A bunch of new stuff this year. Even more versions of ‘A Christmas Carol’. Couple of new action additions.  That hot snowman movie everyone is talking about. Also a couple of titles reappear after not streaming last year. Plus the cross-referencing has been achingly updated.

***

Stan

Clockwise from top: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Carol Coombs, Jimmy Hawkins, Larry Simms and Karolyn Grimes. (Photo by Herbert Dorfman/Corbis via Getty Images)

• It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) – I wrote a full review of this one a whiles back that you can read here. It’s a radical Christmas classic.
• Community: ‘Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas’(season 2, episode 11): One of my favourite things on this entire list. The spirit of the season examined through the exploration of one (Muslim) person’s mental health and search for the meaning of Christmas. A hilarious take on the Christmas musical in super cool stop motion animation.
• Parks and Recreation: ‘Ron and Diane’ (season 5, episode 9): The Parks and Rec Christmas episodes probably don’t stand alone as well as some others. But this still has giggly awed at woodworking royalty Ron Swanson which is beautiful. And the focus on Jerry Gergich, always an underrated supporting character, and his famous Christmas party is a cute way to bring in those traditional themes.
• The O.C.: ‘The Best Chrismukkah Ever’ (season 1, episode 13):  This was in the brief golden period when this show’s dynamic was so sharp. Seth Cohen’s energy comes to the fore here with the made-up holiday and Summer/Anna. Even now, so far removed from this show the music still rules. And Ben McKenzie gives a good emotional performance here as Ryan, which delivers a lot of the thematic goods.
• Bad Moms 2 (2017) – This is a solid film that never quite lives up to the promise of having a hitchhiking Susan Sarandon play the mother of Kathryn Hahn (what film could). But this is a decent comedy that is actually pretty thematically rich – zeroing in on the mental load on women during the season. Let’s face it, Christmas can be fuckin stressful and most of that falls on mums. Those themes, some really nice performances and some interesting romantic stuff make it worth a look.
• Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol (2010) – Generally I would frown on the themes of Dickens’ masterpiece being updated. But this does that in a way that totally reframes them, but is respectful – nature of memory, kids moving on from Christmas. In a way that enhances the original’s melancholy messaging. Michael Gambon is having a great time just hamming stuff up. A creative adaptation that leans into the sci-fi vibes. It’s legitimately emotional and beautiful.
• On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) – I‘m a lifelong fan of the James Bond fan and have hated this move most of that time. But a rewatch this year made me totally flip my viewpoint on it. What’s more, Christmas plays a very important role. The malevolent plot is about Blofeld’s ‘gift’ to the world. The presents he imparts to the women who have been in his care is a central part of the plot. The entire movie is ham-fistedly romantic in a way nothing else in the series is. Which I also feels fits with the season.
• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: ‘Deck the Halls’ (season 1, episode 15) – In which Will is aghast at Ashleigh’s lack of Christmas spirit. Often the comedy in this show doesn’t really hold up. But this is very funny. Will Smith is great. And this is that outsider character of his brashly indoctrinating someone he cares about into Christmas. He’s a young and fearless performer here. Evander Holyfield also pops up for an all-time classic cameo.
• Stuff mentioned elsewhere that’s also available on Stan: The Office: ‘Christmas Party’ (covered in Amazon Prime section).  

Netflix

• A Very Murray Christmas (2015) – I’ve watched this every December since it came out. Murray’s schtick, which can be hit and miss for me, works really well in this. There are some cool songs that add to the storytelling and Sofia Coppola infuses some of her visual style in here as well. Importantly it’s also super funny. 
• Hot Frosty (2024) – Yes the sexy snowman/ACAB movie you’ve heard so much about mainly lives up to the hype. Lacey Chabert is super charming. The dude from ‘Schitt’s Creek’ who plays the hot snowman is hot. Charles Boyle and The Pontiac Bandit as cops wanting to go overboard is inspired casting. It’s very pleasant in its invocation of a small town’s Christmas spirit. You will be charmed.
• The Christmas Chronicles (2018) – AKA Kurt Russell Santa The Movie. This is actually quite a meaningful take on the Christmas mythos. Plus it looks really ace and is well acted all round. A lovely sense of magic and wonder to the world created here. Another favourite I watch pretty much every year.
• The Christmas Chronicles 2 (2020) – Not as good as the first, but a more than worthwhile continuation of the characters and themes. Slick but in a not altogether bad way as there’s plenty of charm here. Goldie Hawn brings such joy and compliments Russell’s Santa very well. Leans into the elf stuff here, giving us loads more of that mythology.
• The Polar Express (2004) – I’m certainly in the minority with this one as most people hate it. But I think it’s excellent. Something about the sensibility of it appeals. Christmas vibes and themes (particularly the role of belief in the season) mixed with some adventure film beats. One of the great cinema Santa’s Workshops too.
• Klaus (2019) – This is an absolutely stunning looking animation. There is an interesting out of time quality to this, there’s no hint as to when it is set. It’s a different take on the character of Santa too, how they reframe it. The film at times falls into the pitfalls of contemporary animation and having too modern a sensibility, with glib winking montages making multiple appearances. But that take on Santa and the really quite poignant ending make it worthwhile.
• Holidate (2020) – Not strictly a Christmas movie. But it features and in terms of schmaltzy rom-coms this is extremely good. Plus there’s a grand romantic Christmas payoff. The sublime casting helps a lot, Emma Roberts is always ace (seeing her spit “fucking holidays” whilst smoking a durry makes this worth a watch by itself) and Luke Bracey is solid too. It’s kinda raunchy and there are loads of good laughs.
• Jingle Jangle (2020) – Love the storytime feel to this one. The whole vibe around the songs is great too. Musically interesting, great dancing and they flow beautifully with the film. Design and costuming are absolutely spot on. There are some charming relationships built up throughout the film as well, particularly a grandfather-granddaughter one.
• Black Christmas (2019) – This is a solid Christmas slasher that has the added bonus of making a certain subset of horrible dudes irrationally angry. A rare proudly (if unsubtly) feminist flick that would fit rather nicely in a Christmas horror marathon.
• Brooklyn Nine-Nine: ‘Captain Latvia’ (season 4, episode 10) – Latvian gun runners, a Jingle All the Way riff and a carolling competition. Is the best, and most Christmassy, of the series’ seasonal episodes. Also stands alone easily so can just watch it in isolation.
• The Boss Baby: Christmas Bonus (2022) – I generally want to dropkick the capitalist little Boss Baby over a fence. But he’s pretty cool here. He calls Santa a “commie” which we can all agree is hilarious. The Santa looks cool. The knowing zingers are actually quite light and enjoyable. The stuff directed at adults here is much more enjoyable than most of the junk your kids will get you to watch.   
• Batman: The Animated Series: ‘Christmas with the Joker’ (season 1, episode 2) – Starts with the Joker busting out of Arkham singing his own version of Jingle Bells. So that’s pretty sweet. It’s such a stunning looking show. Robin filled with Christmas cheer (and desperate to watch It’s a Wonderful Life) is a very good counterpoint to Bruce Wayne.
• Nailed It! Holiday! – Nailed It absolutely rules. It is somehow the kindest reality show that pokes fun at people truly awful at what they are attempting. Charming, unserious and Nicole Byers is the perfect host.
  • ‘We’re Scrooged’ (season 2, episode 1): A Christmas Carol themed episode with co-host Jason Mantzoukas. I haven’t always been the biggest fan of his comedic energy. But he’s fucking hilarious here. And there’s some delightful riffs on Dickens’ work. The hosts, and I, basically had a laughing fit at one of the cakes presented.
  • ‘A Classic Christmas’ (season 2, episode 2): The great Maya Rudolph brings a dry wit to this one that complements Byers and Jacques absolutely perfectly. I could listen to Rudolph riff over stellar incompetence such as not being able to open the fridge every day of the year.
  • ‘It’s A Wonderfail Life’ (season 2, episode 4): Two words: ‘Team Lynette’. Also a contestant who’s main strategy was talking to her ancestors.
• Stuff mentioned elsewhere that’s also available on Netflix: Community: ‘Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas’ (covered in the Stan section); The Grinch (Amazon Prime section)

Disney+

• The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) – The best Muppets movie and a fantastic adaptation of Dickens’ work. So charming. Captures that snowbound sense of (northern) Christmas. Shows the class situation of the masses well too and Michael Caine is a really excellent Scrooge. It’s a very funny script but laces it with direct lines from the book to give it the Dickens vibe. Never shies away from the absurdity that it’s the Muppets doing this story.
• A Christmas Carol (2009) – Robert Zemeckis is the man and this is a criminally underrated adaptation of the source material. The performance (or four) from Carrey is the best use of his wonderful physicality in the last 20-odd years. And it doesn’t forget this is a ghost story, some of the horror beats are chilling. The script is an excellent, emotionally resonant rendering of Dickens’ novella.
• One Magic Christmas (1985) – First the good stuff (and it’s mostly really good stuff). Harry Dean Stanton as a cowboy Christmas angel! An excellent Mary Steenburgen performance as an utterly worn-down mother figure, in a film that is super concerned with class. Another film that digs into the load on mothers at this time of year. Quite an adult film thematically. Now the bad (which is a bit of a spoiler): The film has a woman believe her whole family is dead, so she’ll get some Christmas spirit… that’s super super fucked up. But the fact I still recommend this shows how strong (and original) those good elements are.
• Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (1999) – Donald Duck is the worst fuckin character. But despite that, this Disney anthology is a good, easy Christmas watch. Some nice slapstick and traditional Christmas messages presented in a slightly different way. And the final segment functions as a quite sad indictment of what the consumerist nature of Christmas forces us into.  
• Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983) – Until the ghosts appear, this is not great at all. Aside from Scrooge being amazing casting as Ebenezer Scrooge (funny that). Looks a little cheap and some of the changes fuck up the messaging. But once the three ghosts stuff starts, this rules hard. Absolutely crushes the messaging through all three. Gets really bleak and frightening (seriously I will never understand how Dickens’ book came to be for kids) but the second half of this is as good as any of the other adaptations on the list.
• Santa’s Workshop (1932) – A rad little short. Old fashioned Disney hand-drawn animation and music at its best. It’s all nice and jauntily done, particularly the lovely rhyming script.
• Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year (2002) – A good one for the smallest of Christmas fans. Uses carols well and Eeyore is quite funny. Some of the messaging – spirit over presents – is really nice.
• Duck the Halls: A Mickey Mouse Christmas Special (2016) – First off, this is not as really young kid friendly as I was expecting. So that’s worth being aware of. But it’s also unexpectedly anarchic. Has a lot of little jokes more aimed at parents, which didn’t bother me like it often does. Uses music, both traditional and new, really well and the animation styling is cool too.
• The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022)– I have felt a little checked out on the Guardians recently. But this is a good use of those characters and screen personas. I think having the focus being on Drax and Mantis helps massively. They have a very fun, winning dynamic. In terms of soundtrack, this mix of alternate Christmas songs, is one of the best films on the list.
• Olaf’s Frozen Adventure (2017) – Not super fun, but a really poignant Christmas tale. Ponders individual Christmas traditions and the melancholy of ones shared with special people past. Olaf’s journey is a meaningful one on how we must yearn for new tradition and joy to both survive and thrive. With family traditional and chosen.
• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) – I actually prefer this to the first one now. Though cleverly plays off beats from the first. Super Christmassy once it hits New York. And quite genuine about the importance of family at Christmas, particularly through their absence. Still pretty violent for a supposed family film though, just like the first.
• The Little Matchgirl (2006) – Stunning and in my permanent rotation now. Revives those ‘A Christmas Carol’ themes of class and hope. How a little warmth can go a long way. Part of the great Christmas storytelling tradition of melancholy, including a pretty bleak ending. Looks beautiful.
• Bob’s Burgers: ‘Christmas in the Car’ (season 4, episode 8) – starts with an ill-advised Christmas venture to get a tree last minute. Turns into a Duel riff.
• The X-Files: ‘How the Ghost Stole Christmas’ (season 6, episode 6) – First episode of this show I’ve ever seen. Delightfully absurd, talky and pulpy. A haunted house that hosts Christmas Eve murders brings both Dickens and Shakespeare vibes. Legitimately creepy at times. Causes you to reflect on oneself and who you are spending time with, like comes with the season. The playful Christmas ghost is a good trope too. 
• The Simpsons – I was sort of surprised when I went looking that there were actually very few Christmas episodes in the show’s golden age. The ones that do exist are only ok really and I think in a way the show is too cynical to totally embrace the spirit of the season. But these two are decent enough if you really want a fix:
  • ‘Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire’ (season 1, episode 1): Rough as guts animation and voiceover. But it’s a passable Christmas storyline with a nice finish to it.
  • ‘Miracle on Evergreen Terrace’ (season 9, episode 11): Nice and Christmassy with lots of the iconography. A reasonable arc for Bart too which is rarely a strength of the show.

Amazon Prime Video

• The Field Guide to Evil (2018) – This is a good not great horror anthology, held together by the commitment to the folklore vibe. And importantly for the purposes of this piece, the fifth short from Greece titled ‘Whatever Happened to Panagas the Pagan’ is a Christmas story. A very cool little one at that, with a nice mixture of and new themes and imagery. The creature is super creepy too.
• The Grinch (2018) – For me, the Jim Carrey version of this massively sucks. A couple of years ago out of the blue my eldest chose this animated version for movie night. I intended to watch the first 10 minutes then get some stuff done but ended up watching it all. Cumberbatch is a bland main voice. But aside from that it’s colourful, wry, fun and even a little thoughtful. It’s also pleasant for adult viewers which I don’t usually associated with Zeuss adaptations and the messaging is lovely but not laboured. 
• Scrooge (1951) – An absolutely incredible, quite poetic adaptation. Alastair Sim gives one of the best Scrooge performances ever. The quiet evil of the character. His grappling with the notion of hope and if it is too late for him. A tortured Scrooge. The way his ideas are usurped by what he sees is really clever in this. Rigid and stuffy in a way that you would expect given its age, but in a way that is also quite comforting. Really lovely craft and old school effects. Sidenote: Tiny Tim is fuckin huge in this movie.
• Red One (2024) – Certainly not essential, but probably not as bad as its reputation either. Mythology and worldbuilding is silly, but feels like it hasn’t been done to death (I really liked the visual of Santa delivering the presents). Action is super fun, uses the streetscapes to good effect. Chris Evans brings a really solid energy to this.  
• The Office: ‘Christmas Party’ (season 2, episode 10): Absolutely hilarious but has heart too. Rainn Wilson is so good in this (but all the performances work). Gets to the heart of the terror of Secret Santa.
• Stuff mentioned elsewhere that’s also available on Prime Video: Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol, Parks and Recreation: ‘Ron and Diane’ and Bad Moms 2 (covered in Stan section), Batman: The Animated Series: ‘Christmas with the Joker’ (Netflix section)

Tubi

If you are not aware, Tubi is a really fun, free (though ad supported) streaming service. Traditionally known for their genre/lower budget stuff, there’s some really interesting pockets of Christmas viewing to be had.

• Jack Frost (1997) – Stories about killer snowmen should be fun, and this one really is. An absolute silly delight. Plays in the slasher space. Incorporates Christmas iconography very very well (and bloodily). Though one word of warning: there is one crappy assault scene in here involving the Shannon Elizabeth character.
• A Christmas Carol (1984) – I don’t say this lightly: this is the supreme adaptation of the Dickens novella. George C. Scott as Scrooge nails the world-weariness, frustration, and coldness of the character.  It’s a super-rich characterisation. A really strong adaptation that is brought to life in a really atmospheric way. Gets to the melancholy of the story, which is so important. That recognition of time wasted. Has the class politics of the Dickens, but also the emotion. A masterpiece.
• Tales From the Crypt (1972) – This is the best horror anthology I’ve ever seen. But for the purposes of this piece, just know that the first tale is an amazing slice of Christmas horror. Carols and Christmas trimmings give way to brutal slaying. A prototypical escaped maniac dressed like Santa story. Short, sharp and perfectly constructed.
• Dragnet Christmas Episode: The Little Big Jesus – This episode of Dragnet shows up separately on Tubi. It’s a very fun and comforting old school slice of crime TV. Has a snappy script and a delightfully small plot, as two cops really want to locate a stolen cheap nativity statue.
• Stuff mentioned elsewhere that’s also available on Tubi: Scrooge (covered in the Amazon Prime section)

Shudder

Horror streamers Shudder have a small, but interesting selection of stuff. What I have watched is a mixed bag, but these couple are worthwhile.

• A Creepshow Holiday Special (2020) – This has a delightfully off-kilter vibe to it. It creeps along for a while, with no real Christmas content. But the moment it reveals the Christmas connection is a brilliant little beat! An awesome reframing of the department store Santa.  The whole thing weird and funny, really helped along by a wonderful performance from Anna Camp and some super funny effects & costuming.
• The Advent Calendar (2021) – This isn’t all that Christmassy. But very dedicated to the advent calendar structure, and they are basically only a Christmas thing yeah? Creepy and has some really cool imagery throughout. A clever twist on what you might be anticipating.

Paramount+

Not too many folks have jumped aboard this service. And I see why to be honest. But the first two here are two of my absolute things on this entire list. So grab a free trial and check those two out. The third is a charming enough Christmas comedy for those of you cool enough to be Melissa McCarthy completists like me.

• Hey Arnold!: ‘Arnold’s Christmas’ (season 1, episode 20) – this absolutely crushes. Helga is a perfect character to be a cipher for Scroogey Christmas commercialism. It looks great – snowy city streets and decorations. Uses some heavy shit to convey its message – we’re talking Vietnam War flashbacks and families being separated. A refugee story, which is pretty bloody apt for Christmas. Close to perfection as a piece of Christmas media. I cried.
• The Twilight Zone: ‘Night of the Meek’(season 2, episode 11) – Bloody radical stuff. Drenched in Christmas from the start. Opens with a department store Santa on the turps. The emotion is really raw in this thing. It’s well realised and slick, with a very good script. Stark depiction of alcoholism and very class conscious. It’s a great take on the magic and spirit of Christmas, and a rare super class-conscious take on the season that’s not a Dickens adaptation.
• Genie (2023) – I am a massive Melissa McCarthy fan, which honestly is probably necessary to dig this. She plays the titular genie and there is a hilarious throughline about her having met Jesus previously (she refers to him as “Mary’s kid” which cracked me up). Outside of her having fun, it’s a pretty straightforward dad putting his career in front of his family deal. The main character is a pretty disinterested dad and I guess it focuses on him grappling with that. Alan Cumming and Marc Maron show up too.
• Stuff mentioned elsewhere that’s available on Paramount+: The Grinch (covered in the Amazon Prime section)

YouTube

• Santa Clause (1898) – A fun little curio. Directed by British film pioneer George Albert Smith, this is a one minute 16 second long piece of early cinema trickery as Santa visits a couple of kids. You can see a nice copy from the BFI here.   
• Star Wars Christmas Special (1978) – I can’t in good conscience recommend you sit down and watch this. As a piece of art it’s wildly misjudged. But it’s a hilariously ‘good-bad’ choice to have on in the background as you wrap presents or even at a Christmas party. It’s well known that Disney will never release this officially. But given the version here has been up for 7 years and been watched a couple of million times, it’s clear they don’t give a shit enough to have it pulled down.
• A Luchagore Christmas (2015) – Two minutes of very atmospheric Christmas horror. Cool set dressing that gets darker quickly. Really dig the reinterpretation of Christmas imagery and tropes here, particularly the carol on the soundtrack. There’s a rad, gross kicker to finish it off. You can watch it here.

SBS on Demand

First time back for a while for this service. They’ve enhanced their Christmas offering nicely this year, though the lack of subtitles for hard of hearing is shitty.

• Bodies at Rest (2019) – A slightly obscure one for all you Christmas action movie fans. I’m not sure how Renny Harlin ended up directing a Hong Kong action film, but I’m glad he did. Set on a rainy Christmas eve, with a high-concept plot I’m surprised hasn’t been done before (unless it has and I just don’t know about it). The baddies wear Santa and elves masks. Badass fight scenes, loads of Christmassy dressing and cool performances.
• The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017) – A lovely counterpart to the 4,000 adaptations of ‘A Christmas Carol’ that are on this list. Follows Dickens at a low point writing the story. Makes a lovely connection between his real-life politics and that of the book.  It’s not easy to present the writing process onscreen, and though it is occasionally ham-fisted, I actually think it evokes that creativity quite well.  
• Stuff mentioned elsewhere that’s also available on SBS on Demand: The X-Files: ‘How the Ghost Stole Christmas’ (Disney+ section)

ABC iView

I generally don’t include this service as it’s not very movie heavy. But as I was reviewing the list of movies I love that weren’t streaming anywhere last year, turns out maybe my favourite Christmas action flick is sitting here. So here you are!

• The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) – I generally steer away from the movies that have a just happen to take place at Christmas vibe here (hence no Die Hard). But this has just enough Christmas thematic resonance that I can make a case for it, and I just really like it. Samuel L. Jackson and Geena Davis driving a badarse action film is very good areas.

Binge

Another service I generally don’t include. But this is a family Christmas classic, which is not streaming anywhere else. So I thought I should include it here. Plus there’s a reasonable amount of titles covered elsewhere that Binge carries too.

• Gremlins (1984) – Not quite as fun as I recall, a bit of a plotless mess at times. But this is drenched in the Christmas season and is the ultimate ill-advised chrissy present tale. Has some of the best practical effects ever in the form of the animatronics. Gets dark.
• Stuff mentioned elsewhere that’s also available on Binge: The Polar Express (covered in the Netflix section), Bad Moms 2 and Parks and Recreation: ‘Ron and Diane’ (Stan section), The Grinch and The Office: ‘Christmas Party’ (Amazon Prime section).

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Getting my best of 2023 piece out a touch before best of 2024 ones begin to drop. To be honest throughout a lot of this year, I haven’t felt the urge to catch-up on the films I missed or do any writing. But when I finally did get the desire to do some writing, this is the piece I wanted to start with. It felt silly to not do one of these lists for the first time in 15 years or so because I felt it was a little (or a lot) late. So here we go.

***

I saw 125 films that came out last year. In terms of honourable mentions that didn’t quite make it, there’s a pretty big and broad list of them. I had coupled Skinamarink and Eo together to go on the list, but I just didn’t quite have room. Sometimes with these lists we forget about those films that are just a really good time. Some that ticked that box for me were Guy Ritchies action-comedy Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre and the comedy-horror Renfield, which I couldn’t quite grasp why everyone hated. Also its been ages since a Marvel film was fun and well-performed, and Nia DaCosta’s The Marvels was thankfully both of those things, No Hard Feelings was a better than solid contemporary comedy with Jennifer Lawrence at her most winning. A couple of underseen Aussie horror efforts I desperately wanted to include on the below list were Bad Girl Boogy and Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism. Support em both. Sly and OneFour: Against the Odds were two Netflix docos that took nuanced looks at two different artists. The former bringing to light a different side of a megastar of a person, the second a look at a booming artform alongside brutal and heinous police overreach. The Creator and Linoleum took two as different as you can imagine approaches to sci-fi and I loved the both of them. The first third of Oppenheimer was maybe the best cinema experience I had all year, the second third was fine and the final third was so utterly inessential it meant the film was nowhere near making this list, but I still think it requires a mention. Flamin’ Hot made me like one of those weird cynical capitalist product biopics, Sweet As was a bloody lovely Australian teen road story with a sharpness lying just beneath the surface while The Old Oak was powerful and affecting, even if a fair way from the best of Ken Loach’s late career works. But there’s still no-one else making films like it and Loach is a huge loss to cinema if indeed that is his last feature.

10. Streaming genre gems

Direct to video genre joy no longer exists. But more than ever it is now in some ways being replicated with straight to streaming efforts. At times these are leaner genre throwbacks and sometimes they are more diverse and less standard attempts at genre that maybe aren’t (rightly or wrongly) expected to resonate as broadly. The two below are one from each of those categories.

Extraction 2

Reminds you how much of an absolute blast a straight-up explosion of action cinema can be. At times the action and even script has a poetic rhythm to it. Simple genre infused and enhanced with artistry. Scenes of utter chaos, that are rendered in a way that you can still follow what is happening and exactly where everyone is. Jumps from one high concept action setting to the next. We got fights on the street, fights in prison, train fightin and a bunch more. Ponders the nature of cowardice in this most masculine of made-up worlds. Also sets up a third film in a way that makes me super excited to see it.

They Cloned Tyrone

More than any other film on this list, this one is driven by the performances – in this case the three leads of John Boyega, Jamie Foxx and Teyonah Parris are all phenomenal. Doesn’t always feel like a sci-fi film, but builds into a really cool example of the genre. Some cool mystery elements mixed in there too. Feels authentic, the sense of place and culture make it stand apart. So ingrained in a specific community on earth in a genre that is generally spacebound. Occasionally the plotting or themes don’t entirely work. But it ends super satisfyingly, nailing the climax and main themes.

9. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

I love when something can combine absurdity (a tiny shell finds fame) with deep meaning. This has such a wonderful script that is deep and genuinely illuminating on life. It looks amazing. Has just such a genuine heart to it, which again is a testament to the creativity and writing given we are dealing with a tiny shell. The absurdity of it all not only provides a basis for the comedy (and it is a very funny film) but also enhances the themes really strongly. A film that considers empathy in many forms and the resilience required to endure isolation. The latter of which was particularly affecting for me. It is all weaved together too. The silliness and the profundity work together, not separately.

8. How to Blow Up A Pipeline

In some ways this is a really classically constructed and executed thriller – getting the team together, the minutiae of preparation, slow burn heist vibes, hitches in the plan and the getaway – all set to the best score of the year. But that’s all in service of something so contemporary in its concerns: direct action, climate change, anarchism and the real-world impact of climate grief. There’s a sense of tension throughout, even in the smallest moments. I appreciate how twisty and plotty it gets, without being overdone about it, or ever being solely about that and losing sight of everything else going on. A genuinely radical piece of cinema.

7. Godzilla Minus One

An understated and grounded look at found families, recovery from the war, the dearth of society that remains and the challenges that presents, how an individual’s deep regret and cowardice may reflect a broader societal one… but y’know with Godzilla. Looks soft and warm, also packs some of the coolest fucking shots – Godzilla hunting down boats. On paper – a haunted man fighting “ghosts you created” whilst fighting a literal monster – feels really on the nose. But in practice this is filmmaking so classy it knits all that together almost subtly. The creature has loads of character and it all crescendos into an amazingly choreographed and scored finale. A refreshing and wildly effective take on the kaiju film.

6. Sick of Myself

Pretty unique arthouse fare. A slow-burn consideration of unlikability through a body-horror filter. Narcissism bought to life really starkly. One character’s almost visceral disgust at the success of another. The way those two characters mirror each other and the notions of acceptable actions and particularly what is to be celebrated in life. Will make you think of that couple you know who despise each other, but still defend each other to the hilt. Narratively repurposes the unreliable narrator to fascinating ends. Kristine Kujath Thorp gives one of the performances of the year in a role that could have so easily been caricature.

5. Auteur Hollywood Analysis

Movies about the movies are almost as old as movies themselves. These three all take radically different approaches to the concept, working in three different genres. Though they all share an aversion to navel-gazing or self-seriousness about both the stories they are telling and the modes they are telling those stories in.

Babylon

An almost delirious descent into showbiz and Hollywood with a spectacular Margot Robbie performance at the centre of it all. Chazelle is in maximalist form here, even for him. His storytelling is wildly ambitious and shambolic in a way I loved. The whole thing feels decadent. The love of movies and the joy they bring explode through at regular intervals. Art has power both enduring and fleeting, and this film brings both of those forms of meaning to life in a quite amazing way. And closes on a bold choice that many hated, but tied the whole thing together for me.

Pearl

Perhaps the low expectations from not loving X played into how much I liked this. But this is a very different classic Hollywood tribute. Everything contributes to the uniquely warped vibe – including the colours, maximalism and Mia Goth’s lead performance. It feels successfully transgressive in a way so few contemporary films are. I love that this weird pastiche is the prequel to what is a pretty straightforwardly played slasher flick (and I must admit, revisiting X after watching this one, I appreciated it more). But it’s not just a surface level plaything. Ti West makes auteurist horror and this is no different. There is also a lot of real-life emotion and feeling, even if it’s very dialled up and impacting on a delusional main character, that drives the film along.  

Poor Things

Of these three, this one is the least obviously about Hollywood. But one of the elements of this that worked best for me was as a Frankenstein adaptation. And I think to have such a strange, complex inversion of one of Hollywood’s most classic monster films is a piece of industry-based discussion. It’s thankfully a lot more challenging and multi-faceted a take than a mere gender-swapping. This film is a wild vision – occasionally perfectly controlled, occasionally getting away from director Yorgos Lanthimos – and all the better for it. Both Emma Stone and Christopher Walken in particular are amazing, in tricky roles. Challenging films about sex are all too rare and this is one of the best of recent times.

4. The Survival of Kindness

Iconic Australian director Rolf de Heer delivers a late career art film by way of apocalyptic sci-fi. Barely seen and divisive amongst those who did. Curious and evokes curiosity in the viewer. Very challenging on both a filmmaking and storytelling level. Amazing work done with non-professional actors. A sense of danger, challenge and bewilderment lying around the corner of each scene change. Very much about our current moment in time and the ways in which we could react to it. There’s something to be embraced in the righteous filmmaker whose righteousness springs forth from their work.

3. Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse

I didn’t quite get the hype for this one’s predecessor but absolutely adore this take on the superhero multiverse (which is a plot device that I generally find annoying). Some films ooze cool and I think this does it in a way I’m not sure I’ve ever seen an animated film do before. The visuals and music just totally pop off the screen. Uses the multiverse device not just to consider heroism and teen hood, but also the very notions of storytelling. Considers the fight against “just the way things are meant to be” and how it may be the most important fight of all. A film about destiny and stories and the ways to tell the latter. 

2. Beau is Afraid

The second out of Ari Aster’s three career features to make one of my end of year lists.  This is an uncompromising three-hour vision. I suspect if I had watched it in a different mood, I may well have hated it. On one level, a film about someone deeply missing their mum and the journey to fill that gap. A boy who desperately wants to meet expectations but doesn’t know how. Deeply strange streetscapes teeming with life. Fascinating detail in every shot. Funny and absurd. Not a horror film in the sense of Aster’s others, but there is a sideline of strange cult stuff going on.  An epic journey, both physical and internal. A rambling tale of grief. 

1. Polite Society

The most fun film of last year is also my absolute favourite. A love letter to pulpy genre films and kickass young women, that is also not afraid to take the plot to some very silly places. Hilarious with some amazing action to boot. There’s a great spirit to the central sisters as desi teens (and slightly older) trying to find their place. Dabbles in various genres – the teen film, kung-fu film – while smoothly maintaining the focus on its characters and their relationships. Reinterprets genre in ways that are incredibly fun. Moments of bloody and over-stylised neo-teen film energy, kid detective shenanigans and the upkeep of the body as (light-hearted) torture. A fucking stylish and fun action movie take on sisterly love.

***

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I’ve always loved Christmas films and TV, even as I got older. There’s something about those simple, lovely themes that I do think can add some beauty to what has become an overwhelming consumerist vibe to the season. All of these have something of that vibe of togetherness, love, and reflection, though not always in the most obvious of ways. Many of them also have that sense of loss and reflection, of melancholy, that is an unmistakable part of this time of year too.

Stan

Clockwise from top: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Carol Coombs, Jimmy Hawkins, Larry Simms and Karolyn Grimes. (Photo by Herbert Dorfman/Corbis via Getty Images)

• It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) – I wrote a full review of this one a whiles back that you can read here. It’s a radical Christmas classic.

• Community: ‘Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas’(season 2, episode 11): One of my favourite things on this entire list. The spirit of the season examined through the exploration of one (Muslim) person’s mental health and search for the meaning of Christmas. A hilarious take on the Christmas musical in super cool stop motion animation.

• Parks and Recreation: ‘Ron and Diane’ (season 5, episode 9): The Parks and Rec Christmas episodes probably don’t stand alone as well as some others. But this still has giggly awed at woodworking royalty Ron Swanson which is beautiful. And the focus on Jerry Gergich, always an underrated supporting character, and his famous Christmas party is a cute way to bring in those traditional themes.

• The O.C.: ‘The Best Chrismukkah Ever’ (season 1, episode 13):  This was in the brief golden period when this show’s dynamic was so sharp. Seth Cohen’s energy comes to the fore here with the made-up holiday and Summer/Anna. Even now, so far removed from this show the music still rules. And Ben McKenzie gives a good emotional performance here as Ryan, which delivers a lot of the thematic goods.

• Bad Moms 2 (2017) – This is a solid film that never quite lives up to the promise of having a hitchhiking Susan Sarandon play the mother of Kathryn Hahn (what film could). But this is a decent comedy that is actually pretty thematically rich – zeroing in on the mental load on women during the season. Let’s face it, Christmas can be fuckin stressful and most of that falls on mums. Those themes, some really nice performances and some interesting romantic stuff make it worth a look.

• Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol (2010) – Generally I would frown on the themes of Dickens’ masterpiece being updated. But this does that in a way that totally reframes them, but is respectful – nature of memory, kids moving on from Christmas. In a way that enhances the original’s melancholy messaging. Michael Gambon is having a great time just hamming stuff up. A creative adaptation that leans into the sci-fi vibes. It’s legitimately emotional and beautiful.

• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: ‘Deck the Halls’ (season 1, episode 15) – In which Will is aghast at Ashleigh’s lack of Christmas spirit. Often the comedy in this show doesn’t really hold up. But this is very funny. Will Smith is great. And this is that outsider character of his brashly indoctrinating someone he cares about into Christmas. He’s a young and fearless performer here. Evander Holyfield also pops up for an all-time classic cameo.

• Batman: The Animated Series: ‘Christmas with the Joker’ (season 1, episode 38) – Starts with the Joker busting out of Arkham singing his own version of Jingle Bells. So that’s pretty sweet. It’s such a stunning looking show. Robin filled with Christmas cheer (and desperate to watch It’s a Wonderful Life) is a very good counterpoint to Bruce Wayne.

Netflix

• A Very Murray Christmas (2015) – I’ve watched this every December since it came out. Murray’s schtick, which can be hit and miss for me, works really well in this. There are some cool songs that add to the storytelling and Sofia Coppola infuses some of her visual style in here as well. Importantly it’s also super funny. 

• The Christmas Chronicles (2018) – AKA Kurt Russell Santa The Movie. This is actually quite a meaningful take on the Christmas mythos. Plus it looks really ace and is well acted all round. A lovely sense of magic and wonder to the world created here. Another favourite I watch pretty much every year.

• The Christmas Chronicles 2 (2020) – Not as good as the first, but a more than worthwhile continuation of the characters and themes. Slick but in a not altogether bad way as there’s plenty of charm here. Goldie Hawn brings such joy and compliments Russell’s Santa very well. Leans into the elf stuff here, giving us loads more of that mythology.

• Klaus (2019) – This is an absolutely stunning looking animation. There is an interesting out of time quality to this, there’s no hint as to when it is set. It’s a different take on the character of Santa too, how they reframe it. The film at times falls into the pitfalls of contemporary animation and having too modern a sensibility, with glib winking montages making multiple appearances. But that take on Santa and the really quite poignant ending make it worthwhile.

• Holidate (2020) – Not strictly a Christmas movie. But it features and in terms of schmaltzy rom-coms this is extremely good. Plus there’s a grand romantic Christmas payoff. The sublime casting helps a lot, Emma Roberts is always ace (seeing her spit “fucking holidays” whilst smoking a durry makes this worth a watch by itself) and Luke Bracey is solid too. It’s kinda raunchy and there are loads of good laughs.

• Jingle Jangle (2020) – Love the storytime feel to this one. The whole vibe around the songs is great too. Musically interesting, great dancing and they flow beautifully with the film. Design and costuming are absolutely spot on. There are some charming relationships built up throughout the film as well, particularly a grandfather-granddaughter one.

• Brooklyn Nine-Nine: ‘Captain Latvia’ (season 4, episode 10) – Latvian gun runners, a Jingle All the Way riff and a carolling competition. Is the best, and most Christmassy, of the series’ seasonal episodes. Also stands alone easily so can just watch it in isolation.  

• Nailed It! Holiday! – Nailed It absolutely rules. It is somehow the kindest reality show that pokes fun at people truly awful at what they are attempting. Charming, unserious and Nicole Byers is the perfect host.
  • ‘We’re Scrooged’ (season 2, episode 1): A Christmas Carol themed episode with co-host Jason Mantzoukas. I haven’t always been the biggest fan of his comedic energy. But he’s fucking hilarious here. And there’s some delightful riffs on Dickens’ work. The hosts, and I, basically had a laughing fit at one of the cakes presented.
  • ‘A Classic Christmas’ (season 2, episode 2): The great Maya Rudolph brings a dry wit to this one that complements Byers and Jacques absolutely perfectly. I could listen to Rudolph riff over stellar incompetence such as not being able to open the fridge every day of the year.
  • ‘It’s A Wonderfail Life’ (season 2, episode 4): Two words: ‘Team Lynette’. Also a contestant who’s main strategy was talking to her ancestors.

• Stuff mentioned elsewhere that’s also available on Netflix: Community: ‘Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas’, Bad Moms 2 and Batman: The Animated Series: ‘Christmas with the Joker’ (all in the Stan section); The Grinch (Amazon Prime section)

Disney+

2DHK8BH USA. Brenda Fricker and Macaulay Culkin in ©20th Century Fox holiday special : Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). Plot: One year after Kevin McCallister was left home alone and had to defeat a pair of bumbling burglars, he accidentally finds himself stranded in New York City – and the same criminals are not far behind. Ref: LMK110-J6769-091220 Supplied by LMKMEDIA. Editorial Only. Landmark Media is not the copyright owner of these Film or TV stills but provides a service only for recognised Media outlets. pictures@lmkmedia.com

• The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) – The best Muppets movie and a fantastic adaptation of Dickens’ work. So charming. Captures that snowbound sense of (northern) Christmas. Shows the class situation of the masses well too and Michael Caine is a really excellent Scrooge. It’s a very funny script but laces it with direct lines from the book to give it the Dickens vibe. Never shies away from the absurdity that it’s the Muppets doing this story.

• A Christmas Carol (2009) – Robert Zemeckis is the man and this is a criminally underrated adaptation of the source material. The performance (or four) from Carrey is the best use of his wonderful physicality in the last 20-odd years. And it doesn’t forget this is a ghost story, some of the horror beats are chilling. The script is an excellent, emotionally resonant rendering of Dickens’ novella.

• One Magic Christmas (1985) – First the good stuff (and it’s mostly really good stuff). Harry Dean Stanton as a cowboy Christmas angel! An excellent Mary Steenburgen performance as an utterly worn-down mother figure, in a film that is super concerned with class. Another film that digs into the load on mothers at this time of year. Quite an adult film thematically. Now the bad (which is a bit of a spoiler): The film has a woman believe her whole family is dead, so she’ll get some Christmas spirit… that’s super super fucked up. But the fact I still recommend this shows how strong (and original) those good elements are.

• Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (1999) – Donald Duck is the worst fuckin character. But despite that, this Disney anthology is a good, easy Christmas watch. Some nice slapstick and traditional Christmas messages presented in a slightly different way. And the final segment functions as a quite sad indictment of what the consumerist nature of Christmas forces us into.  

• Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983) – Until the ghosts appear, this is not great at all. Aside from Scrooge being amazing casting as Ebenezer Scrooge (funny that). Looks a little cheap and some of the changes fuck up the messaging. But once the three ghosts stuff starts, this rules hard. Absolutely crushes the messaging through all three. Gets really bleak and frightening (seriously I will never understand how Dickens’ book came to be for kids) but the second half of this is as good as any of the other adaptations on the list.

• Santa’s Workshop (1932) – A rad little short. Old fashioned Disney hand-drawn animation and music at its best. It’s all nice and jauntily done, particularly the lovely rhyming script.

• Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year (2002) – A good one for the smallest of Christmas fans. Uses carols well and Eeyore is quite funny. Some of the messaging – spirit over presents – is really nice.

• Duck the Halls: A Mickey Mouse Christmas Special (2016) – First off, this is not as really young kid friendly as I was expecting. So that’s worth being aware of. But it’s also unexpectedly anarchic. Has a lot of little jokes more aimed at parents, which didn’t bother me like it often does. Uses music, both traditional and new, really well and the animation styling is cool too.

• The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022)– I have felt a little checked out on the Guardians recently. But this is a good use of those characters and screen personas. I think having the focus being on Drax and Mantis helps massively. They have a very fun, winning dynamic. In terms of soundtrack, this mix of alternate Christmas songs, is one of the best films on the list.

• Olaf’s Frozen Adventure (2017) – Not super fun, but a really poignant Christmas tale. Ponders individual Christmas traditions and the melancholy of ones shared with special people past. Olaf’s journey is a meaningful one on how we must yearn for new tradition and joy to both survive and thrive. With family traditional and chosen.

• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) – I actually prefer this to the first one now. Though cleverly plays off beats from the first. Super Christmassy once it hits New York. And quite genuine about the importance of family at Christmas, particularly through their absence. Still pretty violent for a supposed family film though, just like the first.

• The Little Matchgirl (2006) – Stunning and in my permanent rotation now. Revives those ‘A Christmas Carol’ themes of class and hope. How a little warmth can go a long way. Part of the great Christmas storytelling tradition of melancholy, including a pretty bleak ending. Looks beautiful.

• Bob’s Burgers: ‘Christmas in the Car’ (season 4, episode 8) – starts with an ill-advised Christmas venture to get a tree last minute. Turns into a Duel riff.

• The X-Files: ‘How the Ghost Stole Christmas’ (season 6, episode 6) – First episode of this show I’ve ever seen. Delightfully absurd, talky and pulpy. A haunted house that hosts Christmas Eve murders brings both Dickens and Shakespeare vibes. Legitimately creepy at times. Causes you to reflect on oneself and who you are spending time with, like comes with the season. The playful Christmas ghost is a good trope too.  

• The Simpsons – I was sort of surprised when I went looking that there were actually very few Christmas episodes in the show’s golden age. The ones that do exist are only ok really and I think in a way the show is too cynical to totally embrace the spirit of the season. But these two are decent enough if you really want a fix:
  • ‘Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire’ (season 1, episode 1): Rough as guts animation and voiceover. But it’s a passable Christmas storyline with a nice finish to it.
  • ‘Miracle on Evergreen Terrace’ (season 9, episode 11): Nice and Christmassy with lots of the iconography. A reasonable arc for Bart too which is rarely a strength of the show.

Amazon Prime Video

• The Field Guide to Evil (2018) – This is a good not great horror anthology, held together by the commitment to the folklore vibe. And importantly for the purposes of this piece, the fifth short from Greece titled ‘Whatever Happened to Panagas the Pagan’ is a Christmas story. A very cool little one at that, with a nice mixture of and new themes and imagery. The creature is super creepy too.

• The Grinch (2018) – For me, the Jim Carrey version of this massively sucks. A couple of years ago out of the blue my eldest chose this animated version for movie night. I intended to watch the first 10 minutes then get some stuff done but ended up watching it all. Cumberbatch is a bland main voice. But aside from that it’s colourful, wry, fun and even a little thoughtful. It’s also pleasant for adult viewers which I don’t usually associated with Zeuss adaptations and the messaging is lovely but not laboured. 

• Dark Angel (1990) – Massively underseen Christmas genre mashup – crime, sci-fi even a dash of horror. Rutger Hauer is a cop who fights aliens on the street… at Christmas. He’s amazing. Someone says “Merry fuckin Christmas” in the first minute after crashing their car into a Christmas tree lot. It’s all incredibly fun.

• The Office: ‘Christmas Party’ (season 2, episode 10): Absolutely hilarious but has heart too. Rainn Wilson is so good in this (but all the performances work). Gets to the heart of the terror of Secret Santa.

• Stuff mentioned elsewhere that’s also available on Prime Video: The O.C.: ‘The Best Chrismukkah Ever’ and It’s a Wonderful Life (all in the Stan section)

Tubi

If you are not aware, Tubi is a really fun, free (though ad supported) streaming service. Traditionally known for their genre/lower budget stuff, there’s some really interesting pockets of Christmas viewing to be had.

• Jack Frost (1997) – Stories about killer snowmen should be fun, and this one really is. An absolute silly delight. Plays in the slasher space. Incorporates Christmas iconography very very well (and bloodily). Though one word of warning: there is one crappy assault scene in here involving the Shannon Elizabeth character.

• A Christmas Carol (1984) – I don’t say this lightly: this is the supreme adaptation of the Dickens novella. George C. Scott as Scrooge nails the world-weariness, frustration, and coldness of the character.  It’s a super-rich characterisation. A really strong adaptation that is brought to life in a really atmospheric way. Gets to the melancholy of the story, which is so important. That recognition of time wasted. Has the class politics of the Dickens, but also the emotion. A masterpiece.

• Tales From the Crypt (1972) – This is the best horror anthology I’ve ever seen. But for the purposes of this piece, just know that the first tale is an amazing slice of Christmas horror. Carols and Christmas trimmings give way to brutal slaying. A prototypical escaped maniac dressed like Santa story. Short, sharp and perfectly constructed.

• Dragnet Christmas Episode: The Little Big Jesus – This episode of Dragnet shows up separately on Tubi. It’s a very fun and comforting old school slice of crime TV. Has a snappy script and a delightfully small plot, as two cops really want to locate a stolen cheap nativity statue.

Shudder

Horror streamers Shudder have a small, but interesting selection of stuff. What I have watched is a mixed bag, but these couple are worthwhile.

• A Creepshow Horror Special (2020) – This has a delightfully off-kilter vibe to it. It creeps along for a while, with no real Christmas content. But the moment it reveals the Christmas connection is a brilliant little beat! An awesome reframing of the department store Santa.  The whole thing weird and funny, really helped along by a wonderful performance from Anna Camp and some super funny effects & costuming.

• The Advent Calendar (2021) – This isn’t all that Christmassy. But very dedicated to the advent calendar structure, and they are basically only a Christmas thing yeah? Creepy and has some really cool imagery throughout. A clever twist on what you might be anticipating.

Paramount+

Not too many folks have jumped aboard this service. And I see why to be honest. But these are two of my absolute favourite things on this entire list. So grab a free trial and check these two out.

• Hey Arnold!: ‘Arnold’s Christmas’ (season 1, episode 20) – this absolutely crushes. Helga is a perfect character to be a cipher for Scroogey Christmas commercialism. It looks great – snowy city streets and decorations. Uses some heavy shit to convey its message – we’re talking Vietnam War flashbacks and families being separated. A refugee story, which is pretty bloody apt for Christmas. Close to perfection as a piece of Christmas media. I cried.

• The Twilight Zone: ‘Night of the Meek’(season 2, episode 11) – Bloody radical stuff. Drenched in Christmas from the start. Opens with a department store Santa on the turps. The emotion is really raw in this thing. It’s well realised and slick, with a very good script. Stark depiction of alcoholism and very class conscious. It’s a great take on the magic and spirit of Christmas, and a rare super class-conscious take on the season that’s not a Dickens adaptation.

YouTube

• Santa Clause (1898) – A fun little curio. Directed by British film pioneer George Albert Smith, this is a one minute 16 second long piece of early cinema trickery as Santa visits a couple of kids. You can see a nice copy from the BFI here.   

• Star Wars Christmas Special (1978) – I can’t in good conscience recommend you sit down and watch this. As a piece of art it’s wildly misjudged. But it’s a hilariously ‘good-bad’ choice to have on in the background as you wrap presents or even at a Christmas party. It’s well known that Disney will never release this officially. But given the version here has been up for 7 years and been watched a couple of million times, it’s clear they don’t give a shit enough to have it pulled down.

• A Luchagore Christmas (2015) – Two minutes of very atmospheric Christmas horror. Cool set dressing that gets darker quickly. Really dig the reinterpretation of Christmas imagery and tropes here, particularly the carol on the soundtrack. There’s a rad, gross kicker to finish it off. You can watch it here.

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I watched just under 90 films that had their first wide Australian release in 2022.  In terms of honourable mentions, there weren’t a whole lot of films that I was particularly bummed didn’t make the final list. But in terms of other things I liked, I thought Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Scream were both daftly titled, but cool continuations of iconic horror franchises. Lightyear was a better than expected family film and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special was a blast of a seasonal music special. I dug Fire Island, Look Both Ways and Bones and All, three wildly different rom-coms, while Fire of Love was an excellent doco that had a strong romance element as well. The Woman King was a much needed extension of the historical action movie canon. Here’s my top 10(ish) for the year just gone.

10. The Wonder

As a huge fan of director Sebastian Lelio’s 2017 double Disobedience and A Fantastic Woman, I was keen to check this one out. It’s perhaps not as fully realised as those two, but he takes a fascinating approach to the material here. Bookended by a fourth-wall breaking device that ponders the nature of stories, belief and features an introductory voiceover. The theme of belief carries throughout the film – the deepest well of spirituality rests mainly with a single girl, scientific vs religious narratives. Florence Pugh gives an excellent performance as our unreliable way into the story. The script is nuanced, layers of dialogue with meaning. Maintains a great sense of mystery throughout, but the success or not of the film is not simply based on how that mystery is solved, but how it is filtered through everything else the film has previously established.

9. Elvis

Certainly the most flawed film on this list, and probably the one I liked the least straight after seeing it. But ever since, I’ve looked back on it with increasing fondness. It’s such a big, strange, personal beast of a music biopic. Lots of it doesn’t work, but the parts that do leave a bigger impact. Both Tom Hanks and Baz Luhrmann are unleashed here. The director saturates small moments of acting and craft to give them weight. And he has a really good feel for conveying the power of music to make people feel all sorts of things. So important here. The editing, the layering of sequences on top of each other, contributes to this too. A real shaggy dog of a film. Though I think Austin Butler plays it pretty straight as Elvis, in a performance that is really effective.  A delightfully deranged film.

8. Mental Health heroes of 2022 cinema

More and more cinema is examining mental health and in an ever-widening array of ways. These two films were both surprising places to find this examination and are a good example of that diversity of consideration emerging.

Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me

Having only a passing familiarity with Gomez, I came to this with a pretty clean slate. It’s extremely raw and open stuff. In a way that is confronting at times. It’s interesting to watch the evolution of her music, and her satisfaction with it, alongside her mental health journey. There’s also this friction between her and the inanity of the cycle of press tours and the particular music she is expected to make. This also does a good job of telling the story of what her mental health struggles were like for the people that love her. Whilst this is universal, it is also a look at her unique situation and the particular crushing loneliness of it all. A much more challenging film than I was expecting.

The Bob’s Burgers Movie

Mental health isn’t the singular focus of this film like it is for the above. But the open struggles and reflections of Louise with anxiety and pressure helps provide it with a lot of the heart that made it such a great extension of the show. They bring that to a really nice circle at the end and the messaging is really strong. The storytelling is excellent, it’s thrilling and fun when it wants to be. And I absolutely loved the songs which were a surprise. I actually think that if this had lent into the musical element a little more, this would be even higher on the list. The big dance routines are so fun and well-choreographed.

7. Hustle

A worthy addition to the pantheon of Philly-set underdog sporting tales. And whilst some of the familiar elements are here – this features some of the best training montages in an age – it’s also enough of a twist on the formula to feel fresh. Two individuals yearning to help one of them make it in a team sport. It’s immersive both into the world of basketball (both street ball and NBA) and the location, especially through the Philadelphia hip-hop centric soundtrack (gets a million bonus points from me for using The Roots ‘The Seed (2.0)’). Uses non-professional basketball folks to enhance this really effectively. Absolutely crushes the film’s big couple of emotional moments. For me, this is Sandler’s very best performance as well.

6. European tales of motherhood

Parenting and kids feature as predominant elements in a lot of films on this list. These two are interesting for their focus on mothers, different approaches to nurture and how they use genre to explore those.

Hatching

An amazing combination of creature feature and thematic concern. Depictions of ‘influencer culture’ in film are often used to pretty thin ends. But here it’s a fascinating place from which to launch considerations of artifice, motherhood, modes of nurture and notions of being replaceable (both as a mother and in broader relationship terms). It feels rather strange from the start, only enhanced by the giant egg that lends itself to some great visuals. The creature design is some of the best of recent years. At first schlocky and imbued with lots of (often charming) character. It evolves into something gruesome, primal and at times downright terrifying. And that plays alongside those other themes already established by the film, particularly considering unwavering support vs cynical exploitation.  

Parallel Mothers

A film about the intangibility of the notion of a ‘good’ mother, infused with some old school Almodóvar melodrama. A mix only he could pull off. Here he is pondering the role of community, particularly found community in getting through life. It’s a very rich film and a lot to take in on first watch. Almodóvar is accessing a lot of universal stuff in this very specific tale. The way that people and relationships cycle and circle back around, even over generations. Judgement and a lack of love where it should be overflowing. The pain of loneliness in times of great need. And perhaps most importantly (or what spoke to me most strongly): the fear of being a burden we must all ultimately overcome if we wish to access that communal love and survival.

5. Wash My Soul in the Rivers Flow

Functions as a very good concert film and much more. The way the film uses the metaphor of water and the river sets it apart. Uses loads of lovely imagery of the Murray to an almost meditative effect. The first words are the most beautiful expression of love from Archie to Ruby. And the film fleshes out that relationship, adding depth to a duo many of us felt we knew well due to their performances over a long period of time. They were such different performers and personalities. The film weaves their story in and around the songs really well too. Their love story, wrenching reflections on being part of the stolen generation. A film about the notion of being so broken that you don’t think you can be put together again. And the ability of love and art to overcome that.

4. Foreign cinema where the credits are like 40 minutes in

Ok the heading for this one is a little glib (though for some reason, I get a legitimate thrill when the credits are ages into a movie). But I do think there are similarities with these two. They were both massive breakout hits. And they did that by sitting way outside the traditional ‘western’ mould of storytelling in very different ways.

RRR

It feels like everything has probably already been said about this word-of-mouth sensation. Bombastic but tightly directed. It sings and soars for basically it’s entire 187 minutes.  Chaos and action with enough grounding in India’s colonial history to add intrigue on a plot level. And it does get bleak and harsh at points. The whole thing has a flamboyance we are not used to in our action cinema, the Naatu Naatu dance sequence being the best example. Ponders male friendship, kinship and connection in really meaningful ways. Manages to be simultaneously incredibly genuine, slightly goofy, but also dripping in cool.

Drive My Car

One of those films that is tricky to pin down in a way that makes you like it more rather than less. A film concerned with storytelling, the mysterious ways in which people move through life and at times how those two intersect. The way that personal informality can contrast with cultural formality. It’s lightly and gently delivered, but is never boring. A film that draws the viewer into its rhythm and holds them there. Observational with a technical formalism and simplicity that is imbued with meaning. Even the twists feel matter of fact. Subtly about all different kinds of relationships and especially resiliences. The stark pain of emotions left unsaid.

3. The Banshees of Inisherin

Given the broad-based appeal of this film, it’s surprising how challenging it is in some ways. It’s a combination of laugh out loud and bleak, that really shouldn’t work. The performances play a big part in that tone working – yes Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell, but also the main supports in Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan. Ponders men not in touch with their emotions. Gleeson and Farrell just work together so well. They look cool together onscreen and they just fit. There’s a very unique hurt to a relationship suddenly going away, especially when all was well. Farrell conveying that confusion and the depth of that pain is maybe the finest work of his career. The abrupt jolt in the suddenness of that loss. There’s something universal to the loss of his person and his anchor. Two people grappling with very different things in their life. The very bleak ending to a laugh out loud funny film is the perfect conclusion. A wonderful film.

2. Athena

Of all the films on this list, it is this one that probably feels the most unique. It’s an action film with a relentlessness and feeling of being pitched into the events I’m not sure I’ve experienced before. It’s basically 97 minutes minutes of sheer chaos presented onscreen starkly and with real filmmaking clarity. Opens with a long, uninterrupted barrage that a lot of people have spoken about. But it does not really let up from there. The battle between the police and the migrant communities spilling back to the housing commission. The film has a rad visual style that never obscures and uses the pulsing score to great effect. Amidst the chaos, it’s an almost Shakespearean film of family too, with in-film radicalisation, shifting allegiances and attempts to placate or inflame.

1. The Quiet Girl

Gentle filmmaking but very meaningful and impactful. A film on how neglect can seep into a child and dull them. The insidious fate of the unloved. Of the simple acts filled with love and togetherness that can put them back together. There’s a quiet, and a deep sadness to both the main character and the film as a whole. The direction is controlled and excellent, particularly in how it draws an all-time child performance from Catherine Clinch in the main role. The ending of this film broke me. It involves a melancholy and drawn out journey. A briefly unfinished goodbye. Wrenching, though there’s hope to be found. Interestingly in a year of excellent films about motherhood, it’s this one, perhaps one of the greatest films on childhood ever made, that tops the list.

***

If you’d like to see more regular writing from me, I’d love for you to head here and subscribe to my Five Rad Films newsletter. It’s an occasional (every 3-4 weeks) look at the last five films I’ve seen I rated 4 stars or above.

This is the fourth iteration of this list I think. More rad shit every year. More film versions of ‘A Christmas Carol’, the greatest story ever written, every year. No doubt elements of it will be melancholy for you, as it will be for me, but enjoy the season. Enjoy watching some of this rad stuff along the ride.  Peace.

***

I’ve always loved Christmas films and TV, even as I got older. There’s something about those simple, lovely themes that I do think can add some beauty to what has become an overwhelming consumerist vibe to the season. All of these have something of that vibe of togetherness, love, and reflection, though not always in the most obvious of ways. Many of them also have that sense of loss and reflection, of melancholy, that is an unmistakable part of this time of year too.

Stan

Our little Aussie streaming service that could (little in the sense that it’s owned by a massive local media conglomerate) loves Christmas. They tag their stuff really well on here and have selections of Christmas TV episodes really well curated.  

• It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) – I wrote a full review of this one a whiles back that you can read here. It’s a radical Christmas classic.
• Community: ‘Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas’(season 2, episode 11): One of my favourite things on this entire list. The spirit of the season examined through the exploration of one (Muslim) person’s mental health and search for the meaning of Christmas. A hilarious take on the Christmas musical in super cool stop motion animation.
• Parks and Recreation: ‘Ron and Diane’ (season 5, episode 9): The Parks and Rec Christmas episodes probably don’t stand alone as well as some others. But this still has giggly awed at woodworking royalty Ron Swanson which is beautiful. And the focus on Jerry Gergich, always an underrated supporting character, and his famous Christmas party is a cute way to bring in those traditional themes.
• The O.C.: ‘The Best Chrismukkah Ever’ (season 1, episode 13):  This was in the brief golden period when this show’s dynamic was so sharp. Seth Cohen’s energy comes to the fore here with the made-up holiday and Summer/Anna. Even now, so far removed from this show the music still rules. And Ben McKenzie gives a good emotional performance here as Ryan, which delivers a lot of the thematic goods.
• Bad Moms 2 (2017) – This is a solid film that never quite lives up to the promise of having a hitchhiking Susan Sarandon play the mother of Kathryn Hahn (what film could). But this is a decent comedy that is actually pretty thematically rich – zeroing in on the mental load on women during the season. Let’s face it, Christmas can be fuckin stressful and most of that falls on mums. Those themes, some really nice performances and some interesting romantic stuff make it worth a look.
• Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol (2010) – Generally I would frown on the themes of Dickens’ masterpiece being updated. But this does that in a way that totally reframes them, but is respectful – nature of memory, kids moving on from Christmas. In a way that enhances the original’s melancholy messaging. Michael Gambon is having a great time just hamming stuff up. A creative adaptation that leans into the sci-fi vibes. It’s legitimately emotional and beautiful.
• Gremlins (1984) – Not quite as fun as I recall, a bit of a plotless mess at times. But this is drenched in the Christmas season and is the ultimate ill-advised chrissy present tale. Has some of the best practical effects ever in the form of the animatronics. Gets dark.
• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: ‘Deck the Halls’ (season 1, episode 15) – In which Will is aghast at Ashleigh’s lack of Christmas spirit. Often the comedy in this show doesn’t really hold up. But this is very funny. Will Smith is great. And this is that outsider character of his brashly indoctrinating someone he cares about into Christmas. He’s a young and fearless performer here. Evander Holyfield also pops up for an all-time classic cameo.
• Batman: The Animated Series: ‘Christmas with the Joker’ (season 1, episode 38) – Starts with the Joker busting out of Arkham singing his own version of Jingle Bells. So that’s pretty sweet. It’s such a stunning looking show. Robin filled with Christmas cheer (and desperate to watch It’s a Wonderful Life) is a very good counterpoint to Bruce Wayne.
• The Polar Express (2004) – I’m certainly in the minority with this one as most people hate it. But I think it’s excellent. Something about the sensibility of it appeals. Christmas vibes and themes (particularly the role of belief in the season) mixed with some adventure film beats. One of the great cinema Santa’s Workshops too.

Netflix

The kings of Christmas schmaltz continue to flood their service with seasonal stuff, their own and older stuff too.

• A Very Murray Christmas (2015) – I’ve watched this every December since it came out. Murray’s schtick, which can be hit and miss for me, works really well in this. There are some cool songs that add to the storytelling and Sofia Coppola infuses some of her visual style in here as well. Importantly it’s also super funny.  
• The Christmas Chronicles (2018) – AKA Kurt Russell Santa The Movie. This is actually quite a meaningful take on the Christmas mythos. Plus it looks really ace and is well acted all round. A lovely sense of magic and wonder to the world created here. Another favourite I watch pretty much every year.
• The Christmas Chronicles 2 (2020) – Not as good as the first, but a more than worthwhile continuation of the characters and themes. Slick but in a not altogether bad way as there’s plenty of charm here. Goldie Hawn brings such joy and compliments Russell’s Santa very well. Leans into the elf stuff here, giving us loads more of that mythology.
• Klaus (2019) – This is an absolutely stunning looking animation. There is an interesting out of time quality to this, there’s no hint as to when it is set. It’s a different take on the character of Santa too, how they reframe it. The film at times falls into the pitfalls of contemporary animation and having too modern a sensibility, with glib winking montages making multiple appearances. But that take on Santa and the really quite poignant ending make it worthwhile.
• Holidate (2020) – Not strictly a Christmas movie. But it features and in terms of schmaltzy rom-coms this is extremely good. Plus there’s a grand romantic Christmas payoff. The sublime casting helps a lot, Emma Roberts is always ace (seeing her spit “fucking holidays” whilst smoking a durry makes this worth a watch by itself) and Luke Bracey is solid too. It’s kinda raunchy and there are loads of good laughs.
• Jingle Jangle (2020) – Love the storytime feel to this one. The whole vibe around the songs is great too. Musically interesting, great dancing and they flow beautifully with the film. Design and costuming are absolutely spot on. There are some charming relationships built up throughout the film as well, particularly a grandfather-granddaughter one.
• Brooklyn Nine-Nine: ‘Captain Latvia’ (season 4, episode 10) – Latvian gun runners, a Jingle All the Way riff and a carolling competition. Is the best, and most Christmassy, of the series’ seasonal episodes. Also stands alone easily so can just watch it in isolation.  
• Nailed It! Holiday! – Nailed It absolutely rules. It is somehow the kindest reality show that pokes fun at people truly awful at what they are attempting. Charming, unserious and Nicole Byers is the perfect host.
  • ‘We’re Scrooged’ (season 2, episode 1): A Christmas Carol themed episode with co-host Jason Mantzoukas. I haven’t always been the biggest fan of his comedic energy. But he’s fucking hilarious here. And there’s some delightful riffs on Dickens’ work. The hosts, and I, basically had a laughing fit at one of the cakes presented.
  • ‘A Classic Christmas’ (season 2, episode 2): The great Maya Rudolph brings a dry wit to this one that complements Byers and Jacques absolutely perfectly. I could listen to Rudolph riff over stellar incompetence such as not being able to open the fridge every day of the year. 
• Stuff mentioned elsewhere that’s also available on Netflix: Community: ‘Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas’ (see the Stan section), Bad Moms 2 (see the Stan section), The Polar Express (see the Stan section).

Disney+

Maybe the other kings of Christmas content, as far as sheer volume goes.

• The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) – The best Muppets movie and a fantastic adaptation of Dickens’ work. So charming. Captures that snowbound sense of (northern) Christmas. Shows the class situation of the masses well too and Michael Caine is a really excellent Scrooge. It’s a very funny script but laces it with direct lines from the book to give it the Dickens vibe. Never shies away from the absurdity that it’s the Muppets doing this story.
• A Christmas Carol (2009) – Robert Zemeckis is the man and this is a criminally underrated adaptation of the source material. The performance (or four) from Carrey is the best use of his wonderful physicality in the last 20-odd years. And it doesn’t forget this is a ghost story, some of the horror beats are chilling. The script is an excellent, emotionally resonant rendering of Dickens’ novella.
• One Magic Christmas (1985) – First the good stuff (and it’s mostly really good stuff). Harry Dean Stanton as a cowboy Christmas angel! An excellent Mary Steenburgen performance as an utterly worn-down mother figure, in a film that is super concerned with class. Another film that digs into the load on mothers at this time of year. Quite an adult film thematically. Now the bad (which is a bit of a spoiler): The film has a woman believe her whole family is dead, so she’ll get some Christmas spirit… that’s super super fucked up. But the fact I still recommend this shows how strong (and original) those good elements are.
• Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (1999) – Donald Duck is the worst fuckin character. But despite that, this Disney anthology is a good, easy Christmas watch. Some nice slapstick and traditional Christmas messages presented in a slightly different way. And the final segment functions as a quite sad indictment of what the consumerist nature of Christmas forces us into.  
• Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983) – Until the ghosts appear, this is not great at all. Aside from Scrooge being amazing casting as Ebenezer Scrooge (funny that). Looks a little cheap and some of the changes fuck up the messaging. But once the three ghosts stuff starts, this rules hard. Absolutely crushes the messaging through all three. Gets really bleak and frightening (seriously I will never understand how Dickens’ book came to be for kids) but the second half of this is as good as any of the other adaptations on the list.
• Santa’s Workshop (1932) – A rad little short. Old fashioned Disney hand-drawn animation and music at its best. It’s all nice and jauntily done, particularly the lovely rhyming script.
• Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year (2002) – A good one for the smallest of Christmas fans. Uses carols well and Eeyore is quite funny. Some of the messaging – spirit over presents – is really nice.
• Duck the Halls: A Mickey Mouse Christmas Special (2016) – First off, this is not as really young kid friendly as I was expecting. So that’s worth being aware of. But it’s also unexpectedly anarchic. Has a lot of little jokes more aimed at parents, which didn’t bother me like it often does. Uses music, both traditional and new, really well and the animation styling is cool too.
• The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022)– I have felt a little checked out on the Guardians recently. But this is a good use of those characters and screen personas. I think having the focus being on Drax and Mantis helps massively. They have a very fun, winning dynamic. In terms of soundtrack, this mix of alternate Christmas songs, is one of the best films on the list.
• The Simpsons – I was sort of surprised when I went looking that there were actually very few Christmas episodes in the show’s golden age. The ones that do exist are only ok really and I think in a way the show is too cynical to totally embrace the spirit of the season. But these two are decent enough if you really want a fix:
  • ‘Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire’ (season 1, episode 1): Rough as guts animation and voiceover. But it’s a passable Christmas storyline with a nice finish to it.
  • ‘Miracle on Evergreen Terrace’ (season 9, episode 11): Nice and Christmassy with lots of the iconography. A reasonable arc for Bart too which is rarely a strength of the show.

Amazon Prime

As evidenced by the small list of stuff only they have, Christmas is not a prime focus of these big evil folks.

• The Field Guide to Evil (2018) – This is a good not great horror anthology, held together by the commitment to the folklore vibe. And importantly for the purposes of this piece, the fifth short from Greece titled ‘Whatever Happened to Panagas the Pagan’ is a Christmas story. A very cool little one at that, with a nice mixture of and new themes and imagery. The creature is super creepy too.
• Stuff mentioned elsewhere that’s also available on Prime Video: Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol (see the Stan section) and It’s a Wonderful Life.

Tubi

If you are not aware, Tubi is a really fun, free (though ad supported) streaming service. Traditionally known for their genre/lower budget stuff, there’s some really interesting pockets of Christmas viewing to be had.

• Jack Frost (1997) – Stories about killer snowmen should be fun, and this one really is. An absolute silly delight. Plays in the slasher space. Incorporates Christmas iconography very very well (and bloodily). Though one word of warning: there is one crappy assault scene in here involving the Shannon Elizabeth character.
• A Christmas Carol (1984) – I don’t say this lightly: this is the supreme adaptation of the Dickens novella. George C. Scott as Scrooge nails the world-weariness, frustration, and coldness of the character.  It’s a super-rich characterisation. A really strong adaptation that is brought to life in a really atmospheric way. Gets to the melancholy of the story, which is so important. That recognition of time wasted. Has the class politics of the Dickens, but also the emotion. A masterpiece.
• A Christmas Carol (1999) – starts slow and early it mainly functions as comforting late 90s BBC adaptation vibes. But this grows into one of the best adaptations of this story. Patrick Stewart is excellent. Taking the journey from sneeringly harsh, to frightened, to reflective, to redeemed. It’s not just the melancholy of the season, but of a life that Dickens is concerned with and this one draws that out. The power of Christmas to transform a mindset or a person.
• Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (1970) – A lot of the classic Rankin Bass stuff is a little hard to come by on streaming so it’s cool this has popped up. Their brand of stop-motion is such a strange, mainly charming, artform. This is a fantasy informed Santa origin story. Undoubtedly old fashioned. Some amazing character design, particularly of the really quite scary villain. A straightforward, delightful Santa story. Though the future Mrs Claus does sing a very uncomfortable love song with trippy visuals.
• Tales From the Crypt (1972) – This is the best horror anthology I’ve ever seen. But for the purposes of this piece, just know that the first tale is an amazing slice of Christmas horror. Carols and Christmas trimmings give way to brutal slaying. A prototypical escaped maniac dressed like Santa story. Short, sharp and perfectly constructed.

Shudder

Horror streamers Shudder have a small, but interesting selection of stuff. What I have watched is a mixed bag, but I absolutely love this one.

• A Creepshow Holiday Special (2020) – This has a delightfully off-kilter vibe to it. It creeps along for a while, with no real Christmas content. But the moment it reveals the Christmas connection is a brilliant little beat! An awesome reframing of the department store Santa.  The whole thing weird and funny, really helped along by a wonderful performance from Anna Camp and some super funny effects & costuming.

Paramount+

Not too many folks have jumped aboard this service. And I see why to be honest. But these are two of my absolute things on this entire list. So grab a free trial and check these two out.

• Hey Arnold!: ‘Arnold’s Christmas’ (season 1, episode 20) – this absolutely crushes. Helga is a perfect character to be a cipher for Scroogey Christmas commercialism. It looks great – snowy city streets and decorations. Uses some heavy shit to convey its message – we’re talking Vietnam War flashbacks and families being separated. A refugee story, which is pretty bloody apt for Christmas. Close to perfection as a piece of Christmas media. I cried.
• The Twilight Zone: ‘Night of the Meek’(season 2, episode 11) – Bloody radical stuff. Drenched in Christmas from the start. Opens with a department store Santa on the turps. The emotion is really raw in this thing. It’s well realised and slick, with a very good script. Stark depiction of alcoholism and very class conscious. It’s a great take on the magic and spirit of Christmas, and a rare super class-conscious take on the season that’s not a Dickens adaptation.

YouTube

• Santa Claus (1898) – A fun little curio. Directed by British film pioneer George Albert Smith, this is a one minute 16 second long piece of early cinema trickery as Santa visits a couple of kids. You can see a nice copy from the BFI here.   
  
• Star Wars Christmas Special (1978) – I can’t in good conscience recommend you sit down and watch this. As a piece of art it’s wildly misjudged. But it’s a hilariously ‘good-bad’ choice to have on in the background as you wrap presents or even at a Christmas party. It’s well known that Disney will never release this officially. But given the version here has been up for 6 years and been watched a couple of million times, it’s clear they don’t give a shit enough to have it pulled down.
• A Luchagore Christmas (2015) – Two minutes of very atmospheric Christmas horror. Cool set dressing that gets darker quickly. Really dig the reinterpretation of Christmas imagery and tropes here, particularly the carol on the soundtrack. There’s a rad, gross kicker to finish it off. You can watch it here.

I’ve been pretty hesitant to hit the cinema over recent months. So I decided I would delay my best of 2021 list until I was able to see everything I wanted to in the safety of my own home. So it is even later than usual. I saw just under 100 films released in 2021. Here’s what I loved.

***

This year I have less honourable mentions than usual, but the quality of them is higher. After a really slow start, Godzilla vs Kong was so damn fun and delivered just what I was after in a film with that title. My blockbuster of choice that didn’t make the main list. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It rubbed a lot of people the wrong way, but for me this franchise continues to be the crowning jewel of the Waniverse, considering religion and horror in an interesting way. Stillwater takes some problematic turns, but it lingered with me longer than basically anything else this year, making me ponder the intersection of parenting and forgiveness. The first 40 odd minutes of The French Dispatch were my favourite Wes Anderson film ever, it fades after that but still worthwhile. Raya and the Last Dragon was my favourite animation of the year, driven by very un-Disney worldbuilding; The Strings was fuckin frightening &  arty indie horror while The Unholy was an unfairly maligned more mainstream effort in the genre.

10. Passing

Not everything works here. But what does is some of the strongest filmmaking and performances of last year. I loved the 4:3 aspect ratio, black and white shooting. Lighting is used really intelligently throughout to emphasise the themes of race and ‘passing.’ An unsettling look at various facets of racism. Tessa Thompson is such a wonderful performer, and she always has such great patter with her co-stars. Neither are flashy performances, but both her and Negga are excellent here. An intellectual, thoughtful script. The adaptation is perhaps an even greater credit to Rebecca Hall than her direction (which is also very good).

9. Shiva Baby

There was so much buzz about this film, but it was still a surprise. Has this almost genre film feeling high concept vibe. An atmosphere that builds and builds over the course of a day. Almost real-time in the way that that layers of pressure and bullshit cascade upon a person. A stark look at just how hard it is to navigate the world underneath those layers. Rachel Sennott brings all that out in a great lead performance. She is able to convey so much just through her face. There’s a sweetness brought to proceedings by the presence of Molly Gordon as a potential love interest, that cuts through what might otherwise have been too intense a mood. Great pop and chemistry between the characters. Also has a strange harsh, sharp score that the film uses really well.

8. Superhero films I wanted on this list

There is really no similarity between these two films. Which is a recommendation in itself. Another sign that superhero flicks can still sit out of the homogenous MCU mould (a mould that produces a lot of films I really dig) and head in different creative areas.

Venom: Let There be Carnage

Is this film as good as the others on this list, or even the first film in the series? No. But no two films have ever had the same swagger as these two films and I just want to honour that uniqueness by including it here. This is also by far the funniest comedy of last year. It is a great continuation of the (very homoerotic) relationship between Eddie Brock and the symbiote Venom. Leaning into something that was there in the first film, and then led to an entire internet’s worth of memes. The very intentional queer romance vibes that turns into here is the best kind of fan service. It’s also a surprisingly fantastic script that is legitimately beautiful at times. A film cut with humour, but never undercut by it.

The Eternals

I’m a little bemused by the response to this one. It feels like the really different MCU film everyone has been crying out for. Looks fuckin spectacular. Goes some intense places that are really well conveyed – it’s a wide ranging script with actual ideas. Legitimately sci-fi in terms of genre. Mixed with a globetrotting getting the band back together structure. The action is heavily CGI, but you can still feel the impact of it, and sense how it is all unfolding. Very much ambitious in story and scope, anchored in true-to-life emotion.

7. Streaming facilitated horror

There are certainly legitimate questions as to the effect that streaming has had on the cinematic landscape. But on occasion, it is undeniable that the usurping of the long-held status quo has resulted in experiments and form & function that we would not have otherwise been treated to. Like these.

The Amusement Park

How else but for streaming would a 2021 release be an educational film made by a master of horror in 1975 but never released? The film was commissioned by the Lutheran Society to highlight the horrors of ageing, but they never released it because it was too intense (not sure what they were expecting commissioning George A. Romero). The film itself is fascinating and radical. This is an attempt to make the viewer truly feel what it is to be elderly. To elicit sympathy, more through the aggressive ignoring of one’s existence than any harsh attacks (though those are there too). The everyday embarrassments and rejections. An absurdist, creative horror experience.

Fear Street: 1994

Fear Street: 1978

Fear Street: 1666

A horror trilogy, with the instalments released a week apart. An extremely cool, simple idea, which would have never been possible with a cinematic release. Thankfully all three films are well worth checking out too (my personal ranking is 1666, 1994, 1978). Director Leigh Janiak manages to take these films a really wide range of places, whilst always maintaining a YA vibe. Which is really impressive in the horror genre. A trilogy with frank sexuality, which is very open in its queerness. The entire experience is meticulously thought out and constructed around an intergenerational class divide. Mixes in mystery and tension with different subgenres of horror (slasher, witch film) in a really cool way.

6. Another Round

A clever, super astute (and enjoyable) examination of all the roles alcohol plays in our lives. From the joys of race-walking your mates when plastered; to the risking your job lows. It’s often slightly absurd, and very very funny. Four mates decide to live life just a little tipsy at all times. The subtle changes on their lives are really cleverly done. Mads Mikkelsen is one of those dudes who is just a total movie star. Ultimately manages to be both life-affirming and super melancholy.

5. The Forever Purge

The peak (to date) of the best contemporary horror franchise. A really tactile experience. Interesting that they chose to starkly differentiate this entry with the rural settings, rather than the usual urban focus. Weight lent by really good character actors. The Purge is shown to be as horrific as it should be. But then the aftermath of the night that follows: the tension, release, then tension again, is something not seen in the franchise before. Gruesome and grounded in the current political environment. It’s a series that continues to be more nuanced than anticipated. Some of it is a little clunky as a metaphor. But the whole is so arresting, with a fab diverse range of heroes, that it is absolutely worth checking out.

4. The Rescue

The filmmakers behind Free Solo nail it again basically. I wasn’t particularly invested in the material and only watched it because of the directors. There’s a deep curiosity from them that makes this so essential. That’s ultimately what elevates this recap of events that feel like they’ve been told to death. Even in a pretty talking-head heavy approach, there’s a heart to this. Something that is drawn out, that was never apparent at the time, is the deep hopelessness of the situation. How that infected people trying to save the trapped children. Also the scrappiness and motley crew vibe. And then the utterly bonkers solution that was landed on. Staggering documentary filmmaking.

3. West Side Story

Spielberg is probably the greatest blockbuster filmmaker ever, and it is fascinating to see him bring that sensibility to a classical musical remake. He immerses us in an evocative inner city of decades past. One that doesn’t really exist except in imaginations now. A film that is both rousing and earthy. There’s some bravura staging that sit alongside Spielberg’s greatest set pieces – the start of the community dance for example. A flat male lead is well and truly drowned out by Rachel Zegler, and the supporting ensemble. Not to mention some quieter moments with Rita Moreno that are lovely and beautiful. Feels like very classical filmmaking, with just the right amount of modern sensibilities added in. Ends incredibly strong.

2. First Cow

This 1820 set Western feels like the ultimate pandemic film in a way – has been new in some way for years now. The second 4:3 aspect ratio film in the list, there’s an almost painterly beauty to the imagery. Whilst at other times the visual approach also lends intimacy and intensity to other sequences. Great use of music, as well as silence. Feels very evocative of the downtrodden, harsh existence the west must have been. “This ain’t a place for cows” as one character remarks. It’s also a different west visually, lush and moist. That aids in what functions as a reframing of the mythical qualities of America. A film that slowly develops and unfolds, drawing you in ever closer to the main characters. It’s a portrait of two people, their closeness both in proximity but also spiritually. Just like #1 on this list, it’s also a wonderful film about food. A vibe film, but so much more.

1. Pig

The journey I went on while watching this film: invested in this guy and his relationship to the pig – one of the great films about food – really making me reflect on some shit from my past. A strangely, delightfully pulpy thriller. Resonated very strongly with me emotionally. A film that gets under your skin. I’m not the hugest late career Nic Cage guy, but he creates a character of immense depth here. There’s some really nice texture to this and the way it unfolds is delightfully unexpected. Repurposes the thriller style chase to dramatic ends. The whole thing has a very well-judged emotional pitch too.

*

If you’d like to see more regular writing from me, I’d love for you to head here and subscribe to my Five Rad Films newsletter. It’s an occasional (every 3-4 weeks) look at the last five films I’ve seen I rated 4 stars or above.

The third annual Christmas stuff on Aussie streaming bonanza!

***

I’ve always loved Christmas films and TV, even as I got older. There’s something about those simple, lovely themes that I do think can add some beauty to what has become an overwhelming consumerist vibe to the season. All of these have something of that vibe of togetherness, love, and reflection, though not always in the most obvious of ways.

Stan

Our little Aussie streaming service that could (little in the sense that it’s owned by a massive local media conglomerate) loves Christmas. They also tag their stuff really well on here and have selections of Christmas TV episodes really well curated.  

• It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) – I wrote a full review of this one a whiles back that you can read here. It’s a radical Christmas classic.
• Community: ‘Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas’(season 2, episode 11): This rules. The spirit of the season examined through the exploration of one (Muslim) person’s mental health and search for the meaning of Christmas. A hilarious take on the Christmas musical in super cool stop motion animation.
• Parks and Recreation: ‘Ron and Diane’ (season 5, episode 9): The Parks and Rec Christmas episodes probably don’t stand alone as well as some others. But this still has giggly awed at woodworking royalty Ron Swanson which is beautiful. And the focus on Jerry Gergich, always an underrated supporting character, and his famous Christmas party is a cute way to bring in those traditional themes.
• The O.C.: ‘The Best Chrismukkah Ever’ (season 1, episode 13):  This was in the brief golden period when this show’s dynamic was so sharp. Seth Cohen’s energy comes to the fore here with the made-up holiday and Summer/Anna. Even now, so far removed from this show the music still rules. And Ben McKenzie gives a good emotional performance here as Ryan, which delivers a lot of the thematic goods.
• Bad Moms 2 (2017) – This is a solid film that never quite lives up to the promise of having a hitchhiking Susan Sarandon play the mother of Kathryn Hahn (what film could). But this is a decent comedy that is actually pretty thematically rich – zeroing in on the mental load on women during the season. Let’s face it, Christmas can be fuckin stressful and most of that falls on mums. Those themes, some really nice performances and some interesting romantic stuff make it worth a look.
• Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol (2010) – Generally I would frown on the themes of Dickens’ masterpiece being updated. But this does that in a way that totally reframes them, but is respectful – ponders the nature of memory and kids moving on from Christmas among other ideas. Done in a way that enhances the original’s melancholy messaging. Michael Gambon is having a great time just hamming it up. A creative adaptation that leans into the sci-fi vibes. It’s legitimately emotional and beautiful.
• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: ‘Deck the Halls’ (season 1, episode 15) – In which Will is aghast at Ashleigh’s lack of Christmas spirit. Often the comedy in this show doesn’t hold up now. But this is very funny. Will Smith is great. And this Is that outsider character of his brashly indoctrinating someone he cares about into Christmas really hums. He’s a young and fearless performer here. Evander Holyfield also pops up for an all-time classic cameo.
• Batman: The Animated Series: ‘Christmas with the Joker’ (season 1, episode 38) – Starts with the Joker busting out of Arkham singing his own version of Jingle Bells. So that’s pretty sweet. It’s such a stunning looking show. Robin filled with Christmas cheer (and desperate to watch It’s a Wonderful Life) is a very good counterpoint to the Bruce Wayne vibes.

Netflix

The kings of Christmas schmaltz continue to flood their service with seasonal stuff, their own and older stuff too.

• A Very Murray Christmas (2015) – I’ve watched this every December since it came out. Murray’s schtick, which can be hit and miss for me, works really well in this. There are some cool songs that add to the storytelling and Sofia Coppola infuses some of her visual style in here as well. Importantly it’s also super funny.  
• The Christmas Chronicles (2018) – AKA Kurt Russell Santa The Movie. This is actually quite a meaningful take on the Christmas mythos. Plus it looks really ace and is well acted all round. A lovely sense of magic and wonder to the world created here. Another favourite I watch pretty much every year.
• The Christmas Chronicles 2 (2020) – Not as good as the first, but a more than worthwhile continuation of the characters and themes. Slick but in a not altogether bad way as there’s plenty of charm here. Goldie Hawn brings such joy and compliments Russell’s Santa very well. Leans into the elf stuff here, giving us loads more of that mythology.
• Klaus (2019) – This is an absolutely stunning looking animation. There is an interesting out of time quality to this, there’s no hint as to when it is set. It’s a different take on the character of Santa too, how they reframe it. The film at times falls into the pitfalls of contemporary animation and having too modern a sensibility, with glib winking montages making multiple appearances. But that take on Santa and the really quite poignant ending make it worthwhile.
• Holidate (2020) – Not strictly a Christmas movie. But it features and in terms of schmaltzy rom-coms this is extremely good. Plus there’s a grand romantic Christmas payoff. The sublime casting helps a lot, Emma Roberts is always ace (seeing her spit “fucking holidays” whilst smoking a durry makes this worth a watch by itself) and Like Bracey is solid too. It’s kinda raunchy and there are loads of good laughs.
• Jingle Jangle (2020) – Love the storytime feel to this one. The whole vibe around the songs is great too. Musically interesting, great dancing and it flows beautifully with the film. Design and costuming are absolutely spot on. There are some charming relationships built up throughout the film as well, particularly a grandfather-granddaughter one.
• Black Christmas (2019) – This is a solid Christmas slasher that has the added bonus of making a certain subset of horrible dudes irrationally angry. A rare proudly (if unsubtly) feminist flick that would fit rather nicely in a Christmas horror marathon.
• Brooklyn Nine-Nine: ‘Captain Latvia’ (season 4, episode 10) – Has everything you need – Latvian gun runners, a Jingle All the Way riff and a carolling competition. Is the best, and most Christmassy, of the series’ seasonal episodes. Also stands alone easily so can be watched in isolation.  
• Nailed It! Holiday! – Nailed It absolutely rules. It is somehow the kindest reality show that pokes fun at people truly awful at what they are attempting. Charming, unserious and Nicole Byers is the perfect host.
  • ‘We’re Scrooged’ (season 2, episode 1): A Christmas Carol themed episode with co-host Jason Mantzoukas. I haven’t always been the biggest fan of his comedic energy. But he’s fucking hilarious here. And there’s some delightful riffs on Dickens’ work. The hosts, and I, basically had a laughing fit at one of the cakes presented.
  • ‘A Classic Christmas’ (season 2, episode 2): The great Maya Rudolph brings a dry wit to this one that complements Byers and Jacques absolutely perfectly. I could listen to Rudolph riff over stellar incompetence such as not being able to open the fridge every day of the year. 
• Stuff mentioned elsewhere that’s also available on Netflix: Community: ‘Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas’ (see the Stan section), Parks and Recreation: ‘Ron and Diane’ (see the Stan section).

Disney +

Maybe the other kings of Christmas content, as far as sheer volume goes.

• The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) – The best Muppets movie and one of the better adaptations of Dickens’ work (which is one of my favourite pieces of art ever). So charming. Captures that snowbound sense of (northern) Christmas. Shows the class situation of the masses well too and Michael Caine is a really excellent Scrooge. It’s a very funny script but laces it with direct lines from the book to give it the Dickens vibe. Never shies away from the absurdity that it’s the Muppets doing this story.
• A Christmas Carol (2009) – Robert Zemeckis is the man and this is a criminally underrated adaptation of the source material. The performance (or four) from Carrey is the best use of his wonderful physicality in the last 20-odd years. And it doesn’t forget this is a ghost story, some of the horror beats are chilling. The script is an excellent, emotionally resonant rendering of Dickens’ novella.
• One Magic Christmas (1985) – First the good stuff (and it’s mostly really good stuff). Harry Dean Stanton as a cowboy Christmas angel! An excellent Mary Steenburgen performance as an utterly worn-down mother figure, in a film that is super concerned with class. Another film that digs into the load on mothers at this time of year. Quite an adult film thematically. Now the bad (which is a bit of a spoiler): The film has a woman believe her whole family is dead, so she’ll get some Christmas spirit… that’s super super fucked up. But the fact I still recommend this shows how strong (and original) those good elements are.
• Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (1999) – Donald Duck is the worst fuckin character. But despite that, this Disney anthology is a good, easy Christmas watch. Some nice slapstick and traditional Christmas messages presented in a slightly different way. And the final segment functions as a quite sad indictment of what the consumerist nature of Christmas forces us into.  
• Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983) –Scrooge being cast as Ebenezer Scrooge is spectacular (funny that). And Goofy mmakes a great, silly Marley. Especially once the three spirits stuff starts, this rules hard. Absolutely crushes the messaging through all three. Gets really bleak and frightening (seriously I will never understand how Dickens’ book came to be for kids) but the second half of this is as good as any of the other adaptations on the list. Amazing it’s only 26 minutes long, but feels faithful.
• Santa’s Workshop (1932) – A rad little short. Old fashioned Disney hand-drawn animation and music at its best. It’s all nice and jauntily done, particularly the lovely rhyming script.
• Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Christmas (2002) – A good one for the smallest of Christmas fans. Uses carols well and Eeyore is quite funny. Some of the messaging – spirit over presents – is really nice.
• Duck the Halls: A Mickey Mouse Christmas Special (2016) – First off, this is not as really young kid friendly as I was expecting. So that’s worth being aware of. But it’s also unexpectedly anarchic. Has a lot of little jokes more aimed at parents, which didn’t bother me like it often does. Uses music, both traditional and new, really well and the animation styling is cool too.
• The Simpsons – I was sort of surprised when I went looking that there were actually very few Christmas episodes in the show’s golden age. The ones that do exist are only ok really and I think in a way the show is too cynical to totally embrace the spirit of the season. But these two are decent enough if you really want a fix:
  • ‘Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire’ (season 1, episode 1): Rough as guts animation and voiceover. But it’s a passable Christmas storyline with a nice finish to it.
  • ‘Miracle on Evergreen Terrace’ (season 9, episode 11): Nice and Christmassy with lots of the iconography. A reasonable arc for Bart too which is rarely a strength of the show.

Amazon Prime Video

As evidenced by the small list of stuff only they have, Christmas is not a prime focus of these big evil folks at the moment.

• The Field Guide to Evil (2018) – This is a good not great horror anthology, held together by the commitment to the folklore vibe. But importantly for the purposes of this piece, the fifth short from Greece titled ‘Whatever Happened to Panagas the Pagan’ is a Christmas story. A very cool little one at that, with a nice mixture of and new themes and imagery. The creature is super creepy too.
• Stuff mentioned elsewhere that’s also available on Prime Video: Parks and Recreation: ‘Ron and Diane’ (see the Stan section), Bad Moms 2 (see the Stan section), Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol (see the Stan section).

Tubi

A new service for this year’s list – Tubi is a really fun, free (though ad supported) streaming service. Traditionally known for their genre/lower budget stuff, there’s some really interesting pockets of Christmas viewing to be had.

• Jack Frost (1997) – Stories about killer snowmen should be fun, and this one really is. An absolute silly delight. Plays in the slasher space. Incorporates Christmas iconography very very well (and bloodily). Though one word of warning: there is one crappy assault scene in here involving the Shannon Elizabeth character.
• A Christmas Carol (1984) – I don’t say this lightly: this is the supreme adaptation of the Dickens novella. George C. Scott as Scrooge nails the world-weariness, frustration, and coldness of the character. It’s a super-rich characterisation. A very strong piece of adaptation that is brought to life in a really atmospheric way. Gets to the melancholy of the story, which is so important – that recognition of time wasted. Has the class politics of the Dickens, but also the emotion. A masterpiece.

Shudder

Horror streamers Shudder have a small, but interesting selection of Christmas stuff. What I watched was a mixed bag, but loved these couple.

• A Creepshow Horror Special (2020) – This has a delightfully off-kilter vibe to it. It creeps along for a while, with no real Christmas content. But the moment it reveals the Christmas connection is a brilliant little beat! An awesome reframing of the department store Santa.  The whole thing weird and funny, really helped along by a wonderful performance from Anna Camp and some super funny effects & costuming.
• Saint (2010) – A surprising Christmas horror. Playfully gruesome and schlocky. Really like the way the film infuses mythology into the (mainly) contemporary setting. Turns into a fun little buddy-cop jaunt at the end. Charming and super Christmassy.

Paramount +

Not too many folks have jumped aboard this service. And I see why to be honest. But these are two of my absolute favourite new additions to this list. So grab a free trial and check these two out.

• Hey Arnold!: ‘Arnold’s Christmas’ (season 1, episode 20) – this absolutely crushes and is my favourite new addition to this year’s list. Helga is a perfect character to be a cipher for Scroogey Christmas commercialism. It looks great – snowy city streets and decorations. Uses some heavy shit to convey its message – we’re talking Vietnam War flashbacks and families being separated. A refugee story, which is pretty bloody apt for Christmas. Close to perfection as a piece of Christmas media. I cried.
• The Twilight Zone: ‘Night of the Meek’(season 2, episode 11) – Bloody radical stuff. Drenched in Christmas from the start. Opens with a department store Santa on the turps. The emotion is really raw in this thing. It’s well realised and slick, with a very good script. Stark depiction of alcoholism and super class conscious. It’s a great take on the magic and spirit of Christmas.

SBS on Demand

• Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010) – This sparse, snowbound horror succeeds wonderfully at what it is trying to do. A great, taut little storyline drives a film that is as much about family as anything else (just like Christmas). A truly original, stylishly shot film that has some fantastically creepy moments. Cool, unique father/son tale too.

YouTube

• Santa Clause (1898) – A fun little curio. Directed by British film pioneer George Albert Smith, this is a one minute 16 second long piece of early cinema trickery as Santa visits a couple of kids. You can see a nice copy from the BFI here.   
• Star Wars Christmas Special (1978) – I can’t in good conscience recommend you sit down and watch this. As a piece of art it’s wildly misjudged. But it’s a hilariously ‘good-bad’ choice to have on in the background as you wrap presents or even at a Christmas party. It’s well known that Disney will never release this officially. But given the version here has been up for 6 years and been watched a couple of million times, it’s clear they don’t give a shit enough to have it pulled down.
• A Luchagore Christmas (2015) – Two minutes of very atmospheric Christmas horror. Cool set dressing that gets darker quickly. Really dig the reinterpretation of Christmas imagery and tropes here, particularly the carol on the soundtrack. There’s a rad, gross kicker to finish it off. You can watch it here.

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Filmy people will (understandably) reject the question. But I am often asked why I watch horror by those around me. Here’s four semi-formed thoughts as to why.

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Horror allows us to ruminate on the supernatural and the unknown. In many horror films, the supernatural is plainly real. There is life after death and power is wielded from beyond. In something like The Conjuring franchise God and the Devil exist and are able to exert power on earth. These films, particularly The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) sit at the intersection of these kind of powers, and how humans can possibly hope to interreact or counteract those forces. Horror also allows us to grapple with physical things that may be true. Pondering whether there is life beyond earth in a universe that is apparently endless can leave us feeling alone and shit scared. Strangely, aliens in film, while making elements of that fear more tangible, can also be almost comforting as the concreteness of them allows them to be explored in a new way. They can provide real danger and menace, but they can also be defeated. Horror films can answer the ‘is there x’ in the first 5 mins and spend the rest of that time looking at how the fuck that operates and how it effects characters.

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Horror is a physical experience. Apart from a ‘side splitting’ comedy, film is rarely a physical experience. In horror there is tension and release. Often the former is long and the latter sudden. Watching a decent horror film is never a flat line. It is up and down. Terror and comfort. Total engagement. Horror comes in short bursts. Though at times this physical element can go too far. The claustrophobia of The Descent is an experience that was too oppressive for some viewers (though loved by many). Horror is concerned with the physical form in many ways. It’s destruction or its transcendence (sometimes both). But more than any other genre, it makes the viewer more aware of their body. How it tightens, grips the seats or even how the eyes can be averted to a part of the screen that is perceived as safer (how many viewers have taken a spell looking at the exit sign to the side of the cinema screen rather than at the film unfolding). Nothing in cinema compares to getting caught out by a jump scare – the absolute and immediate rush of adrenalin and fear, the sharp relief and then so often the awareness and embarrassment of sheepishly looking around to see who noticed that the film really got you.

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Horror is a way of engaging with the fucked-up world in a safe way. It’s not quite that crime fiction thing of being comforted by the bad guy always getting caught so we are safe. It’s something realer and often more unsettling than that. Horror is often drawn from fact and some of the best of the genre does not shy away from the fact that the bad guy does not always get caught. Great horror can grapple with murder, sexual assault and other real-life horrors in a thought-provoking way. It can examine and illuminate. This can happen in a few different ways. Something like Ti West’s The Sacrament (2013), or even Justin Kurzel’s Snowtown (2011), immerses us in an event that has been repeated in passing endlessly. But these films dwell on that horror and make us feel a tiny percentage of what the people there would have been feeling. Strangely this deeper engagement with real life horror and real-life horrific people is often perceived as more disrespectful than passing mentions or flat out pretending an event did not occur and that it did not irreparably change people and places (a debate most recently seen here around the release of Kurzel’s Nitram (2021)). The Purge franchise has evolved to fit this description too. What was initially a just a cool high concept idea has evolved alongside the rapidly changing world. Embracing head-on the sweeping tide of conservatism and Trumpism, incorporating the real-life atmosphere more and more into the events and messaging of the film. Along the way, and perhaps as a result, growing into the best contemporary horror franchise there is.

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Horror is comforting. All genre thick with iconography comes with a level of comfort. Even horror. There’s reassurance in that surface level familiarity. Hats and guns in the western, chases in action, cops and baddies in crime films.  Here it’s basements or grotesquely oversized animals that charm and strangely comfort. The classic Universal Monsters series trades heavily on this, and films like House of Frankenstein (1944) are predicated almost solely on this. This underappreciated classic is a jaunt of characters such as Dracula and the Wolfman, with charming effects and playful tropes (quicksand!). And that’s really all there is to it. That stuff is a warm blanket to horror fans. This is repurposed and taken to an extreme in something like the Hotel Transylvania series or even the playful takes on horror from The Muppets and Lego Star Wars that we’ve seen this October. We also see more modern creature features trade in, and update this. Something like Anaconda (1997) or particularly Lake Placid (1999) are charming in the scripts they choose to lay their gigantic killers against. The creativity of the visuals and the kills make the horror fan feel at home.

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Over six years ago I reviewed the first nine films in the Friday the 13^th franchise on this blog. For some reason I never got around to reviewing the final entry. I thought Halloween season was as good a time as any (obviously wrote this last bit a couple of months ago and only just getting around to finally posting this now).

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Jason X (2001) hasn’t quite achieved total cult status yet. But there has been something of a warming to the film over recent years. Honestly, it’s hard to see why.

Futuristic Jason in space is an utterly wild, and inspired, place to take this franchise. More the pity then that they made it so incredibly boring. Opening text on the screen informs us the location is ‘Crystal Lake Research Facility’. Which is awesome. The short prelude sees Jason and scientist Rowan LaFontaine cryogenically frozen, then ending up thawed out on a spaceship in the 2400s. Which is also awesome. For the most part though, what follows is tepid rather than awesome. Almost as if they wanted to give this silliest of concepts a relatively straight presentation for some reason. It also becomes apparent that a not very imaginatively put together spaceship is a less engaging locale for a slasher than a camp in the woods. There’s less places for the characters to explore and escape to, and less texture to the visuals.

Curiously Jason is essentially invincible now. Which makes him a less interesting figure. Especially given his occasional vulnerable moments throughout the franchise is something that set him apart from his villainous contemporaries. Whilst it is clear Jason is never going to ‘die’ before the last few minutes, this lack of vulnerability makes him a really flat figure. But on the positive side, the design of Jason (both of them I guess) rules hard. It fits in with the setting and the vibe of what a better version of this film would look like. The reanimated version late in the film (uber-Jason I believe) looks harsh and metallic and rad. There are one or two fun moments through the film – the first kill which is the only one where the creators tapped into any sort of creativity with this stuff; and the dated CGI is actually rather charming rather than distracting. But wow what a bloody let down.  

Verdict: How in the world do you make Jason In Space this incredibly dull. It’s certainly not the worst of the franchise. But it is the most disappointing. Schooner of Carlton Draught

1. Friday the 13^th Part VII
2. Jason Goes to Hell
3. Friday the 13^th Part 2
4. Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI
5. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
6. Friday the 13^th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
7. Friday the 13^th
8. Jason X
9. Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning
10. Friday the 13th Part III

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Five films off the 1001 Films to See Before You Die list. One paragraph each. That’s it.

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Project A: Part II (1987), directed by Jackie Chan – In which new police boss Jackie Chan attempts to straighten out the incompetent, crooked team he is in charge of. And choosing to take on the formerly protected big gangster in town too. Similar to the first of these, this features some of Chan’s best, most beautifully structured action sequences. There is a gritty, hard-hitting feeling to it that is not always there in his work. The period setting and narrative seriousness also seem to strip the sequences back. Not so much about flair as about blokey one-upmanship. If anything the film could have done with more fight scenes. The narrative is simple, but cleanly done, basically all that is needed for an action film. Though Chan’s amusing side does come out, even if it is more measured here – subtle situations and hijinks. The wild stunts are another highpoint to this and serve to show just how much of a true creative Chan is. Verdict: Pint of Kilkenny

The Last Wave (1977), directed by Peter Weir – Similar to Walkabout (1977) from six years earlier, this is another Aussie classic that reminds us our film culture is weirder than often given credit for. The atmosphere is immediately disquieting. Loud thunder over a perfect sky. And weather as atmosphere is an ever-present through the whole film. The routine is made to feel ominous. A hand reaching out to remove a plug puts you on edge. It’s a creepy film, weaving in elements of sci-fi and horror to great effect. People from dreams appear in real life. Almost sci-fi through an Indigenous Australian framing, dreamtime as sci-fi tropes. An approach that often feels respectful, but on occasions does veer into uneasy territory. It doesn’t always work. But worth checking out thanks to the unique approach, as well as the Richard Chamberlain, David Gulpilil lead duo at its core. A great example of how two onscreen energies working well together can enhance the thematic weight of a film. Verdict: Stubby of Reschs

The War Game (1966), directed by Peter Watkins – Extremely early look at the aftermath of a nuclear incident. Opens with a very matter of fact documentary style, but that does loosen a little. In fact the lack of commitment to the faux documentary – qualifiers like ‘should Britain ever do this’ and ‘if there was a war’ – serve to lessen the intensity of the end product. It’s distancing. But that’s not to say it is not harrowing at times. Enhanced by the incredible makeup work chiefly amongst the general technical proficiency. Above anything else, this is a procedural, digging into the minutiae of the chaos and response. Makes clear the evil on both sides and the general absurdity of nuclear weaponry in general. Briefly examines the endorsement or comfort level of the populace in that too.   Verdict: Stubby of Reschs

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), directed by Pedro Almodovar –  Almodovar is in rambunctious mode here. From the plotting, to the characters to his use of music (early on here opera is infused into the most mundane of scenes). The approach to conveying this sense of a number of women on the verge is to imbue things with an almost mania. Which works for the most part. Characters are added to the swirling pot in a kind of cacophony of hectic activity and irrational decisions. But even with all of that, it often feels like an oddly uncharismatic film from Almodovar. This is despite the solid script, which settles into lovely farce after a while. A baggy shirted, very young Antonio Banderas is good as a wide-eyed, naïve, bit of a dick. Whilst in the lead Carmen Maura is very funny, whilst also grounding the entire thing. Verdict: Stubby of Reschs 

Seven Chances (1925), directed by Buster Keaton – This opens really cleverly. Passing of the seasons and a growing dog used to show how Keaton cannot share his emotions. Not exactly straight into the slapstick. But it doesn’t take long and there’s plenty of it – no one in cinema history has been able to walk into the wrong location quite like him. Keaton has always been about more than just slapstick and this film shows that very well. He does wry very well and he shows a fair bit of acting range here. There’s a couple of rightly iconic sequences, as Buster is chased through the streets. The action is big and beautifully shot, showcasing the athleticism of the lead. Quirky in jokes – repetition of the number 7 and funny consideration of time. It’s a wonderful ride, even if the end result is perhaps really charming rather than all-time classic. Verdict: Pint of Kilkenny

Progress: 156/1001

If you’d like to see more regular writing from me, I’d love for you to head here and subscribe to my Five Rad Films newsletter. It’s an occasional (every 3-4 weeks) look at the last five films I’ve seen I rated 4 stars or above.