3 best non-Christmas Christmas movies
Something sinister is brewing in the Christmas movie industrial complex.
Allow me to rephrase the infamous Kim Kardashian quote: It seems no one wants to make good Christmas movies these days. I can even forego the “good” as long as it feels Christmas-y, but that still feels like a big ask. We see the red and greens in the movie poster, but is it really a Christmas movie? We see the snow and mittens and airports, but is it Christmas?
I’m no purist, so I’ve collated some recent films that better fulfill the role of the Christmas movie despite not being centered on the season. Each, in their own way, embodies the themes we’ve come to expect: love, family, and/or the redemption of a grumpy, Scrooge-like character.
(I feel I have to disclaim that I once watched Fight Club on Christmas Eve. Make of that what you will.)
Little Women (2019, dir. Greta Gerwig)
Christmas movie points: has a great Christmas scene, so full of love
Greta Gerwig’s take on the classic contains one of the most memorable Christmas sequences in recent memory, made more iconic by Bob Odenkirk being revealed to be the March dad. The whole movie is imbued with warmth—of sisterhood, firstly, then of recognition. Jo March’s “I’m so lonely!” monologue has gone platinum in my brain as someone who’s been trying to put that exact feeling to paper for a long time.
Rookie (2023, dir. Samantha Lee)
Christmas movie points: enemies-to-lovers (Christmas movies love unlikely pairings), redemption, community coming together
Christmas came early for the Cinemalaya crowd, who had the privilege of seeing Rookie with a theater audience. The swoons and applause are part of the experience, and while it’s not easily replicable at home, the fact that this landed on streaming so soon after its festival debut is a present in itself. One could argue that a volleyball movie is too unconventional of a holiday watch, but for a story as joyful as Ace and Jana’s, we can bend the rules.
I’m no purist, so I’ve collated some recent films that better fulfill the role of the Christmas movie despite not being centered on the season.
Turning Red (2022, fir. Domee Shi)
Christmas movie points: family, really good food, a reminder that everything will be all right, bonus point for having “red” in the title
Turning Red carries a message all children, actual or inner, can benefit from hearing: Change is scary, but you’ll be okay. Packaged with warm humor and scrumptious spectacle (All the bao! Electrifying boyband scenes!), the film’s nuanced take on the infamously complex Teenage Girl Experience was a delight to discover—call it a Christmas miracle.
These films better fulfill the role of the Christmas movie despite not being centered on the season.