That Christmas
A warm, ensemble animated Christmas film set in the snowy English town of Wellington-on-Sea, weaving together several families' holiday stories alongside a very busy Santa. It carries genuine heart but also genuine sadness, including an elderly widow grieving her late husband, a child briefly lost in a blizzard, and a boy missing his absent dad.
A lovely pick for kids around 6 and up who can handle some holiday loneliness and mild peril, ideally watched together so grown-ups can field any big questions.
If you’d rather skip
Santa battles a fierce blizzard on his rounds, setting up the stormy-night stakes from the very start.
A chaotic, irreverent school play includes eggplant costumes, slapstick falls, and a line that some families may find cheeky with regard to the Nativity story.
Santa slips and lands on a pointed rooftop in a slapstick moment likely to get giggles from older kids.