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First Viewing Plot: On Christmas Eve, bitter old miser Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by spirits who aim to show him the error of his ways and repent for his wrongdoings.

I'm reasonably sure that the number of adaptations of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol number in the thousands by now, and yet we still manage to get a new film or television series adaptation every year or so. I had little-to-no-hope for 2022's Scrooge: A Christmas Carol, which is Netflix's new animated retelling of the oft-repeated story but is actually, surprisingly, presented as more of a remake of the 1970 musical Scrooge instead of another adaptation of the novella. To my surprise, I greatly enjoyed this one. Out of all the versions of A Christmas Carol that I've watched this December, this is my favourite so far. Chief among the movie's strengths is that it doesn't rely on the dry Old English dialogue from the novella, and doesn't repeat the same lines we've heard literally hundreds of times before. Therefore, it's more accessible and flows better than other film adaptations, while also making this a worthwhile version for children to watch. The visual style also deserves a mention, as the animation is truly gorgeous. It's not highly detailed and approaching photorealism like Robert Zemeckis's animated endeavours; rather, it's appropriately stylised, and the visual touches peppered throughout the movie ensure it's a consistently engaging viewing experience. The musical numbers which are interspersed throughout (which are from the 1970 film with Albert Finney) are high-energy and well-executed. It's easy to discern that the creative team were attempting to produce a Pixar-esque retelling of the story, complete with heart and emotion in addition to the colorful character designs. It can't reach the lofty heights of Pixar's best work, but it's an impressive achievement all-round nevertheless, even though it still doesn't necessarily feel essential considering how many times this story has been told. All things considered, however, I'm glad that Scrooge: A Christmas Carol was made and I'm glad I took the time to watch it. I seem to be in the minority with how much I enjoyed it, but that's okay.

First Viewing Plot: Fed up with being single on holidays, two strangers agree to be each other's platonic plus-ones all year long, only to catch real feelings along the way.

I am shocked at how much I enjoyed Holidate, especially considered the factors working against it. After all, the director was also responsible for Deck the Halls, and the screenwriter has nothing much of worth to her name. But, lo and behold, I laughed heartily and frequently from the beginning, and was enjoying it so much that I almost didn't want it to end. The secret weapon of this movie is Australian actor Luke Bracey, who's allowed to play a brash Australian; his bantering and one-liners are hilarious, and he's allowed to be masculine and confident which is a refreshing thing in the 2020s. Indeed, the script doesn't seek to humiliate or emasculate him, and he almost always comes out on top when bantering with Emma Roberts. Wow! Also helping is the R rating, which allows for colourful language and profanity - some of the sexually explicit dialogue made me laugh heartily, and is not the type of thing I normally expect to hear in a rom-com. The surface-level attributes of the production are strong, to boot; it looks slick and lovely in 4K HDR on Netflix, with vibrant visuals, and each season and event takes on a different look in terms of lighting and colour palette, which is something else I didn't expect from a rom-com like this. It is predictable and clichéd, of course, and the outcome of the story is not surprising in any way, but the movie is so much fun that it hardly matters. In this sense, it feels like a rom-com from the '90s or early 2000s, as opposed to something from 2020. All in all, I glad I gave this one a watch and I could see myself watching it again.

First Viewing Plot: After coming into the town of El Camino seeking a father he has never met, Eric is harassed by the local police, and ends up barricaded in a local liquor store with five other people on Christmas Eve.

Here we have another alternative Christmas movie, this time from the good folks at Netflix. The cast and the adult rating intrigued me enough to give this one a whirl - I mean, it was sure to have more edge than your typical Hallmark fare. El Camino Christmas was actually directed by the same guy who made the barely watchable Jingle Jangle for Netflix a few years later, and while this is a more enjoyable movie overall, it does have its pitfalls. The pacing is rocky, even for an 89-minute movie, and director David E. Talbert can't quite pull off the tricky tonal changes which were required for this one. There are laughs, but it gets deadly serious in the third act, and the finale is somewhat baffling. And from a moral standpoint, I didn't always side with the main character whose actions get people shot and nearly killed. (Spoilers: One character returns from the dead at the very end, which is something that feels jarring, as if it was added via reshoots at a later time.) Still, I had a good enough time watching the film and I don't regret spending my time on it. It's not a stinker but it's not a home run.

First Viewing Plot: On Christmas Eve, three homeless people living on the streets of Tokyo discover a newborn baby among the trash and set out to find its parents.

Here's another eclectic addition to this December's diverse selection of festive titles; an animated Japanese movie set during the Christmas period. I found this while doing some cursory Googling to assemble this year's lineup, and I couldn't pass it up due to the glowing reviews and esteemed reputation; I mean, there are even cinema showings of this in my city this December. Gorgeously animated and frequently funny, Tokyo Godfathers is a highly impressive movie in its own right, not just as a Christmas film - it's a terrifically touching and human story, with the ending, in particular, hitting a raw nerve. There are a few plot contrivances and the storytelling isn't always involving, but these are minor flaws when the movie is otherwise this impressive and heartwarming. I grew to like the characters and I was invested in the story, which is the most important thing for this type of movie.

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.