Merry Christmas! My #AdventWatch (when I try to find new holiday treats) may be over, but the #12DaysOfChristmasMovies (when I watch favorites) has begun. This year, I’ll be counting off the days based on the liturgical calendar, with each day celebrating four related holiday film favorites. Enjoy!
Kristen Stewart as Diana, Princess of Wales in SPENCER
Advent Day 25 (12/24): SPENCER (2021). What says the holidays more than a dysfunctional family? For the final film of Advent 2025, it’s Christmas with the royals at Sandringham! #AdventWatch #25 #Filmsky 📽️
Letterboxd posters for KNIVES OUT, GLASS ONION, WAKE UP DEAD MAN
Advent Day 24 (12/23): KNIVES OUT #1–3. While not exactly Christmas movies, I associate these with the holidays, due to both their release dates and the fact that the basic plot of #1 is lifted straight from HERCULE POIROT'S CHRISTMAS. Plus, my Netflix is expiring. #AdventWatch #22-24 #Filmsky 📽️
A green-tinged poster for MERRY CHRISTMAS (2024)
Advent Day 23 (12/22): MERRY CHRISTMAS (2024). An Indian remake of the French noir PARIS PICK-UP by the director of ANDHADHUN. In addition to being a great mystery thriller, it is most definitely a “certified” Christmas movie. Watched in Hindi on Netflix. #AdventWatch #21 #Filmsky 📽️
Advent Day 23 (12/22): LA BÛCHE (SEASON’S BEATINGS) (1999). One in a long line of great French “blue Christmas” movies, along with DOUCE, MA NUIT CHEZ MAUD, LE PÈRE NOËL EST UNE ORDURE, and UN CONTE DE NOËL. Finally accessible streaming on France Channel. #AdventWatch #20 #Filmsky 📽️
A couple walks through the snowy streets of Sun Peaks village.
A mother and daughter stand together in front of outside holiday decorations.
A man in a suit standing next to a woman disguised as Santa Claus.
Advent Day 21 (12/20): MY SECRET SANTA (2025). Why would I watch another Netflix Christmas romance after A CASTLE FOR CHRISTMAS? Because ten years ago I spent Christmas in Sun Peaks, Canada, where this takes place. Not very good, but sweet. #AdventWatch #19 #Flmsky 📽️
Cary Elwes and Brooke Shields in front of a Christmas tree.
Advent Day 20 (12/19): A CASTLE FOR CHRISTMAS (2021) by Mary Lambert. Oof. At least it was Christmasy? #FemaleFilmmakerFriday #DirectedByWomen
#AdventWatch #18 #Filmsky 📽️
Christmas dinner with the potential future in-laws in SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE.
Advent Day 20 (12/19): SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE (1993). For #FemaleFilmmakerFriday, the #RIPRobReiner portion of my #AdventWatch continues with this Nora Ephron classic.
#AdventWatch #17 #Filmsky 📽️
Harry and Sally carrying a Christmas tree through the streets of New York.
Advent Day 16 (12/15): WHEN HARRY MET SALLY (1989). More New Year's than Christmas, but absolutely formative either way. “At that moment I knew. I knew the way you know about a good melon.” #RIPRobReiner #AdventWatch #16 #Filmsky 📽️
A casual Christmas dinner around a living room coffee table, as seen through a fish tank. Hugh Grant carves a turkey.
Advent Day 15 (12/14): ABOUT A BOY (2002). Needed something heartwarming tonight. This is one of those movies that comes so close to being certified (but doesn’t) that I would never argue about its Christmas status with anyone. Plus, baby Nicholas Hoult! #AdventWatch #15
Letterboxd posters for BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY, BRIDGET JONES: THE EDGE OF REASON, BRIDGET JONES'S BABY
Since I’ve skipped my #AdventWatch the last two nights, I’ve caught up today with the first three Bridget Jones movies. I couldn’t remember how much Christmas was in each of them. it turns out almost none. Even the first one fails the certification test. Oh, Bridge. #AdventWatch #12-14 #Filmsky 📽️
A performance at a private party in SILVER SKATES
Alisa studies English with her tutor in SILVER SKATES
The wicked stepmother in SILVER SKATES
Alisa sneaks out to the university in SILVER SKATES
God bless the Russian collection at the SFPL. I just put the DVD on hold so I can watch this without ads and make proper screencaps of all the amazing costumes and sets. #AdventWatch
Ok, in addition to this having Yura Borisov and being SILVER SKATES meets OLIVER TWIST meets TITANIC but at Christmas, there's also Tchaikovsky and ice dancing and the first nativity scene of my #AdventWatch. And we're only one hour in!
Advent Day 11 (12/10): Decided to lean in to the cold and watch the Russian take on SILVER SKATES (2020), set at Christmastime in 1899 St. Petersburg. Couldn’t have been happier when I realized the leader of the “Ice Gang” was both a Marxist revolutionary and Yura Borisov. #AdventWatch #11 #Filmsky
Edward G. Robinson as Santa in LARCENY, INC.
Valli looks on while her maid decorates a large Christmas tree in WALK SOFTLY, STRANGER.
Advent Day 10 (12/9): LARCENY, INC. (1942) & WALK SOFTLY, STRANGER (1950). I had high hopes for these but I’m afraid I can’t certify either as bona fide Christmas films. That said, they would certainly be good choices for the #Noirvember to December transition. #AdventWatch #9-10 #Filmsky 📽️
Children are gathered around a man playing piano next to a Christmas tree
Advent Day 8 (12/7): LYDIA (1941). Although a big tree makes a brief appearance, the two short holiday scenes in LYDIA only involve New Year’s Eve. I’m starting to despair of finding any new “Christmas movies” from the 1940s that are actually Christmas movies. #AdventWatch #8 #Filmsky 📽️
Movie posters for DESTINATION TOKYO featuring Cary Grant and John Garfield
Advent Day 7 (12/6): DESTINATION TOKYO (1943). A submarine crew leaves San Francisco on Christmas Eve to conduct a secret wartime mission. The crew celebrates Christmas at sea with carolers, a Christmas dinner, and Alan Hale as Cookie playing Santa. #AdventWatch #7 #Filmsky 📽️
A family poses for their Christmas photo in front of a Christmas tree.
In honor of #FemaleFilmmakerFriday, I rewatched BABYGIRL (2024). It turned out to be even less Christmasy than I remembered—one of those movies where it's pointedly the season but there's almost no Christmas trappings or mention of the holiday. #AdventWatch #6 #DirectedByWomen #Filmsky 📽️
Did someone say #AdventWatch? Unfortunately, only one of these turned out to be a certified Christmas movie, but they are all enjoyable enough. #LastFourWatched #Filmsky 📽️
A young boy is interrogated by his teacher in front of the classroom Christmas tree.
A young man kneels beside a young woman with a cast on her foot in front of the living room Christmas tree.
A horse-drawn carriage turns a corner in a Currier & Ives-style winter street scene.
A middle-aged couple looks out a snowy window with a Christmas tree behind them.
Finally had a moment to grab screenshots of last night’s Advent selection: ON MOONLIGHT BAY (1951). While not a certified Christmas film, the main Christmas scene is lovely.
#AdventWatch #5 #Filmsky 📽️
Decorating the Christmas tree in ALIAS BOSTON BLACKIE
Advent Day 4 (12/3): ALIAS BOSTON BLACKIE starts out promising with Blackie decorating his tree on Christmas Eve and receiving guests bearing gifts, but the Christmas spirit and trappings were otherwise lacking. Ultimately, this fails the “Is it a Christmas movie?” test. #AdventWatch #4 #Filmsky 📽️
Jimmy Durante and family sit down to Christmas dinner in THE GREAT RUPERT.
For the third day of Advent, a mischievous dancing squirrel makes Jimmy Durante’s Christmas dreams come true in THE GREAT RUPERT (1950). Most definitely a Christmas movie.
#AdventWatch #3
Christmas morning at the neighbors' house in BETTER OFF DEAD
For this, the second day of Advent, I decided to rewatch and score BETTER OFF DEAD, which turned out to be one of those movies on the fine line between Christmas movie and not. In the end, I think it may qualify, despite not feeling particularly Christmas-y. #AdventWatch #2 #Filmsky 📽️
Movie posters for THE UNSUSPECTED (left) & DILLINGER (right)
For the last of my 2025 #NoirDoubleFeatures and #AdventWatch #1: THE UNSUSPECTED (1947) & DILLINGER (1945).
“After slaving all day over a hot typewriter, there’s nothing I like better than a swan dive into a bottle of bourbon.”
—Constance Bennett in THE UNSUSPECTED
#Noirvember #23-24 #Filmsky 📽️
From left to right: Maria Ouspenskaya, Jean Parker, and Richard Carlson in BEYOND TOMORROW (aka BEYOND CHRISTMAS)
Merry Christmas, everyone!
My #AdventWatch may be over, but the #12DaysOfChristmasMovies has officially begun with a rewatch of one of my newfound favorites: BEYOND TOMORROW. I tell you, every time Maria Ouspenskaya puts that overcoat on James, it hits me right in the feels.
#Filmsky
Letterboxd posters for THE CHRISTMAS CAROL (1949), narrated by Vincent Price (left) and SCROOGE (1935) (right).
This Christmas Eve, I watched the final two versions of A CHRISTMAS CAROL that I wanted to get to before finalizing my ACC rankings. The first was a 25-min bare-bones short narrated by Vincent Price; the second was SCROOGE (1935), the first version with sound. #AdventWatch #24-25 #Filmsky
Patrick Stewart as Ebenezer Scrooge, wearing a top hat while attending the funeral of Jacob Marley.
Tonight I watched the 1999 adaptation of A CHRISTMAS CAROL with Patrick Stewart. Having seen his one-man show of the tale on stage, I knew Stewart would kill it as Scrooge. However, despite a strong script and solid cast, somehow there's just no life in this one. #AdventWatch #23 #Filmsky
Louise Brooks lights a Christmas candle in PANDORA'S BOX.
Today I watched one of my "Is it a Christmas movie?" specials: PANDORA'S BOX. Not only is it not a Christmas movie, it's probably the bleakest Christmas Eve representation of all the Blue Christmas films (though I've yet to watch MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR. LAWRENCE). #AdventWatch #22 #Filmsky
Tonight's "Is it a Christmas movie?" selection was a rewatch. It had been ages since I had seen BATMAN RETURNS and I didn't really remember how Christmasy it was. Not only did it easily get a passing score, but, Christmas aside, it was also sadly relevant. #AdventWatch #21 #Filmsky
