My favourite Christmas movies (And a TV show for added festive fun)

Everyone loves Christmas movies; they are the perfect antidote to the cold dark days of Winter, and more so than ever this year they are great for lifting the mood.

In my Festive Favourites of Film & TV, I will also be answering some heavy-hitting questions such as is Love Actually actually good? Is Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut a Christmas film? And, of course, the much-debated Nightmare Before Christmas conundrum, is it a Halloween film or a Christmas movie?

So without further ado, let’s say cheers to the season and have a look at my Festive Faves

Home Alone - Stream on Disney+

A classic that I have watched over and over again since I was a child. Back in the day, my sister and I would watch it on VHS tape probably every year, and we were utterly obsessed with Angels with Filthy Souls the fake black and white gangster movie that Kevin watches and would re-enact the scene over and over again (we still do sometimes). I also think the idea of being left home alone over Christmas spoke to my introverted soul, and I felt that I would totally enjoy it. But I guess every kid felt the same and as you grow up you realise half the joy of Christmas is the communal experience (RIP Christmas 2020).

The Nightmare Before Christmas - Stream on Disney+

I have so much love for this stop-motion masterpiece and while some may argue that it is a Halloween movie I most ardently think that it is a Christmas film and one of the best at that. I think it captures the wonder and awe of Christmas in a very unique and charming way. I watch The Nightmare Before Christmas every year and will probably be watching it on Christmas Eve this year or maybe tonight who knows.

The Holiday - Stream on Netflix

I am a sucker for a Rom-Com and The Holiday is my festive film of choice within that genre, I was umming and ahhing as to whether I should choose Love Actually instead, but I’m not so sure about that film anymore.

I feel like modern dissections make me realise that it’s somewhat problematic, but I still find some of it funny, like the scene with Rowan Atkinson pretentiously wrapping a gift.

But anyway, back to The Holiday, and while it’s not without its issues, I would be inclined to say that it has aged better than Love Actually. It’s light-hearted fluff, and tbh I would totally spend Christmas at Iris’s cute country cottage.

Carol - Stream on Amazon Prime

Carol is gorgeously shot, and the performances by Cate Blancett and Rooney Mara are stunning. I love the moment Carol and Therese meet at the department store.

Also, Therese reminds me of how I used to behave working in retail over Christmas, nervous and quoting product specifications because I read all the material on the items I had to sell. I also wrote a film review of Carol a few years back on my old blog that I copied over to this one (wow, 5 years, to be precise!).

Hjem til Jul (Home for Christmas) - Netflix Original TV Series

This Norwegian language TV series is a concoction of romantic comedy genre tropes in one delightfully festive package, and I can’t get enough!

Joanne is a single 30-year-old nurse who is quite ok with her relationship status until the festive season rolls around. At the first advent dinner, her family criticise her for not having a boyfriend and sit her next to her brother’s noisy twins. Hell on earth, essentially.

So in true rom-com heroine style, instead of resigning herself to a repeat come Christmas Day, Joanne announces that she has a boyfriend without thinking. Thus a mad 24-day hunt ensues as she tries to find the perfect man to bring home for Christmas.

Eyes Wide Shut - Available to rent on BFI Player & other platforms

Am I clutching at straws to include this film in a Festive Favourites list? After all what says Christmas more than a secret high society sex cult?

Well, nothing other than the fact that Eyes Wide Shut takes place over the festive season, and I love Stanley Kubrick, so you can’t stop me from including it!

While it’s not your usual Christmas movie brimming with festive cheer or romance, it’s almost like a shot of reality, or perhaps it could even be called an Anti-Christmas film.

Film Critic Lee Seigel wrote:

“There is the fantasy of absolute gratification, cynically projected from every corner of the culture, and there is the reality of the cookie and the child and the homework and the companion you have chosen, and for whom, despite everything, you sit at home waiting. Compared with the everyday reality of sex and emotion, our fantasies of gratification are, yes, pompous and solemn in the extreme. That is why the film’s recurrent motif is of the Christmas tree. For desire is like Christmas: it always promises more than it delivers.”

This analysis really hits the nail on the head. When you delve deeper into the film, its themes of sexuality, ego, desire, and sexism really are complemented by the fantastic metaphor of Christmas. And, of course, it goes without saying that all those lights make for great cinematography.

Let me know in the comments what your Favourite Festive Film and TV picks are.

August 2020 Watchlist

This month my watchlist is dominated by non-English language content with Danish, Korean and German dramas at the forefront but the Jordan Peele produced Lovecraft Country looks to be one of this year’s best shows. What TV Shows will you be watching this month?

The Rain - Netflix - All 3 seasons

I only just started watching this Danish post-apocalypse series recently and after the first episode, I was hooked. It takes place after a mysterious virus that is brought with the rain kills off most of Scandinavia (and perhaps the rest of the world). There’s family, end of the world brutality and an interesting moral sci-fi dilemma. Great pandemic viewing.

Stranger Season 2 (비밀의 숲 2) - Netflix & TvN - August 15th/16th

I am so glad that this Korean Crime drama is back for another season, normally it’s one-season and done with Korean TV shows but sometimes and it’s happening more and more now, we get a continuation of a story. Stranger follows Prosecutor Hwang Shi-Mok (Cho Seung-woo) as he investigates corruption alongside Police Officer Han Yeo-Jin (the always amazing Bae Doo-na). I’m not too sure what this seasons story will be as there has been no trailer with English subtitles released yet!

Lovecraft Country - HBO & Now TV - August 16th & 17th

Jordan Peele is one of the executive producers for this show that is based on the book of the same name. The premise of both mediums and their namesakes comes from a mingling of H.P. Lovecrafts iconic bizarre horror and 1950’s Jim Crow America. I’m getting a little bit of an Indiana Jones vibe mixed with a whole lot of darkness! I think this could be one of the best TV shows of the year!

Biohackers - Netflix - August 20th

I am so interested in the idea of biohacking, I watched this documentary when I was younger about cloning and genetic modifications (goats that produce spider silk instead of milk, that kind of thing) and I have kinda been a little obsessed by the idea of self-perpetuated evolution, be that through cybernetics or biohacking. So, this German language TV looks like it will be right up my alley and kind of feels like it might fill the void left by Orphan Black.

July 2020 Watchlist

Valeria - Netflix - Already Available

Touted as a Spanish Sex and the City, Valeria follows four friends as they navigate life in Madrid. The protagonist Valeria is a struggling writer who has been married for 6 years, then she meets Victor a charming troublemaker at a party. I’ve already watched a couple of episodes and I am hooked!

Insecure - HBO & Now TV - Already Available

In a major oversight and perhaps an avoidance of American comedy has lead me to not take notice of Insecure. But after the massive wake up call that was the past few months, I need to make sure I’m watching black oriented narratives more. Insecure tells the story of two women Issa and Molly who have been friends since university and how they navigate relationships, jobs and life in america as black women.

The Luminaries - BBC One & iPlayer - Already airing

As a general rule of thumb, if Eva Green is in something then it’s good. The Luminaries is a miniseries adapted from the Man-Booker winning book of the same name. It is set during the 1860’s gold-rush in New Zealand and is a story of love, betrayal and murder…sounds intriguing. The series also stars Eve Hewson, Himesh Patel and Marton Csokas.

Warrior Nun - Netflix - July 2nd

The title alone is enough to pique my interest. Warrior Nun looks like it will be a fun and ridiculous romp and I’m all here for that. The premise is that a young woman awakens in a morgue with some kind of powerful divine artefact embedded into her back and she soon discovers a new world of demonic forces and a sect of nuns who are trained to fight these monsters. The world is in a really weird place right now so a little supernatural fun will do no harm.

Cursed - Netflix - July 17th

From Frank Miller, Cursed is a reimagining of the legend of Arthur. Judging by this trailer we are going to get a similar visual style to 300 and Sin City, which I love. It’s also a series to watch if you fell in love with The Witcher last year. Toss a coin to Netflix, oh valley of plenty, oh valley of plenty

The Umbrella Academy - Netflix - July 31st

Season 1 was such a blast so I am really hyped for The Umbrella Academy to return, unfortunately, there is no trailer for season 2 yet but I’m sure it’s coming very soon. The storytelling is fantastic and it’s a great twist on the overwrought superhero genre so if your yet to delve into this show go watch season 1 ASAP.

June 2020 TV Watchlist

Summer is here and Netflix is the king of content with quite the line-up of TV Shows that have caught my attention this month. We Have the final chapter of Netflix’s mind blowing German time travel series Dark. Every Korean Drama fan is probably counting down the days until Kim Soo-Hyun's new drama comes out. Queer Eye is back as the world celebrates Pride Month, and Michaela Coel’s new tv series I May Destroy You explores a post #MeToo era story from the point of view of a Black Woman.

Devs - BBC iPlayer - Full series, aired back in April! (way to go Cate)

I don’t know how I missed this show completely for like 2 months as I love Alex Garland’s films (Ex Machina and Annihilation) and I really like Sonoya Mizuno’s work (several being Garland’s projects). I am so annoyed at myself for just being totally oblivious to this shows airing as I found out about it ages ago when it was first announced! Nevermind.

Devs is a sci-fi infused mystery that follows Mizuno’s Lily Chan who is trying to find out why her boyfriend suddenly disappears after being put on a top-secret project at the tech firm they both work at. From the trailer, it looks like the show will explore ideas of fate, free will and determinism.

Queer Eye Season 5 - Netflix - June 5th

I love love love Queer Eye, it may just be the most wholesome and positive reality tv show I have ever watched. The Fab Five (Antoni, Bobby, Jonathan, Karamo and Tan) help a person each episode to transform into the best version of themselves and it’s just so damn inspiring to see people regain confidence and love for themselves.

I May Destroy You - HBO/BBC iPlayer - June 7th/June 8th

Written by and starring Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You is quite frankly essential viewing. This series tackles the issue of sexual consent and exploitation in a post #MeToo world and explores these subjects through the eyes of a black woman in London. From the trailer, it looks like this will be a comedy-drama, offsetting the dark subject matter with humour as a palatable way to engage in a meaningful conversation about a serious issue.

Curon - Netflix - June 10th

Netflix just keeps rolling out exciting international content! Curon looks like a cool supernatural thriller that has taken cues from shows like Stranger Things and Dark, by setting it in a small community full of mystery and intrigue.

It's Okay to Not Be Okay (사이코지만 괜찮아) - TvN & Netflix - June 20th

Interestingly the titles of this tv show do not match up, when you translate 사이코지만 괜찮아 to English it's ‘Psycho but it’s OK’ - which I feel is a riff on Park Chan Wook’s film I’m a Cyborg, But it’s OK (in my opinion anyway). What will this mean for the show? No clue but there could be some fantasy elements or ‘delusions’ in a similar vein to Park’s quirky comedy. That’s enough speculation…

The official synopsis is that its a romance between two people, Go Moon Young (Seo Ye-Ji) an antisocial children's book author and Moon Kang-Tae (Kim Soo Hyun) a Selfless man who works on a psychiatric ward who heal each other. Also, this series is Kim Soo-Hyun’s first drama since being discharged from the army so obviously I am super hyped.

Dark - Netflix - June 27th

This may be bold of me to say but Dark is probably not only the best show on Netflix but one the best tv shows ever created. I have been obsessed since the first episode and have rewatched it periodically trying to get my mind around all the stuff that happens. It’s a mind f***k and a half and that’s what makes it so compelling. In Season 1 the question was not where but when, then at the end of Season 2 another massive curveball was thrown at us ‘What world?’! Ahh Alternate realities exist too!

May 2020 TV Watchlist

If you're looking for something to watch and you’ve already watched all of Netflix, I’ve got you. This is my May Watchlist, a break down of all the TV shows I’m anticipating this coming month

When My Love Blooms (화양연화 – 삶이 꽃이 되는 순간) - Viki & tvN - Already Airing

I would have included this drama in my April watchlist but I didn’t know whether it would be available in the UK due to how the licensing works on Viki. Thankfully that is no longer a mystery as the first two episodes are up already.

This drama follows Han Jae-Hyun and Yoon Ji-Soo at two different times in their lives, back in the 90’s when they were both in their 20’s and the present day in where they are now in their 40’s. It’s a love story, but an understated and raw one. And just like I'll Go to You When the Weather is Nice and Chocolate have been my favourite dramas recently, I feel like this one is going to join the list as it’s a soothing, heartfelt story with beautiful poetic cinematography and great performances.

Good Casting (굿캐스팅) - Viki & SBS - Already Airing

Good Casting is a light-hearted spy comedy, a Korean Charlie’s Angels if you will. Two episodes have aired so far and it’s just so much fun. The premise is that a mismatch of three female agents are bought into a mission to find a corporate spy before he steals intellectual property from one of the largest firms in Korea. The three women are a workaholic who got a fellow agent killed, a young single mum who is a total rookie and an ageing spy who has been stuck in a desk job for years. You can expect cool choreographed fight scenes and pitch-perfect comedy, just what we need in these testing times.

The Eddy - Netflix - May 8th

From Damien Chazelle, the director of La La Land and Whiplash comes another Jazz infused creation. The Eddy is an 8-part series set in Paris featuring a wonderful cast of actors from André Holland (Moonlight, Selma) to Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give) to Joanna Kulig (Zimna wojna) to one of my favourite French actors Tahir Rahim (Un prophète, Le passé). The cinematography looks like it will have frenetic energy to it, almost a documentary style which matches well with the improvisational style of Jazz.

Homecoming Season 2 - Amazon Prime - May 22nd

Full disclosure, I haven’t actually watched season 1. But I love Mr Robot and Sam Esmail is the mind behind both of these TV shows and I am a massive fan of Janelle Monae’s music so I feel like I need to watch it. Also the trailer has me intrigued, so I think a binge of season one is on order this month too.

Snowpiercer - Netflix - May ???

Netflix doesn’t even show a release date but according to TNT its May 17th and according to Geektown its May 25th.

This is a wildcard watch, or shall I say an ‘out of curiosity’ watch. I love the Bong Joon-ho film and recommend it to pretty much everyone so I’m interested to see if this American tv adaptation is a complete f-up or if it’s actually any good.

Let me know in the comments section what TV Shows you have on your watchlist this month.