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Unconventional flicks for December
By Cazzy Lewchuk, Columnist
The holidays are not the most wonderful time of the year for everyone. For many, the season isnât always cheerful or all fun and games. There are countless movies that feature the holidays played straight, but some tackle the subject in a more subversive way. All these flicks feature holiday content, but they also contain more serious content, and theyâre about more than merely the festivitiesâjust like the holidays in real life.
Bad Santa (2003)
Willie T. Sokes (Billy Bob Thornton) is a crooked alcoholic mall Santa who robs the whole department store on Christmas Eve every year with his elf Marcus (Tony Cox). His plans and outlook take a turn when he befriends âThe Kidâ (Brett Kelly), a troubled child who thinks Willie really is Santa Claus. Equally hilarious and depressing, the sheer cynicism of this movie may hit close to home this holiday season. As a bonus, check out Bad Santa 2 (2016), featuring the original cast.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Legendary director Stanley Kubrickâs final film features Tom Cruise as Dr. Bill Hartford and Nicole Kidman as his wife Alice. After learning of Aliceâs infidelity fantasies and a secret club from a friend, Bill travels through New York City at Christmas time for a night of wild adventure. Featuring mysterious costume shop owners, drug overdoses, and Illuminati-esque orgies, this long flick is most decidedly not cheerful or sentimentalâall the more reason to put it on this list.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Truly the all-time goth kid classic for both Halloween and Christmas. This iconic Claymation Tim Burton musical has been immortalized in punk merchandise forever, but in case youâve missed out: Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon), the Pumpkin King of Halloweentown, stumbles upon another magical town with gifts, elves, and mistletoe. Inspired and misguided by this new holiday, Jack attempts to combine Halloween with Christmas and replace Santa Clausâwith disastrous results.
Harry Potter (2001-2012)
So, maybe these arenât explicitly Christmas movies. But each movie, which takes place over the course of a year or so, does feature scenes set during the holiday season. The scenes of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade in the snow are absolutely lovely. The Weird Sisters at the Yule Ball rock the place hard. Also, if youâre not feeling the holidays, thereâs plenty of terrifying creatures and dark wizards ahead. If you donât know what a Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, or Weird Sisters is, now is a great time to enter the world of Harry Potter!
Mean Girls (2003)
This movie is actually pretty hilarious, especially that Christmas scene (you already know which one Iâm talking about). Nevertheless, it does touch on serious subjects, and may be the perfect film to indulge in when youâre having another mood swing and itâs not even December yet. âThatâs the Jingle Bell! Thatâs the Jingle Bell! Thatâs the Jingle Bell Rock!â