Film

This Christmas

A 2007 ensemble comedy-drama about the chaotic Whitfield family reuniting for Christmas after years apart. It's warm and messy, balancing genuine heartfelt moments with comedy, anchored by strong performances from Delroy Lindo and Idris Elba. Made for anyone who knows that family holidays are equal parts love and exasperation.

TMDb rating3.3

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like ensemble family comedies where the bickering is affectionate, the rooms are crowded, and the warmth comes from a big noisy table rather than a single grand gesture.

Skip it if you want a tight plot or a steady pace; this one wanders through many overlapping storylines, and its sentiment lands heavy at times.

What it asks of you: Settle in for a little over two hours of many voices talking over each other, with sudden shifts between laughter and sharp confrontation, and you will need to keep track of a large cast.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Love Jones1997

Romantic and funny without sacrificing depth, centred on Black love and complex relationships. The chemistry between leads feels real, and it captures both the attraction and the friction of actual people figuring things out together.

But It's a 90s romance, so if you're allergic to period detail or slower romantic pacing, it might feel dated or indulgent to modern eyes.

Love Jones poster

The Best Man1999

An ensemble comedy about a tight friend group navigating love, loyalty, and life change. Sharp, funny, genuinely touching, with excellent chemistry across the cast. It knows when to joke and when to let a moment breathe.

But The plot hinges on secrets and reveals that feel a bit contrived if you're looking for pure naturalism. Also very much of its era in some ways.

The Best Man poster

Creed2015

Michael B. Jordan delivers a magnetic performance in a film about legacy, ambition, and proving yourself. It's about family in the widest sense—mentorship, earned respect, the weight of what came before. Surprisingly emotional.

But It's a sports film, so if boxing doesn't interest you, you might feel the training montages drag. The plot is familiar Rocky territory if you know the franchise.

Creed poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from This Christmas

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Wit2001

Both are about family and mortality, but Wit refuses sentiment entirely. Where This Christmas finds warmth in reunion, Wit finds clarity in loss. Same emotional terrain, opposite temperatures.

Emma Thompson as a professor with terminal cancer confronts mortality, legacy, and what actually matters. It's devastating and precise—a play adapted for screen that trusts you to feel without manipulating you. Extraordinary performance, extraordinary restraint.

But It's about dying. There's no comfort in this film, no uplifting arc. If you need hope or recovery, this is not the place to find it. It's austere and intellectually demanding.

Wit poster
More like this (6)

Four Rooms1995

A contained, real-time ensemble piece on New Year's Eve with sharp comic timing and genuine warmth underneath. Great performances, clever structure, and it actually earns its sentiment without preaching.

But It's deliberately theatrical and mannered—not naturalistic at all. If you want gritty realism, this is the opposite. Some of the humour is very 90s quirk.

Four Rooms poster

Joyful Noise2012

Two strong personalities—Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton—clash and eventually unite over a church choir. It's about community, second chances, and finding your voice. The music is genuine and moving, and the performances are committed.

But The plot is predictable, and some of the character arcs feel a bit rushed or thin. If you're looking for narrative surprise, this isn't it.

Joyful Noise poster

Candyman1992

A sophisticated horror film that works on multiple levels—as genuine scares, as social commentary, as a piece of Black cinema that refuses to diminish its characters. Visually stunning and genuinely unsettling.

But It's genuinely frightening, not comforting. If you wanted something cosy or affirming, this is bleak and disturbing in ways that linger.

Candyman poster

The Wood1999

Three friends face a crisis hours before one's wedding, told in flashbacks through their friendship. It's funny and touching, with real warmth between the leads. A solid mid-90s ensemble piece that actually cares about its characters.

But The framing device is a bit clunky, and the script sometimes tells rather than shows. It's comfort food rather than anything ambitious.

The Wood poster

Coming to America1988

Eddie Murphy at his charismatic best in a romantic comedy that's genuinely clever and funny. It's about family, belonging, and becoming yourself. The warmth is real, and the performances are joyful.

But It's wildly '80s in every way—the pacing is slow by modern standards, and some of the humour is broad. If you want subtlety, look elsewhere.

Coming to America poster

Two Can Play That Game2001

A romantic comedy with real bite, starring Vivica A. Fox. It's sharp about gender dynamics and actually funny without being mean. The banter works, and it has a genuine point of view about relationships.

But It's a very early-2000s romantic comedy, which means the gender politics, while progressive for then, read differently now. The plot is formulaic.

Two Can Play That Game poster

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