
Mason Pollock, General Manager at The Little Theatre
“Nothing beats settling down on Christmas Eve with mulled wine and a mince pie after a last minute panic dash around the shops for the final bits and
bobs and popping Elf on while wrapping up the presents – it’s a magical Christmas film that brings laughter, tears and everything you need to get yourself into the festive spirit. A new tradition in my household this year will be an annual screening of The Holdovers, a 2024 Christmas comedy which was strangely released in January in the UK but can now forevermore be enjoyed every Christmas just like it was intended to be. It’s a charming and heartwarming film starring Paul Giamatti as a teacher who is chosen to remain on campus over the festive period to look after some students who can’t travel home for Christmas and forming an unlikely bond with them.”
picturehouses.com/cinema/little-theatre-cinema
James Porter, University of Bath Film Society
“I’d like to pick out four films, all well-known but enduring classics that fit the criteria of a good, warm Christmas film. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), is essentially the story of A Christmas Carol but with the focus on the present, assessing the impact of each action we take and what happens when we remove ourself from the world. Elf (2003), is another favourite, simple, funny and heartwarming. Some dislike Will Ferrell and the film too – all I can do is pity them. Christmas is synonymous with Home Alone (1990), and it’s a beat-by-beat, scene-by-scene perfect encapsulation of Christmas, with the robbers acting as inverted Santas. Finally, Nativity (2009) is a real nostalgic favourite; it’s genuinely funny, the stakes are insanely high, it’s surprisingly emotionally involving, with a perfect soundtrack to boot, and it’s an endearing and spot-on representation of British school plays and primary school culture in general. I’d recommend just watching whatever films make you happiest or elicit that festive warmth during the holidays!” thesubath.com/filmsoc
Streaming from home
If you’d rather a cosy night in, here are some films being released on streaming services this Christmas. The south west’s very own Aardman Studios brings Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance most Fowl on BBC iPlayer this Christmas Day, and thereafter will be available to watch on Netflix; also on Netflix arrives the animated That Christmas directed by Richard Curtis, Our Little Secret starring Lindsay Lohan, and Hot Frosty with a not-so-convincing story about a woman who falls in love with a snowman.
Or for something entirely different, try the critically acclaimed 2015 comedy-drama Tangerine. Set on Christmas Eve, the story follows a transgender sex worker who discovers her boyfriend and pimp has been cheating on her. Whilst definitely not a traditional holiday watch, the film has been lauded as a ‘stylistic tour de force’ (it was entirely shot on three iPhone 5s smartphones) and is a must-watch, regardless of the time of year, available to watch on Amazon Prime.
For a more light hearted option, but an equally unconventional one, is 1984 Scottish comedy Comfort and Joy. Starring Bill Paterson as a radio disc jockey, the film follows his life as his girlfriend leaves him a few days before Christmas, resulting in a series of events in which he is led into the struggle between two Italian families over the ice cream market in Glasgow.
Making your choice
There is often heated debate around the festive relevance of films such as Edward Scissorhands, Lethal Weapon, Eyes Wide Shut and Die Hard. So why should these be included in the Christmas viewing mix? The best person to ask is Steven E. de Souza, Die Hard’s writer, who compares Die Hard to White Christmas. He notes that while White Christmas is only bookended by the holiday season, it is set entirely during a Christmas party; in fact, Die Hard also features double the Christmas songs as White Christmas. That’s that debate sorted then.
The real answer is that any viewing preference can be justified. Whether your go-to is Violent Night, A Muppet Family Christmas, Holiday in Handcuffs, Edward Scissorhands, The Grinch or Serendipity, it’s the watching at Christmas time and on your own terms that brings the magic.
Jasmine Barker, Director FilmBath
“The debate about the best Christmas film comes up every year, and when I posed the question to my programming team, the conversation ignited once more. For many, it’s the joyful A Muppet Christmas-Carol, while others prefer classics like the heart wrenching It’s a Wonderful Life. Personally, there are two films I watch every year without fail. First, the timeless family favourite Home Alone – a film I grew up with that still makes my brother and me cry with laughter at its simple yet genius slapstick scenes. Then, there’s the lesser-known rom-com While You Were Sleeping with Sandra Bullock, a heartwarming story that never fails to make me feel cosy and festive. While curling up on the sofa might seem like the obvious choice for Christmas film-watching, there’s something unbeatable about sharing the experience with others. “
filmbath.org.uk
Sam Gillespie, Founder of Matchbox Film Co.
“Yippee ki-yay MF (my fellow) Bathonians! It’s time to sit down to watch a film at Christmas. But what to watch!? Die Hard is, of course, a staple Christmas film… However, for those who enjoy ‘exploding helicopter’ films (as my father-in-law calls them), you can’t go wrong with Renny Harlin’s sequel Die Hard II – in which William Sadler’s character takes over an airport and threatens to ‘cancel Christmas’ – unless his demands are met! Just don’t count the seemingly unlimited ammo clips during the copious action scenes… On the comedy front, and as a big Will Ferrell fan, I’d have to go with Elf – the journey where Ferrell’s character Buddy (a North Pole elf who doesn’t fit in) tries to find his real father in New York. An upcoming film I’m looking forward to seeing is independent film studio A24’s Heretic, featuring a rather scary-looking Hugh Grant who plays a very different character to the Prime Minister in Love Actually (probably not for the kids though…).“
matchboxfilmco.com
