A Boy Called Christmas (2021)

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We all have our own set of go-to's when it comes to Christmas movies, and they tend to hit us the same every year, becoming something of a tradition. I have my own set of "every-year" watches (or, almost every year), some typical, some not so typical, and I like them all for different reasons. But sometimes, one wants a bit of change, along with something relatively original. And if I'm to come to Netflix's defence on any matter, it might be that they have been doing the best job of giving us quality Christmas movies for the past few years.

It's only my humble opinion, but Netlix seems to have been doing the best job over the years when you think about it. They've given us two, fun 'Christmas Chronicles' movies, catchy musicals like 'Jingle-Jangle,' Oscar-worthy animation like 'Klaus,' and a wide selection of other not-as-memorable titles, but at least there are some options there for the viewer. 'A Boy Called Christmas' is definitely one of the better, and more memorable new titles on the streaming service, however, and shouldn't be overlooked.

One Christmas Eve, a family, who has recently lost their mother, is left with their Aunt Ruth (the late, great Maggie Smith) while their Dad (Joel Fry) has to leave urgently for work. The kids, Andrea (Isabella O'Sullivan), Moppet (Ayomide Garrick) and Patrick (Eden Lawrence), sort of revile their Aunt, and believe things are gonna get pretty boring pretty quickly. However, in order to keep them entertained, Ruth begins to tell them a story about how Christmas really got started - similar to 'Klaus,' but a completely different story.

The story centres on Nikolas (Henry Lawfull), a 13-year-old boy who lives a hard life in the middle of the woods of Finland with his woodcutter father, Joel (Michiel Huisman). His mother died from a bear attack, and he has since lived, holding onto her memory by remembering stories of a magical place to the North called "Elfhelm." He also keeps a doll his Mom made for him from a turnip, and eventually rescues and befriends a mouse he calls Miika, whom he wishes to teach to talk. Spoiler alert: voiced by Stephen Merchant.

One day, the King (Jim Broadbent) calls together his townspeople, as things have gotten a bit too bleak in his kingdom. He then offers a handsome reward to anyone who can find some sort of object that will bring them all hope. With that, Joel decides to set out with a team in order to try to find the land of Elfhelm, if it even exists. But if proof of its existence can be given, hope will be restored throughout the land, as Elfhelm is a land of peace, magic, hope, and all that other positive stuff.

While Joel is gone, Nikolas is left in the care of his horrid Aunt Carlotta (Kristen Wiig), whose abuse leads Nikolas to set out on his own to find his Father, and hopefully Elfhelm with him. Throughout his adventure, the magic eventually sets in, and we get introduced to some Christmas characters, both familiar, like Blitzen the reindeer, and new, like the mischievous Truth Pixie (Zoe Colletti). And while Nikolas learns a thing or two about the outisde world, he also teaches a thing or two about what terms like "love," "respect," and "hope" mean.

So, if you're looking for a new Christmas watch to add to your list that's a little more on the family-freindly side of things, 'A Boy Called Christmas' is a pretty great place to look. I can't promise it will be for everyone who loves a good Christmas movie, but I have to admit that for me, personally, it's refreshing to see something that doesn't coddle the children watching it. This plays out a bit more like a 'Matilda' in some of its more sinister ways. But if you can get past that, this really is a nice, warm Christmas story that reminds us what it's all about.

4/5

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