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First Viewing Plot: At a Christmas party, Senior Detective Terry Seattle and guest stars Jason Bateman and Maya Rudolph work to find out who killed Santa.

I'm not familiar with the Netflix show Murderville which debuted this year, and I hadn't even heard of it prior to this Christmas special appearing on the service, but I decided to give this one a whirl anyway due to the cast. Plus, it's only 50 minutes long and it's free to watch on Netflix. Despite no familiarity with the show, I didn't feel like I missed anything and caught on pretty quickly. This feels like an extended SNL skit at times, particularly due to how improvised it feels, but with a bit more polish to the cinematography and production design. There are some funny scenes but there are also scenes which fall flat, plus the late introduction of Pete Davidson feels superfluous and didn't raise any laughter out of me. Nevertheless, this is short and enjoyable enough that I don't regret watching it, but I don't intend to revisit it and I probably won't watch the main show in a hurry.

First Viewing Plot: Two college students share a ride home for the holidays, but when they break down on a deserted stretch of road, they are preyed upon by the ghosts of people who have died there.

I can't even remember how this one came across my radar, but I always seek out Christmas movies of all shapes and sizes at this time of year, and some corner of the internet recommended it as an alternative Christmas horror. Luckily, I'm glad I gave it a shot; this is an atmospheric, often compelling horror flick with a solid cast, including Emily Blunt in an earlier performance. It's definitely more of a horror movie than a Christmas film, as the Christmas setting is more like window dressing - you don't get much festive imagery, but you do get some Christmas songs on the radio. Most of Wind Chill takes place inside a car on the side of the road, and the characters don't stray far from this spot, but the director keeps the pacing tight, with ample tension during the horror sequences. The characters aren't dumb or disposable, either, as they do try to do everything with the resources at their disposal to find help and get out of there. I could basically feel the freezing cold air, and I was on the edge of my seat a few times. This is a rock-solid horror movie, and it's a good watch at this time of year if you're seeking an alternative to the typical Hallmark schmultz.

First Viewing Plot: Old bitter miser Ebenezer Scrooge who makes excuses for his uncaring nature learns real compassion when three ghosts visit him on Christmas Eve.

I've seen so many iterations of this story that it's becoming difficult to care, but this one was free on Prime and the cast intrigued me - I mean, Kate Winslet and Nicolas Cage, not to mention Kate sings an original song that actually charted. Being a TV movie, the animation is very rough around the edges, with the motion, in particular, looking stodgy. The live-action bookends are also rather superfluous, to the extent that a version was released without the live-action scenes. Still, I enjoyed watching this iteration of the story, and I appreciated the adjustments to the story. Some scenes from the book are re-ordered, too, which works surprisingly well for this interpretation, and Scrooge's old love actually plays a part in the present which is something I haven't seen before. I liked the visual style in certain scenes, such as the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come which is chilling, and the voice cast give it their all. It's not great, but I don't regret watching this.

First Viewing Plot: Fed up with the materialism of Christmas, Santa runs away to New Zealand for a summer holiday. When two Kiwi kids figure out who he is, they have to find a way to get him back to the North Pole in time for Christmas.

I believe this is the first New Zealand Christmas movie which is a prospect that immediately intrigued me, especially since Australia is such a close neighbour. Despite the low IMDb rating, I'm glad I watched Kiwi Christmas and, although it's not perfect, I greatly enjoyed it for the most part. It's sweet and good-natured from the first frame, with an appealing cast and beautiful New Zealand locations. The story is slightly over-the-top by incorporating the real Santa Claus meeting everyday people, and the digital effects for the flying sleigh and the North Pole are admittedly flimsy as hell, with some shots looking like a second-rate computer game, but the movie is sincere about its oddball premise aside from the superfluous inclusion of border security agents who are paranoid about fruits and vegetables being moved into the area. There are a few too many cartoonish villainous archetypes, especially from another man camping nearby who has it out for the main characters. This is about the only major misstep, however. Even though it's aimed towards children, the movie will appeal to almost everybody seeking a fun Christmas movie. It's festive, it's easygoing, and it's distinctly Kiwi, which is all I wanted from this movie.

First Viewing Plot: After a break up, Jenny moves in with writer Kelly, her filmmaker husband, and their child. Despite a rocky start, Jenny's influence helps Kelly realize that an evolution in her life, career and relationship is necessary for her happiness.

Despite the implications of its title, Happy Christmas is not a happy movie, nor is it about Christmas. It does nothing to put you in the festive spirit, as the setting is largely incidental. Perhaps it was only set at Christmas to lure in poor schmucks like me who binge Yuletide films every December. A predominantly improvised movie which wasn't scripted, this little indie movie is lacking in substance, and, more importantly, a purpose for existing. The movie is pointless and aimless, with no major developments going on and the characters not undergoing any sort of distinctive arc. It reminds me of the screenwriting seminar scene from the movie Adaptation. This is director Joe Swanberg's third movie, and apparently his previous features were in a similar mould, making me want to actively avoid them. Swanberg is very much in love with the old indie aesthetic, shooting on 16mm film and giving this flick the look and feel of the early works of Kevin Smith or Richard Linklater. I'm surprised it wasn't filmed in black and white, to be honest. The problem is that whereas Linklater knows how to do slice of life, and Kevin Smith's hook is insightful, witty pop culture-infused dialogue, Happy Christmas is just all over the place, and the 16mm cinematography feels too self-conscious rather than giving the movie more personality. I didn't laugh, I didn't find much to enjoy, and I didn't become invested in the characters. This one is a bust.

First Viewing Plot: Jules Claus has embraced Christmas again and is getting ready for the busiest time of the year together with grandpa Noël. Everything seems to go according to plan, until Jules receives a very special letter with an intriguing question.

A quickie sequel which was initially released barely a year after the original movie hit Netflix, The Claus Family 2 is another enjoyable, family-friendly festive fantasy adventure which incorporates familial drama to supplement the magic. Even though I watched this mere hours after my viewing of the first movie, I felt comforted being in the presence of these characters again, and was interested in seeing what happens next. Luckily, this next installment doesn't feel contrived from a story perspective - the main thrust of the plot is Jules (the new Santa) wanting to address the type of wishes that his grandfather has ignored for years. It's motivated by his desire to do something good and not limit what Santa can do, which is an intriguing theme that deserves exploration. It's also something new in the arena of Santa movies. However, the movie doesn't work as well as its predecessor, with some rocky pacing despite its relatively short 98-minute running time. It's also lacking in substance at times, and doesn't have the same emotional impact. Nevertheless, the visuals remain eye-catching and I enjoyed seeing more of this world and of this interpretation of the Santa Claus lore. Another sequel has already been assembled and was recently released in a few European territories, but it's not due for release everywhere else until next Christmas. How bizarre. I'll be watching it whenever I can, anyway.

First Viewing Plot: After discovering his grandfather is Santa Claus, Jules has to help him deliver his presents all around the world. But Jules' hatred for Christmas might make that more difficult than Santa thought.

A Netflix Christmas movie produced by Belgium and the Netherlands, here we have yet another fantastical take on the Santa Claus mythology, with Saint Nicolas looking to appoint his replacement in the form of his grandson. The movie is also primarily about a mourning family, which provides some genuine heart and touching moments - indeed, I got a lump in my throat towards the end when a letter is read. Anybody who has lost a parent (like me) might find this to be especially poignant. Since Netflix was involved in this one, it's clear that some money was spent bringing it to life, with colorful set design and lavish cinematography, though some of the green-screen compositing does look unusually shonky and obvious. I grew to like the characters quite quickly and became invested in the story, which is a testament to the script and the actors. I did feel that it got a bit repetitive at times, and the pacing is sometimes hit-and-miss, but these are minor quibbles on the whole. A little bit more problematic is the clichéd narrative, but it is pulled off with encouraging sincerity. Even though The Claus Family is cheesy at times, it still works. Overall, this is a pleasing, family-friendly European Christmas offering that I enjoyed watching.

First Viewing Plot: In New York City, a woman's life gets upended when an engagement ring that was for someone else leads her to the person she's meant to be with.

The set-up for Something from Tiffany's is pure schmaltz, and it feels like the kind of story that Hallmark would produce - in fact, it wouldn't surprise me if Hallmark has already made a movie like this. However, despite being produced for Amazon Prime, there is more gravitas than the normal Hallmark rubbish, with more cinematic cinematography; it looks like a big-screen feature, not a made-for-TV movie. Although this isn't exactly my type of movie, I found myself enjoying this more than I thought I would, even though I might've mentally checked out a few times and not feel like I missed anything essential from a story perspective. There's a competent cast in this one (I mean, Zoey Deutch is fun in anything), though it's surprising that there's no quirky best friend character played by some big-name comedian as that's the typical formula for these romance movies. Speaking of, this is definitely more of a romance than a Christmas movie overall, so don't watch this if you're exclusively looking for Christmas-themed comedies like Ernest Saves Christmas or Get Santa. I won't make this one part of my annual line-up anytime soon, but I don't regret watching it. It's not great but not bad, either.