SummaryThis is the story of Father Christmas, the tale of a young boy named Nikolas (Henry Lawfull) as he goes on his adventures. This is a Christmas movie based on a book of the same title by Matt Haig and will include snow, elves, kidnapping, more snow, and Dame Maggie Smith. What more could you want in a holiday movie?
Directed By:Gil Kenan
Written By:Ol Parker, Gil Kenan, Matt Haig, Surbhi Sehgal
A Boy Called Christmas
Metascore
Generally Favorable
61
User score
Mixed or Average
5.4
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
61
56% Positive
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
44% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Nov 24, 2021
88
A Boy Called Christmas is a resplendent Santa Claus origin story with a star-filled cast, sumptuous visuals, and some melancholy details to keep it from being too sugary.
Dec 3, 2021
80
It’s surprising how much the film can flit between clangingly obvious bits of exposition – aha! The source of the floppy red hat! A reindeer that happens to be named Blitzen! – and more mature perspectives on the holidays.
User score
Mixed or Average
5.4
38% Positive
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
38% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
25% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
Dec 23, 2023
10
It looks nice enough, but the story is pretty boring. There are no strong messages, it is just a formulaic movie. It has some neat little moments, but on the whole it is just a lot of filler. Kinda pointless. This is mean, but I'd call it "paint by the numbers dredge."
Dec 3, 2022
9
This is a very entertaining and enjoyable film that's quite family friendly and features a decent cast including Jim Broadbent, Maggie Smith, Toby Jones and Sally Hawkins. It features some decent visual effects and good cinematography of a snow covered landscape. I remember reading the book its based on (I like the authors work, though if the film was no good, I was (honest, guv!) say so) and I enjoyed this film version of it. It does well at portraying childlike fascination with myths/folk tales and the power of magic, that sort of seasonal stuff and I wouldn't say it talks down to any kids watching, in a patronising kind of a way, which is always refreshing. A nice festive film, I would recommend this, yes.
Nov 29, 2021
63
In a winter of dull holiday romances and seriously unimaginative seasonal slop, this one tickles and delights and is at least good enough to put off that “Christmas Story” rerun you know you’re getting around to, because that after-all is a tradition.
Nov 29, 2021
60
A Boy Called Christmas is by-the-numbers Yuletide storytelling buoyed by a strong Brit cast, inventive filmmaking and a heart in the right place.
Dec 9, 2021
40
At a glance, A Boy Called Christmas looks delightful enough, with its snowy landscapes, cosy knitwear, and scenes of Jim Broadbent larking around in a periwig and frock coat. But beneath its Paddington-meets-Potter storybook exterior, its bloodstream runs with purest gloop.
Dec 23, 2021
8
Beautiful film.
It could have done without the wokish "the evil character is evil because she wants to preserve her culture" thingy, but everything else is magic.
Dec 22, 2021
3
Dreadful film. Terrible acting, weak plot and low budget effects. Lacks real emotion and any trace of originality. Stephen Merchant as the mouse pretty much sums this film up, a disaster.
Dec 25, 2021
2
My problem with this movie (as a Finn) is the apparent disregard for actual Finnish culture, replaced with your standard modernist take on traditional British/Germanic storytelling.. It doesn’t represent Finnish culture at all.. It seems to me like the writers assumed Finnish culture/history were the same as other European cultures, even though in reality there are a lot of differences..
Production Company:
- StudioCanal
- Netflix
- Canal+
- Ciné+
- Blueprint Pictures
- Pin3hot
Release Date:Nov 24, 2021
Duration:1 h 46 m
Rating:PG
Awards
Music + Sound Awards, International
• 1 Nomination
