On December 4th, the streaming service Netflix debuted the animated Christmas comedy «That Christmas», based on the children’s book trilogy «That Christmas and Other Stories» by British filmmaker and writer Richard Curtis. Curtis has already had success with Christmas movies—his romantic comedy «Love Actually» premiered in 2003. In this review, we’ll delve into just how successful this animation turned out to be.
Genre animation, Christmas comedy fantasy
Director Simon Otto
Voice Cast Brian Cox, Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker, Bill Nighy, Lolly Adefope, Alex McQueen, Katherine Parkinson
Premiere Netflix
Release Year 2024
Website IMDb
In a small but incredibly cozy coastal town in Suffolk, England, it’s snowing heavily. But that’s actually quite nice, as the bad weather adds an authentic festive atmosphere right before Christmas. Meanwhile, Santa Claus is left with just one reindeer, but that won’t stop the rosy-cheeked, chubby fellow from delivering gifts to the kids on time.
However, the kids themselves have their own worries. Two young twins with completely opposite personalities dream of nice treats, but one — the mischievous one — risks ending up without any. A group of kids is left without adults for the holiday, who are stuck in the harsh snow returning home from a wedding. A lonely boy wants nothing more than to spend Christmas with his rarely seen father, but instead, his mother has to leave him due to urgent work.
All stories intertwine in some way or another (a so-called hyperlink cinema, with one of its most prominent examples being «Pulp Fiction»). Predictably, some of them prove to be noticeably more interesting than others.
For example, the storyline about the two sisters seems the least compelling because it lacks the basic element of any story that keeps us watching movies (or reading books, or going to the theater). The creators simply do not offer full conflicts, there’s no intrigue or even just fun adventures. Meanwhile, the story of a boy waiting for his father on Christmas is the most interesting — here you have the sadness of a lonely child, a conflict with his busy mother, and a touch of spot-on sentimentality achieved through an improbable alliance.
The project is unlikely to become a new Christmas classic like, say, «Klaus»; its simple, snowman-like mini-plots can hardly compete with the latter’s outstanding drama. However, «That Christmas» can be a good one-time entertainment for your kids. Additionally, the animation boasts high-quality, colorful, and visually pleasing graphics.
Overall, it turned out quite cute and charming, albeit not without noticeable flaws. At least, it’s definitely safe to play for kids. Adults may watch only if they feel like it. But be careful — after watching, there’s a chance someone will definitely want to go outside and build a proper snowman. I wish I could get that snow somewhere in the winter.