Oct 20

Oct 20 Is it a Christmas Movie? – Anna & the Apocalypse

An annual household debate: What makes something a Christmas movie? If airing on Hallmark post-Thanksgiving or starring a singing/dancing Bing Crosby, the genre designation is obvious. But if it merely takes place during the season, does it count? Will it have the same joyous spirit or feel-goodness of “real” Christmas movies?

We decided to tackle the on-the-bubble movies and bring the debate to you.

Christmas clichés:

Christmas Pageant
Charity Work
Deceased Parent
Parents on Vacation
Small-town Guy Who Works w/ Hands

Our take

Not A Christmas Movie!

A bummer of a ruling, given that we’d love to add a musical about zombies ravaging a small Scottish town to our Xmas movie repertoire. But, we’ll say it again: A mere Christmas time setting does not a Christmas movie make.

High-school senior, Anna (Ella Hunt, sullen but a peppy dancer), is ready to trade in “uni” for a post-graduation exploration of Australia. And she’s not the only teen with plans: a wannabe singer, a future investigative reporter, and even Ella’s artistic best friend (who’s secretly in love with her) have dreams.

Too bad a mysterious virus ruins them all.

The songs are quality ear worms…but the not the kind that’ll eat your brain. The genius framing of the bop “Turning My Life Around,” with zombies eating neighbors in the background, is hilarious. And while “The Mistle-Tones” gets a pass for great music = Christmas, the only seasonal song is “It’s That Time of Year.” Phenomenal song (and promptly added to our holiday Spotify station), yet still not enough for the movie to join the Xmas movie genre.

A quick breakdown of the ruling:

Random Song Breaks ≠ Carolers
Bowling Alley Scene ≠ Ice Skating Scene
Pandemic Unprepared ≠ Weather Unprepared
John pushing Anna in a shopping cart through an abandoned Christmas Tree Emporium ≠ Sleigh Ride

We are, however, giving credit for the giant candy cane lawn ornament that acts as a zombie club/spear.

It’s not a Christmas movie, but you should watch it. Think of it like your seasonal palate cleanser. Goodbye, bloody zombie …Santas? Hello, fully intact …Santas!