In 2005, BBC4 revived the series, beginning with an adaptation of James’ story “A View from a Hill”, and there have been seven films made intermittently in the years following, all M.R. James adaptations barring one.

In the spirit of Christmas spooks, and the old tradition of gathering around the fire to tell a ghost story (as Dickens himself loved to do; he was responsible for many famous writers of the day giving ghost stories for anthologies specifically for Christmas, including Wilkie Collins and Robert Louis Stephenson), in this edition of Ranked we at The Film Magazine are taking all sixteen films, including the classics and the new releases, and ranking them for your reading and viewing pleasure. Sit back with a mug of cocoa, a roaring fire, and get ready to feel a little chill go across the bones. These are A Ghost Story for Christmas Films Ranked.

Follow @thefilmagazine on Twitter.

16. The Ice House (1978)

The second of two original stories created in the original run, The Ice House is the film which pretty much closed up shop on the series for nearly three decades.

In this tale, a gentleman staying at a luxury hotel in the countryside befriends the owners, a young brother and sister duo who seem to have the best interests of their residents at heart. But occasionally Paul feels some cold spells pass across him, and there’s definitely something strange and secretive about a modern, up-to-date establishment like this, with all its fridges and freezers, still having an ice house down the end of the garden.

The first film in the series to be directed by someone other than Lawrence Gorden Clark, the film suffers from being decidedly un-spooky, with a lack of chills save for perhaps one scene nearer the end. Irritatingly, it is also very uninteresting.

Ghosts are lacking in this ghost story, and whilst the performances try to lend… something, to the tale, it never really manages to rattle any chains. The final reveals are bland, and it’s easy to finish the film having forgotten pretty much everything as soon as it was said.

15. Stigma (1977)

The first of the two original stories from the original run, Stigma sees a mother at the mercy of an avenging spirit when a great boulder is moved from their garden. Now she’s bleeding everywhere, though there’s not a mark on her body, and her very life may be in danger…

Stigma is a fun concept, and it was certainly a risk for the series to both set a film in the modern day, and not be an adaptation of a previous work. Filmed in Avebury in Whiltshire, which was also used that year for the underrated family dark fantasy/folk horror serial ‘Children of the Stones’, there’s an attempt to blend past and present, bringing the traditional ghost story into the modern viewing age with an emphasis on bright red blood (hence the stigmata of the title) which possibly reflected the increase in explicit violence in film and TV happening in recent years. Despite this, the film just sort of… ends, and you can throw as much blood on the screen as you want; if it doesn’t chill the bones, it isn’t what we’re after.

Watch ‘Children of the Stones’, if you want good, spooky folk horror in the same setting in the same year.

Recommended for you: Blood Junkies (1993) Review

14. Martin’s Close (2019)

Peter Capaldi had acted in two ‘Doctor Who’ stories written by Mark Gatiss in the past, and now, not only is he back under Gatiss’ writing thumb, but also his directorial control (point to note: you’ll see many more ‘Doctor Who’ links as this list progresses).

This M.R. James adaptation has Simon Williams’ narrator regale us with a tale about a strange court case from the past, in which Capaldi’s Dolben must present the evidence for the conviction of a young man, Mr John Martin, on trial for the murder of a young woman. The strange part is, she has been seen by multiple witnesses, after she died.

This adaptation isn’t necessarily bad. The acting is strong (especially that of Peter Capaldi, but we all expected this), the direction is fine, and everything is generally ok. But therein lies the rub; it is ok. Nothing stands out, nothing really gets you sitting back in the armchair with your fingernails scratching at the leather.

Whilst the storyteller dramatisation idea with Simon Williams in his home is a commendable idea to recreate the story-by-the-fireside cosy feeling, it functions to interrupts the flow of the story when it shouldn’t, and constantly brings you out of any kind of immersion you might have felt. Despite everyone trying their best with what they have, it just doesn’t come together.

“Marley was dead: to begin with”. As Rizzo the Rat might say, spoiler alert! 

In December 1843, Charles Dickens published “A Christmas Carol” (unnecessary full title: “A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas”) and it was a hit. Each edition published quickly sold out and prompted Dickens himself to undertake hugely popular public readings during Yuletide in the following years right up until his death in 1870. An inevitable staple of the leadup to Christmas, Dickens’ timeless story has become one of the most frequently adapted titles for stage and screen in the English language.

This is the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a cruel, miserly and solitary businessman who despises charity, human warmth and empathy shown to others, especially during the festive season. To Scrooge, Christmas is “a humbug” and those who keep it and make merry, such as his impoverished clerk Bob Cratchit and kindly nephew Fred, are merely deluding themselves and others of the notion that we are kindly by nature. Following his usual 24th December dismissal of cheer and goodwill, Scrooge is visited the night before Christmas by three ghosts offering visions of his his past, present and future, and in so doing inspire lasting change in his outlook on life and his treatment of others.

If we considered every film, television special, miniseries and animation, we wouldn’t be done in time even for next Christmas, so we’ve limited our selection in this edition of Ranked to the most prominent film adaptations released theatrically. Based on creativity of the adaptation, critical reception and how each version evokes the spirit (pun intended) and message of Dickens’ work, this is The Film Magazine’s A Christmas Carol Films Ranked.

Follow @thefilmagazine on Twitter.

9. Spirited (2022)

The second prominent contemporary reimagining of Charles Dickens’ supernatural fable appeared 34 years after Scrooged and is pretty shy on everything that appealed about Richard Donner’s film.

Advertising hotshot Clint Briggs (Ryan Reynolds) is the latest target for the Ghost of Christmas Present (Will Ferrell) to save from themselves, despite his soul being branded “irredeemable”.

If you’re going to quip about “all the other adaptations nobody asked for” in your film, you’ve really got to make sure yours delivers on its own terms. Spirited doesn’t.

New elements introduced in this version include the reason that the towering, hooded Christmas Yet to Come (voiced sporadically by Tracy Morgan) doesn’t talk is because he gets stage fright whenever it’s his line, and Christmas Past (Sunita Mani) has sex with the Scrooge stand-in because “it’s been a while” for her. Ha-ha.

“Now you’re going full Dickens on me?” Spirited ineffectually folds the Dickens story back in on itself and adds an unnecessary extra plot twist to it to stave off the boredom.

It’s also an original musical, for better and worse. You get one funny song (the so-bad-it’s-good bad cockney-accented Victorian musical number “Good Afternoon”) and one lovely one (a tender duet between Present and Octavia Spencer’s Kimberly, “The View from Here”), but generally the music sucks. At least the dance numbers are pretty energetic.

Spirited just doesn’t work on any compelling level, smothering the natural charisma of its two stars and Octavia Spencer, and dragging on its runtime to an annoying degree with witless humour and mostly lacklustre musicality.

8. Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022)

Netflix’s animated version of A Christmas Carol is actually a loose remake of the 1970 Albert Finney musical Scrooge, but this time starring an actor who can actually sing.

Jacob Marley’s wintry entrance scene and ominous warning to Scrooge is well done and easily the most imaginative sequence in the film, but all too often the visuals (particularly how the human characters are realised) seem more good-enough kids TV quality or overwhelmed by too many admittedly impressive environmental effects.

There are a couple of decent one-liners here, like Scrooge puzzling over the reality of his situation with “My dreams are never this… exciting” and commenting in surprise to the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come “You don’t speak? Your colleagues are really rather fond of speaking”.

The ghosts all receive pretty creative re-designs, with Marley (Jonathan Pryce) looking like a creature from Elsa’s ice palace in Frozen, Christmas Past (Olivia Colman) portrayed carrying a candle made entirely of wax, and Christmas Present (Trevor Dion Nicholas) looking and acting like Santa if he appeared as a guest on ‘Drag Race’.

Everyone knows Luke Evans can belt out showtunes in his sleep, and he equips himself admirably here, especially in a nice duet with Jesse Buckley, even if you’d struggle to hum along to many of these songs by the time the credits roll (except the two best ones lifted from the Finney film, “I Like Life” and “Thank You Very Much”).

The voice talent filling out the ensemble is impressive and little ones will probably quite like it because it’s colourful, not too scary and there’s a bit where a dog farts on Scrooge’s face. Scrooge: A Christmas Carol is just about passable, but you will want to watch a more inspired version of this timeless story in short order.

Okay, that’s not quite true. I have heard versions of the song. It’s a staple of the season – a holiday classic – and everyone from Ella Fitzgerald to Phoebe Bridgers has sung it. A single Spotify search yields more than 600 results. But not once over the last month – and I work in retail, so I know what I’m talking about – have I heard Judy Garland’s voice. Even the lyrics are different. According to a U Discover Music article, when Frank Sinatra was preparing the song for his upcoming album, he told the composer and lyricist, Hugh Martin and Ralph Blaine, that the song’s lyrics were too depressing, remarking, “The name of my album is A Jolly Christmas. Do you think you could jolly up that line for me?”

The original version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is melancholy. There’s a certain sadness to it that’s only heightened by Judy’s achingly beautiful and haunting vocals. Maybe, out of context, it doesn’t make much sense to casual listeners. Maybe the emotional weight of the song gets lost in translation. But to me, it highlights just how strange Christmas time really is. Though it is often joyful, it can be filled with sadness and loneliness too. Meet Me in St. Louis somehow manages to capture the contradictions of the holidays and of life itself. The film, with Judy Garland’s stunning performance at the forefront, has always felt like Christmas to me.

Technically, Meet Me in St. Louis, based on Sally Benson’s “Kensington Stories” is not strictly a Christmas movie. The film takes place over the course of a whole year in the lives of the Smith family, beginning in the Fall of 1903 and ending in the Spring of 1904, at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition or simply The World’s Fair. Inspired by Sally Benson’s own family, the film focuses on the exploits of the four Smith daughters: Rose, Esther, Tootie and Agnes as they navigate growing up at the turn of a new century, in a city that is headed for, as their father Alonzo puts it, “a boom that will make your head swim.”

The film begins with almost every character, from Agnes to Grandpa, to Esther and Rose, singing some sort of variation of the title song. It’s a song that seemingly everyone knows, a song that is just as much a part of the city as the people who inhabit it. The lyrics reference a fair – The World’s Fair. Everyone is buzzing with anticipation, the pride they feel for their hometown clearly and loudly on display. While taking a ride on the ice wagon, the youngest daughter Tootie informs the driver, Mr. Neely, that it’s pronounced St. Louis not ‘Louie’, and that it’s the greatest city in the world. “Wasn’t I lucky to be born my favorite city?” she asks, dreamily.

The only person who seems far less enthusiastic, and visibly annoyed, with all the singing and talking about the World’s Fair is their father, Alonzo. After coming home from a long day at the office, Alonzo begs Esther and Rose to stop singing, declaring that the fair doesn’t open until next year. This is a key element of Alonzo’s character, which becomes important later as the main conflict of the film comes to light. Alonzo is set in his ways. He’s uncompromising with things such as how long he takes a bath, or what time dinner is. The excitement everyone feels about The World’s Fair seems lost on him. He’s too busy answering phone calls that aren’t for him to stop and take it all in. For him, life can happen anywhere. But for his family, their lives are bound to St. Louis.

Meet Me in St. Louis is layered with details. The whole film feels magical, from the set decoration to the costumes and the lighting. The main set of the film – the large, Victorian-style house the Smiths live in – is filled with texture and vibrant colors. It feels lived in yet carefully curated at the same time. The chaos is so effortlessly controlled, each frame composed to showcase every detail that makes up their lives. Director Vincente Minnelli worked closely with all the art departments to establish the visual style of the film. According to thejudyroom.com, Minnelli would also, on occasion, raid the MGM props closet himself to personally select items for the set dressing. Minnelli was a perfectionist, something Judy Garland allegedly loved making fun of him for, and he was essential in making Meet Me in St. Louis the success that it was. His love of rehearsing produced scenes that are perfectly paced, the rhythm and flow of the family’s dynamic both hilarious and heartwarming.

It’s hard to believe that hiring Vincente Minnelli to direct was considered a gamble for MGM at the time. But producer Arthur Freed, who would go on to write lyrics for Singin’ in the Rain, as well as win the Oscar for Best Picture twice, clearly knew what he was doing. Even Judy Garland, who didn’t even want to be in the film and actively tried to get out of it, was inspired by Minnelli’s commitment. According to their daughter, Liza Minnelli, speaking during an interview for the release of the special edition DVD released in 2004, Judy showed up to set and started saying all her lines with ‘a wink and a nod’. Minnelli, says Liza, yelled cut and told Judy that she had to believe what she was saying – that everything she did had to be the most important thing that has ever happened to her. “You have to care passionately,” Liza says her father told Judy, “or the audience won’t.”

Esther Smith is my favorite character Judy Garland played. And I say that as someone who watched The Wizard of Oz religiously as a child. But Esther captures my heart in a way no other performance does. She’s young, but also confident and witty. Judy’s voice, effortlessly sliding up and down the scale, introduced me to so many classic, musical standards, such as “The Boy Next Door” and “The Trolly Song,” which I ended up singing myself during my college musical theater audition. She had natural talent, that much is obvious, but her technique was astounding, every choice clear and purposeful. No song ever feels out of place or unnecessary, thanks to her ability to truly capture her audience. Time seems to stop when Judy sings.

One of my favorite moments of Esther’s is when she’s sitting at her vanity before their brother, Lon’s, going away party, and proclaims to Rose that she’s going to let John Truitt kiss her that night. “If we’re going to get married, I might as well start it,” Esther reasons. Rose scolds her and says that nice girls don’t let men kiss them until after they’re engaged because they don’t want the bloom rubbed off. “Personally,” Esther says as matter of fact, “I think I have too much bloom.” It’s so honest that I often wonder if it’s not Judy herself saying the line, begging MGM and the world at large to take her seriously, to see her as more than just the quirky best friend who never gets the guy. As more than just a little girl. She wanted to grow up on the screen, to be desirable and glamorous, just as all the other major contract players were allowed to do. And I don’t know what it was in the end that made Judy give such a stellar performance. I don’t if it was Vincente Minnelli’s gentle push or her new makeover or the fact that she was falling in love during the time of filming. All I do know is that Meet Me in St. Louis is the freest Judy ever was on screen. Esther radiates happiness and confidence because Judy herself was feeling, for maybe the first time, happy herself. Maybe it was all this combined. But what I do know for sure is that, to me – as a child and now as an adult – Judy was grown up. And desirable and beautiful. To me, she was everything.

One of the most enduring aspects of Meet Me in St. Louis is Esther’s relationship with her youngest sister, Tootie. Esther is nurturing to Tootie, often humoring her, and going along with her schemes. In the first part of the film, Tootie gets Esther to perform a song with her at Lon’s going away party. The result is a charming number called “Under the Bamboo Tree”, with Esther gently guiding Tootie through the whole thing. It’s sweet and sets up their relationship perfectly. In the middle part of the film, a vignette that takes place during Halloween, Esther’s love and protectiveness over Tootie are made apparent when Tootie lies and implies John Truitt hit her, prompting Esther to run over to his house and beat the shit out of him. It’s hilarious, but Esther’s feelings are clear: mess with my sister, mess with me. And when it turns out that Tootie was lying to cover up the horrifying – and downright criminal – antics of her and her friends, Esther goes over to apologize to John, and they share their first kiss. Although some at MGM felt this part of the film didn’t advance the plot and should be removed, it was Vincente Minnelli who made the case for keeping it in. Although on the surface it seems like this section of the film is a detour from the main action, it’s vital to the story. Because it’s this part of the film that clearly shows why this family loves this city so much. It’s in this part of the film that Esther and John truly start their romance. It’s the beginning of something. That’s why it feels like such a crushing blow when Alonzo comes home and tells his family that his law firm has offered him a new position in New York. Although some of the family is excited, it quickly becomes clear what this move would mean. Everyone would be ripped away from their friends. Agnes would have to say goodbye to her cat. Tootie would have to dig up all her dolls from the cemetery. And Esther would have to leave John. And although everything feels somber, the section of the film ends with Alonzo and their mother, Anna, singing and playing the piano, the kids sitting around listening and eating their Halloween dessert. Esther lovingly feeds Tootie spoonfuls of cake. Despite the move, at least they’ll all be together. And that’s a luxury we don’t always have.

The final part of the film takes place during Christmas. Tensions are high. First, John doesn’t pick up his tux in time, making him unable to take Esther to her last dance in St. Louis. Lon and Rose argue over the people they’re in love with, Warren Scheffield and Lucile Ballard, who are going to the dance with each other instead of with them. Their lives are in boxes, their home is bare. However, things quickly turn around. At the dance, Lucile Ballard suggests they all pair off with the people they really want to be with – Lon with Lucile and Rose with Warren. John finally shows up and spends the rest of the evening with Esther. It’s a wonderful moment underscored by the simple fact that come morning, the Smith family will be on their way to New York, leaving it all behind. And when John proposes to Esther, it quickly becomes clear that they’re too young, too newly in love to make such a decision. But the alternative is being miles away from each other and instead of facing that reality, Esther runs into the house, leaving John to sulk by the blue light of the moon.

Inside, Esther sings Tootie a lullaby to make her feel better. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is the culmination of both the film and Esther’s arc as a character. She’s pined for John for so long, planned their lives together before she even knew he loved her back. And there she is, only moments after crying herself – wondering if her relationship will survive their move to New York. But Esther sets aside her own feelings and tries to comfort Tootie instead, giving her the greatest Christmas gift you could give to someone: just being there.

Judy’s performance of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is both comforting and dripping with sadness and yearning. Framed by a windowpane, overlooking their snow-covered backyard, her eyes convey a depth of meaning she tries desperately to hide for the sake of her sister. It’s clear that when she sings, “Someday soon, we all will be together/if the fates allow/until then, we’ll have to muddle through/somehow,” she’s not just trying to convince Tootie that everything will be okay – she’s trying to convince herself. And while Frank Sinatra’s subtle lyric changes may make the song more optimistic, it loses the gentle longing and emotion of Judy’s version. Her version is timelier than ever, given the loss and grief we’ve all experienced over the past few years. Our collective yearning has never been greater.

And when the song doesn’t work, when Tootie runs out and begins to destroy the snow people – it’s Alonzo that witnesses this. Seeing his daughters embrace and Esther finally break down and start crying too, makes him realize that perhaps life is not just about being together. Maybe it isn’t enough. Seeing the snow-people, now clumps of snow on the ground, reminds him that maybe there are some things you can’t take with you. Maybe where we are is just as important as who we’re with. And that the places we live, live inside of us, and make us who we are. If The Wizard of Oz taught us that there’s no place like home, Meet Me in St. Louis taught us that, actually, there’s no place like St. Louis.

Alonzo takes a moment to reflect, wandering around the darkened home. Their furniture, much like their lives, is wrapped up and ready to be shipped off someplace else. The walls are bare, leaving only the outline of where pictures and paintings used to hang. Their house isn’t just a house, isn’t just walls and boards and wood. It’s a part of them. Maybe this is what it truly means to be home for the holidays. Home with your family and home in the place you feel safe.

In a comical and hilariously unaware speech to his family, Alonzo makes it clear they won’t be moving after all. St. Louis is far better than New York. “This is a great town,” he states. “The problem with you people is that you don’t appreciate it because it’s right under your noses.”

“You never feel like you’re making a classic,” Margaret O’Brien, who plays Tootie, said recently in an interview for TCM. “You’re making a movie and you hope it’s going to be good. But you don’t realize it’s going to go on for generations.” For me, Meet Me in St. Louis is a deeply rich film about love, both romantic and familial, and the ties that bind us. It’s an exploration of what it means to be home. And despite it not being the most commonly sung version, Judy’s “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” will always be, for me, the definitive version. And during the holidays, when I’m stuck working eight-hour shifts, folding the same shirt over and over again, I’ll never stop hoping that when the song comes on, it’s Judy’s voice I hear.

By Margaret Roarty

You can support the author of this article, Margaret Roarty, at the following links:

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In this Movie List from The Film Magazine, we’re counting down the most emotionally resonant, funny and important moments from Love Actually for these, the 10 Best Love Actually Moments.

Follow @thefilmagazine on Twitter.

10. Colin Goes to an American Bar

After deciding he is on the wrong continent for love, Colin Frissell (Kris Marshall) travels to America, because “any bar anywhere in America contains ten girls more beautiful and more likely to have sex with [him] than the whole of the United Kingdom”.

Sure enough, not one but three beautiful American women are charmed by his cute British accent and invite him to their place (after warning him that they only have one bed and no pyjamas).

Colin’s Christmas gets even merrier when they tell him that he hasn’t met their fourth housemate Harriet, and “she is the sexy one”.

9. So Much More Than a Bag

In a rush to buy an expensive gold necklace for the woman with whom he may or may not be having an affair, Harry (Alan Rickman) wants to grab it and go, but the shop assistant (Rowan Atkinson) has other plans when he agrees to have it gift wrapped.

After placing it in a box, he ties it with a bow before delicately wrapping it in cellophane. Rickman anxiously glances over his shoulder as Atkinson slides open a drawer to retrieve tiny, dried roses, which he sprinkles lovingly. Atkinson then meticulously crushes fresh lavender. An increasingly agitated Rickman urges the man to hurry, to which he agrees, before slowly attaching a large cinnamon stick with a ribbon. As Atkinson retrieves a pair of garden gloves to add some holly, an exasperated Rickman asks – “what else are you going to do? Dip it in yoghurt? Cover it in chocolate buttons?!” All the while, his wife Karen grows increasingly near.

In this Movie List from The Film Magazine, we’re looking at why this early 2000s film has held up for younger viewers, in this: 5 Reasons Elf Is a Gen Z Christmas Classic.

Follow @thefilmagazine on Twitter.

1. Elf’s Use of Absurd Humor

Popular memes often dabble in some form of absurdist humor, which makes Elf’s use of it more relevant than outdated for a movie that is almost 20 years old. From the claymation animals to Buddy’s first experiences of New York, Elf illustrates the absurdity of the mundane.

On his trek from the North Pole to New York, Buddy encounters a raccoon, which he assumes will be as friendly as the claymation Arctic animals he’s used to. He is instead attacked by it. When he sees a diner with a sign that reads “World’s Best Cup of Coffee,” Buddy doesn’t hesitate to run in and enthusiastically congratulate them for the honor, to the bewilderment of customers and staff. 

From the spaghetti with maple syrup scene to Buddy’s getting drunk and breakdancing in the Empire State Building mail room, Elf is full of absurd moments that make for a hilarious and memorable movie.

2. Elf’s Quotability

In the era of TikTok “acting” and viral fancams of memorable scenes from films and TV shows, quotability is king. In my own town, a local boutique has a sign out front which reads “Six inch ribbon curls, honey. Six. Inches.”

While some films can fall victim to sacrificing plot for quotability, Elf’s plot is instead carried along by quotes like “You smell like beef and cheese. You don’t smell like Santa.” In the aforementioned case, the quote prompts Buddy to rip the fake beard from a mall Santa’s face and proceed to get into a fight with the imposter. This incident gets Buddy “fired” from his job at Gimbels, but drives him to seek out his younger half-brother, Michael (Daniel Tay), who ends up being one of Buddy’s biggest advocates through the film, especially to their dad Walter (James Caan) and Jovie. 

Recommended for you: 10 Best Home Alone Moments

In this Movie List from The Film Magazine, we’re looking into what makes this off-kilter Christmas movie so memorable in this, the 10 Best Bad Santa Moments.

Follow @thefilmagazine on Twitter.

10. The Opening Credits

Willie props up a bar, dressed in his red and white finery, and makes it abundantly clear he is furious at the world. Within seconds the audience is completely clear about Willie as a character. He doesn’t look the part, and certainly doesn’t act the part. He is as miserable as he is scrawny. Within a few minutes we are subjected to a drunken St Nick puking orange onto freshly fallen snow as the words Bad Santa appear on screen next to him. It sets the tone perfectly. Does a more fitting opening in cinematic history exist?

9. Willie Beats Up the Bullies

Willie is nearly always in his Santa suit during the film, even if it has dropped around his ankles. So, when he attacks Thurman’s tormentors he is indeed dressed as Santa Claus. It’s not big and it’s not clever but the image of Kris Kringle attacking children is certainly striking. Willie’s heart is in the right place, but this misguided move is almost too much to stomach. Even if these kids definitely belong on the naughty list. The vigorous arm swinging is such a stark contrast to the previous scene – Willie in a car, suicidal and alone. The need to protect Thurman revives him but even when doing something good, he’s doing something terribly terribly bad.

One such an answer that is often the cause of grievance and controversy is John McTiernan’s Die Hard (1988). For those who adore the season’s staples such as White Christmas and It’s A Wonderful Life, and modern favourites such as Elf and Love Actually, the idea that a film about a showdown between a single NYPD officer and a group of vicious terrorists is even considered a Christmas film is, frankly, disgusting.

Well, sorry haters, but it turns out that Die Hard is actually part of a long tradition of non-conventional Christmas flicks – we have an extensive catalogue of Christmas Horrors for example, from Black Christmas in 1974 to Krampus in 2015. Christmas even makes its appearances in the most unlikely of plots: Terry Gilliam’s masterpiece Brazil, an Orwellian black comedy, is a prime example, as is the legendary crime thriller The French Connection. However, neither of these examples are considered Christmas movies (not even in the alternative or ironic sense), and rightly so. Christmas isn’t the focus of these films and is in fact used to highlight the darkness and evil of the stories it’s used in. That’s not very festive at all!

How Can a film Be Considered a True Christmas Movie Beyond the Mere Inclusion of the Holiday?

If we ignore the blatant capitalist message behind nearly every mainstream Yuletide film, we should consider the real message behind the original Christmas Story – The Nativity of course.

Pushing past the shepherds, kings and angels, Christmas is essentially the tale of light shining in the darkness, living in the hope of reconciliation and redemption. These are therefore the essential themes of any real Christmas film. Natalie Hayes of BBC Culture, in her article “The Magic Formula that Makes the Perfect Christmas Film”, noted that for a film to be considered a true Christmas movie, it must include the following elements: desire, a touch of magic, the value of family, and of course a dose of trial and tribulation for our heroes to overcome.

As hollow as some of these films seem to be to the lovers of a more Traditional Noel, the likes of Jingle All the Way do in fact meet these requirements, and with Die Hard being one of the most exceptional and beloved action movies of all time, it seems a very reasonable choice as a favourite Christmas film too. But what has come to my notice is the criminal overlooking of another alternative festive watch, one with striking similarities to Die Hard, released only a year prior: Lethal Weapon.

Like Die Hard, Richard Donner’s film meets the pre-requisites of a Christmas Classic and is again one of the most popular action movies from the 80s, likewise spawning an iconic franchise. Have we been duped all along with putting our money behind the inferior flick, or is Die Hard truly the superior of the pair? On the basis of which film boasts the truest Christmas Spirit, let us experience the most exciting of movie battles… Die Hard vs Lethal Weapon.

Desire

Is there an element of desire in these films? A want for something unattainable?

This is the first of the many uncanny similarities between Lethal Weapon and Die Hard, as both display a desire for a return to normality.

In Die Hard, John McClane (Bruce Willis) is flying to L.A from New York to see his wife Holly Gennaro (Bonnie Bedelia) on Christmas Eve, who works at the Nakatomi Plaza which is throwing a party. It becomes apparent that this is the first time John and Holly have seen each other in over six months and that they are more or less separated (especially as Holly is now going by her maiden name). It is revealed that Holly’s move to L.A. for a once in a lifetime promotion became a point of contention in their relationship – we don’t know exactly why, but it’s easy enough to make some assumptions: back in 1988, finding out that your wife is making more money than you would be an enormous shake up in the family dynamic, possibly too much for some men to handle. It is clear though, that although they are estranged, their marriage isn’t finished – Holly and John obviously still have feelings for one another, but it’s mixed in with a great deal of hurt, stopping them from seeing eye to eye. Thus we have the desire element: John wants a return to normality, the re-establishment of his traditional family set up (very nuclear, with the man being the breadwinner and all), but more importantly he desires to be a part of his family’s lives again.

Lethal Weapon has a more convergent plot than Die Hard.

It begins with the daily life of two LAPD police detectives – Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover), a fairly buttoned-down distinguished officer who enjoys the comforts of marital and familial bliss (and is learning to try to age gracefully), and Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson), a seemingly unattached man who is a total loose cannon on the job, wreaking havoc in his wake. The plot gleefully puts this odd couple together. It is Riggs who is the festive focal point of the movie as it his character that embodies the required desire element. Riggs’ careless and dangerous behaviour at work is suspected to be caused by suicidal tendencies after recently losing his wife in a car accident. There are occasions where it seems Riggs indeed wants to end his life, but this is actually more the desire to be reunited with his wife – the desire to be in a loving relationship again, the desire to have purpose.

It seems to be contradictory to the spirit of Christmas to have the film focus on the likes of depression and suicide, let alone in a film with probably the most insensitive approach to these topics, but that would be ignoring the fact that one of the most popular Christmas movies of all time, It’s A Wonderful Life, is about the divine intervention of an Angel working to stop a man from taking his own life on Christmas Eve. Die Hard is also depicting a common theme in Christmas fare, which is the impending breakdown of the family unit seen in the likes of The Preacher’s Wife and The Santa Clause. Technically both films are winning Brownie Points on that front, but the desire element is far more visceral in the case of Lethal Weapon: a shot of a teary-eyed Riggs shakily placing the end of the gun in his mouth after looking at the wedding photos of his dead wife is truly impactful.

Magic

The magic we could see in the likes of Die Hard and Lethal Weapon is not going to be in the traditional vein: no angels, no reindeer, no pixie dust, and very sadly no Santa Claus! That does not mean, however, that the magic they do have is not completely spine-tingling.

At first glance, the magic in Lethal Weapon is rather elusive, but it becomes apparent that the touch of Magic is indeed Martin Riggs, or really more Martin Riggs’ unorthodox policing methods:

“You’re not trying to draw a psycho pension! You really are crazy!”

In the real world, Riggs’ behaviour is not the kind to praise or laud, but Riggs’ apparent death wish makes him an almost unstoppable crime-fighting force – a lethal weapon. From deescalating a possible shootout by scaring the life out of a perpetrator, and saving a potential jumper’s life by throwing himself off the building whilst cuffed to them, it can be said Riggs gets the job done (in the most thoroughly entertaining way possible). However, his magical powers aren’t fully activated until he and Murtaugh are captured by the movie’s villainous drug barons – is it the electric shock torture or the power of new found friendship with Roger Murtaugh? Either way, Riggs is propelled into overcoming his captors and killing every bad guy that stands in his way, all in the name of rescuing his new partner. By the time we reach the climax, he is brutalised and half-drowned, yet he still manages to subdue the film’s Big Bad, Joshua (Gary Busey), by the power of his thighs alone. Magic.

With all that said, John McClane smirks and replies with a “Hold my beer.”

Die Hard is a more plot-driven story which lends itself to even more glorious action movie magic. It is made clear from the very beginning that McClane possesses the power of snarkiness, but the storming of Nakatomi Plaza by Hans Gruber’s (Alan Rickman’s) team of terrorists/thieves, catches McClane with his pants down (or rather with his shoes and socks off), leaving him to watch helplessly as the revellers of the office party are rounded up as hostages and Holly’s boss Mr Takagi (James Shigeta) is murdered. Luckily a present from Santa Claus re-establishes his cocky self-assuredness:

“Now I have a machine gun. Ho, ho, ho.”

In the 2 hour run-time, we witness McClane relentlessly wiggle his way out of tight squeezes using the meagre resources at his disposal (which he usually attains by annihilating some hapless bad guy), whether its irritating Gruber with smart-ass comments through a stolen walkie-talkie or tossing the body of a man out of the window in an attempt to attract help from the outside. It is once McClane manages to get the attention of the LAPD (the corpse-tossing worked a treat) that the real magic begins, which is the revelation that McClane is better than everyone else alive, including you – ironic given that he spent the first half hour desperately crying out for help.

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John McClane resolves the terrorist siege single-handedly despite the presence of the LAPD, SWAT and the FBI; in fact McClane saves these apparent bozos from the machinations of the terrorists several times (whilst being mistaken as some sort of psycho killer to boot). Such a magical moment includes McClane blowing up a whole floor of terrorists (without miraculously harming any of the hostages), thus stopping their rocket launcher onslaught against the unsuspecting SWAT teams attempting to storm the plaza. Another noteworthy moment is when he rescues all the hostages from certain death seconds before some idiotic FBI agents unwittingly blow up a helipad they were gathered on (and as if saving countless lives isn’t enough, he narrowly escapes this chaos by leaping off the building with only a fire hose to save him from gravity).

It can’t be denied that the police politics of this 80s classic would be unnerving to modern eyes with its idolisation of McClane’s almost vigilante brand of justice, but with a healthy dose of self-awareness Die Hard is the ultimate power fantasy; one that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. The exact kind of magic that you would need and want at Christmas.

As a basic siege film, the physical dangers faced by John McClane in Die Hard are of a much greater intensity than that of the leading duo in Lethal Weapon: the action is non-stop and quick paced, and far more shocking and gory. However, whilst Die Hard is driven by its plot, Lethal Weapon is more character focused, and as a consequence the psychological hurdles presented in Lethal Weapon are much more immense than those seen in Die Hard, despite the huge amount of peril Holly and John McClane face.

The Value of Family

It is now time to consider how much family is valued in these films; starting with Die Hard…

Is this film not just a metaphor for marriage and the active battle that is maintaining such a relationship?

It has to be confessed that it’s not exactly hard to be initially disappointed by John when we first meet him. It appears he has let his fragile masculinity get in the way of his marriage as he struggles to cope with his wife’s flourishing career. But my goodness is this an incredible attempt at reconciliation; the man walks over broken glass barefoot for Christ’s sake!

As we all know, big grand gestures can often be empty and meaningless; it is changed behaviour that is the real apology. So what a brilliant way to finish off this metaphor with Hans Gruber being defeated by John and Holly working together; transforming their marriage into a partnership – a union of absolute equals. It earns their riding off into the sunset, entangled in each other’s arms, and so gives us that desired cosy Christmas feeling – excellent!

Lethal Weapon, by comparison, has no such romantic metaphor; it instead depicts the very real devastation caused by unimaginable loss.

Martin Riggs is a man who is constantly putting himself and others in danger through his reckless behaviour, as he is now without purpose. He does state that it is “the job” that has so far prevented him from eating one of his own bullets, but the way he achieves results still points to a blatant death wish.

It’s when the initially dubious Murtaugh begins to let his guard down and allows Riggs into his inner sanctum, inviting him into his family home, that we see a transformation in Riggs. For you see, the central criminal scandal of Lethal Weapon – ex Vietnam War Special Forces officers turned drug baron mercenaries – most deeply affects Murtaugh; he is the most entangled and has the most to lose from this situation. By actually giving Riggs a chance (whose life literally hangs in the balance if he can’t find a working partnership), Riggs no longer lives dangerously for the sake of trying to feel alive whilst consumed with grief, he instead directs all of his ferocity towards protecting Murtaugh and his interests; this deep sense of caring spreads to the wider community surrounding him, seen when he is willing to grapple in the mud with Joshua after he murdered his fellow officers.

Lethal Weapon, in the contest of greatest redemption arc, takes the victory: Riggs is quite literally pulled from the jaws of death by the power of found family through his partnership with Murtaugh – they even share Christmas dinner. This transformation from death to life proves that Lethal Weapon values family the greatest.

True Christmas films are affairs of great emotion, our heroes often go through hell to then be redeemed with the happiest of endings. This is true for both Die Hard and Lethal Weapon, but it is proven that Lethal Weapon boasts the most intense and emotionally driven Christmas tale of hope.

All you Die Hard fans may have to reconsider your all-time favourite Christmas film, but if you guys don’t change your mind, there is nothing but respect for you: Die Hard is pretty kickass.

Recommended for you: 10 Excellent Non-Christmas Films Set at Christmas

Make sure to read 10 Best Home Alone Moments before you read this article.

Alone in the most heavily populated city in the United States, Kevin encounters troublesome hotel clerks and the return of some old foes in this much beloved follow-up to one of the greatest Christmas films of all time.

In this Movie List, we at The Film Magazine are examining Chris Columbus’ iconic Christmas sequel for this, the 10 Best Home Alone 2: Lost in New York Moments.

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10. Kevin Calls Uncle Frank a Cheapskate

The film opens with a scene from a Christmas concert at Kevin’s school, the parents of the children all gathered in the audience to watch the show. Kevin’s solo is coming up.

Buzz (Devin Ratray), Kevin’s horrible older brother, plays a prank on him whilst he is singing, causing the whole auditorium to laugh at Kevin’s expense. 

Back at the house, after the event has unfolded, Buzz is apologising to the family for the prank he pulled and the embarrassment he caused his younger brother. Kevin clocks on to the insincerity of Buzz’s apology and stands up to his family, saying he doesn’t want to spend Christmas in Florida anyway. Uncle Frank (Gerry Bamman) tells him not to ruin the trip that Kevin’s father has paid a lot of money for. 

With outstanding delivery from Culkin, Kevin roasts Uncle Frank with one simple line: “I wouldn’t want to spoil your fun Mr. Cheapskate.”

Hilarious.

9. Marv Smiles for the Camera

Marv (Daniel Stern) and Harry (Joe Pesci) have escaped prison and made their way to New York in an attempt to make the Big Apple their new stomping grounds. They find out about a donation drive happening at a big toy store, and when Kevin clocks on to what they’re doing, he follows them there and catches them in the act.

When he sees them robbing the store, Kevin uses his new polaroid camera to snap a shot of them for proof. He shouts, “Hey Guys! Smile!”.

With brilliant comedic timing, and his trademarked goofiness, Marv looks up at the camera and gives it a big grin. 

Klaus is a 2019 animation directed by Spanish director Sergio Pablos and distributed by Netflix. It features the voices of stars such as Jason Schwartzman, Joan Cusack and J.K. Simmons, and was produced by Pablos’ own animation company Sergio Pablos Animation Studios. The story follows Jesper’s (Schwartzman’s) trials and tribulations of being a postman on an island that doesn’t send letters, his unlikely friendship with a woodsman (Simmons), and how the duo transform the gloomy, feud-ridden island into a place of joy through delivering presents. It was a nominee for Best Animated Feature Film at the 2020 Oscars, and won the equivalent award at the 2020 BAFTAs.

It has been lauded by many as one of the great animated films made outside of the Hollywood studio system in the past ten years, but what makes Klaus so special? In this Movie List, we’re looking at this Christmas themed animated feature to offer 5 Reasons Why Klaus (2019) Is an Amazing Christmas Film.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter for updates on more articles like this one.

1. The Animation

In an age of animation inhabited almost exclusively by 3D releases, 2D animation is a breath of fresh air. With both 2D and 3D animation styles being blended together, Klaus is full of added depth but stays true to its nostalgic and unique art style.

Smeerensburg, where the film takes place, is inspired by German Expressionism in its design, both in terms of the buildings and the town’s inhabitants. The colour scheme also plays a large role in the atmosphere building throughout the film; Smeerensburg’s first appearance is dark, grey and rundown, but as time goes on, warmer tones begin to take over, especially in scenes of isolated happiness such as during the first present delivery.

Unlike the bland and corporate offerings of some of the US’s biggest animation studios – Illumination Entertainment, Warner Animation Group, etc. – every aspect of Klaus’ animation really adds to the emotional weight of its story, helping it to connect with audiences young and old.

2. It’s an Original Look at Santa’s Origin

The origin of Ol’ Saint Nick has been revisited time after time, both in literature and on screen, so to have a film in 2019 have a fresh take on the beginnings of Santa is already impressive, but to then have it be emotional, comical and magical takes the film to the next level.

The story behind why Klaus makes toys is enough to reduce any adult to tears, but then the comical edge of Jesper’s struggles with the actual delivering of the presents helps to ease the emotional tension. Jesper’s involvement in the story is actually very important, since it finally gives credit to postal workers – the ones who work extra hard to deliver the Christmas presents over the holidays.

Vitally, this change in perspective and in tone doesn’t kill the magic of Father Christmas, as despite the legendary figure’s disappearance, he still delivers presents every year.