The cold, crisp weather is finally picking up and leaves are crunching under our feet. As Christmas nears, there is nothing like watching delightful holiday movies to get you in a festive mood.
But what makes holiday movies so special? Most holiday movies spread a sense of collective joy and nostalgia among audience members that set them apart from other movie genres. Though holiday traditions vary, many fond memories center around keeping others warm and cozy on the couch with a merry story.
Whether you are eating some warm popcorn or snuggling under a fuzzy blanket on a cold winter night, here are three cozy holiday movies to enjoy for a festive night in.
If you’re feeling like having a good laugh: “The Night Before” (2015)
Directed by Jonathan Levine, this Christmas tale follows the hilariously unhinged adventures of three best friends. Every year, Isaac (Seth Rogen), Chris (Anthony Mackie) and Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) get together for Christmas Eve and go all out to have the best time of their lives, each year trying to top the previous year’s celebration.
Though the film has its rowdy and nasty comedy gags, it also holds strong sentimental value in friendship and maturing into adulthood. It emphasizes that adulthood doesn’t simply mean throwing away a fun, exhilarating life. In fact, growing into adulthood makes these moments with friends and family even more worthwhile, as they save us from the seriousness of reality.
This foolish trio’s crazy Christmas journey reminds the audience that in the midst of personal chaos, friendship overpowers all of it and reinforces the motivation of being able to get through the hardest times with loved ones. The holiday season brings all of that inspiration and support together.
If you’re feeling nostalgic: “The Polar Express” (2004)
Robert Zemeckis’s animated classic takes its audience on a magical train ride, focusing on the theme of Christmas spirit — the believers and the nonbelievers. As the audience follows the journey of Hero Boy, who doesn’t believe in Santa Claus, the movie presents scenes with a dreamlike ambiance that makes the audience simultaneously question the spirit of Christmas and believe in it.
Since the characters — except for Billy and a few others — are unnamed, this allows the audience to identify with them rather than perceive them as their own beings. This storytelling choice allows us to give our own names to the characters we identify with. One of the most intriguing unnamed characters is the homeless man, because his presence plays a huge role in the theme of the Christmas spirit.
The homeless man plays a role that sways the children’s decisions to either pursue their evolving beliefs in the Christmas spirit or simply sit back and ignore them. This children’s narrative provides comfort and nostalgia in its universal representation of the everlasting faith in Christmas.
If you’re feeling like having a thrilling adventure: “Die Hard” (1988)
Every year, the heated debate about whether John McTiernan’s “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie or not resurfaces. “Die Hard” is justified as a Christmas movie because of all the holiday references it contains. The suspenseful action film takes place at a holiday office party on Christmas Eve and has a soundtrack loaded with Christmas classics. The most memorable one-liners refer to the Christmas season, such as the famous “Ho-Ho-Ho” scene.
Though this film is not exclusively a Christmas one, audiences will still find joy in watching this action-packed movie.
With these three Christmas-packed films, enjoy a cozy night to get in the mood of the holiday season. Your heart will surely be filled with warmth and festive cheer after watching these films.
Cameryn Nguyen is an Arts & Entertainment Staff Writer. She can be reached at camerynn@uci.edu.
Edited by Ryan Grogan
