Forgo the classics and unwrap a contemporary Christmas caper this year for some festive film fun
▶ They are not Elf or Home Alone, but these new movies hold their own against the overplayed favourites, writes Gemma White
When it comes to Christmas movies, everyone knows the classics. However, those looking to freshen up the festive watchlist can add these newcomers to it, including family body swaps and competitive capers.
Candy Cane Lane
A friendly local festive competition spins wildly out of control in this film starring Eddie Murphy and Tracee Ellis Ross.
Murphy stars as Chris Carver, a family man who is determined to win his neighbourhood’s annual home decoration competition.
While hanging the lights and digging out the decorations, he meets mischievous elf Pepper (Jillian Bell) whose seemingly innocent offer to help him win brings the carol The Twelve Days of Christmas to life.
Cue plenty of geese-a-laying, lords-a-leaping and maids-amilking chaos as Carver rallies his family to come together and put a stop to Pepper’s disastrous antics.
▶ Amazon Prime
Best. Christmas. Ever!
When Charlotte Sanders (Heather Graham) receives the annual holiday newsletter from her former college friend Jackie Jennings (Brandy Norwood), reading about the Jennings family’s achievements and humble brags is too much for her to take.
Determined to prove everything in the newsletter is a lie, she and her family, husband Rob (Jason Biggs) and children Grant (Wyatt Hunt) and Dora (Abby Villasmil), end up on Jackie’s doorstep for the holidays. Sanders makes it her mission to uncover what she believes is the Jennings’s hidden dysfunction.
▶ Netflix
Dashing Through the Snow
Rapper Ludacris, real name Chris Bridges, stars in this comedy as divorced social worker Eddie Garrick with a grudge against Christmas. It stems from a traumatic Santa-related childhood incident.
While spending time with his daughter Charlotte (Madison Skye Validum) over the holidays, they encounter a man named Nick (Lil Rel Howery) who claims to be the real Father Christmas. They take him to the hospital thinking he’s delusional.
When three baddies – a snowman, an elf and a nutcracker – turn up intent on kidnapping Nick, both Eddie and Charlotte are caught up in a conspiracy to silence Santa and they must help in any way they can.
▶ Disney+
Exmas
After deciding to travel home to spend the holidays with his family, Graham’s (Robbie Amell) plans are upended when he arrives to find his ex-fiancee Ali (Leighton Meester) in situ.
They might have broken up, but Graham’s family still love Ali and want her to stay.
When the battling exes decide there’s only room for one, they stop at nothing while trying to oust the other, including during highly competitive game nights and a stressful bake-off.
▶ Amazon Prime
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever
With only two weeks to go until Christmas, Greg Heffley (Wesley Kimmel) is on his best behaviour in order to get the gaming system his parents have promised him.
But when he and Rowley (Spencer Howell) create a giant snowball, he’s forced to hide at home so no one finds out it was them.
When a giant blizzard traps him in the house with nothing to do but spend time with his family, Heffley must face up to the fact he might not be able to cover up his crime and may have to bid goodbye to his longed-for gift.
▶ Disney+
Family Switch
Family Switch, which stars Jennifer Garner and Ed Helms, successfully mixes Christmas, family and body swaps – and it’s a thoroughly enjoyable light watch.
After another evening with the whole family spent staring at their phones, Jess Walker (Garner) starts to worry they’ve become disconnected.
After wishing they could each know what it feels like to be a different member of the family, Jess, her husband Bill (Helms) and their children CC (Emma Myers) and Wyatt (Brady Noon) wake up in different bodies.
With just 24 hours to heal their family rifts or they stay stuck in the wrong bodies for ever, they race to find their way back to one another. There are plenty of slapstick and inter-generational jokes against a festive feel-good backdrop. ▶ Netflix
Merry Little Batman
This animated movie expands the Bat Family story. It focuses on Damian Wayne, aka Little Batman (Yonas Kibreab), after he’s left alone at Wayne Manor on Christmas Eve.
When dad Bruce (Luke Wilson) is called away to help the Justice League, Gotham’s worst villains, including The Joker (David Hornsby), Poison Ivy (Therese McLaughlin) and Mr Freeze (Dolph Adomian) unite to steal Christmas. Damian then dons the bat suit, transforms into Little Batman and takes on the baddies.
▶ Amazon Prime
The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday
This festive spin-off of last year’s animated hit The Bad Guys brings back favourite characters Mr Wolf (Michael Godere), Mr Shark (Ezekiel Ajeigbe) and Mr Piranha (Raul Ceballos). The rag-tag group inadvertently cause Christmas to be cancelled when they ruin a festive parade.
It ends their plans to rob the bank, so they decide to “cheer up the city so we can rob it Christmas morning”.