Will you have a ‘Hot Mess Holiday’? Stream these Christmas movies now
With less than two weeks to go until Christmas, the holiday season is in full swing. Chances are that you’ve watched at least one Christmas or holiday movie to get in the spirit of the season. Maybe you turn to an old standby like It’s a Wonderful Life or Miracle on 34th St. Perhaps you turn to a modern classic like Elf or Love Actually.
However, if you’re tired of the old festive movies, then don’t worry. There are plenty of new holiday movies that offer something fresh for your solstice viewing. Whether you’re in the mood for comedy, horror, or a straightforward Christmas film, streaming has something for you. One of this year’s holiday releases with the most buzz is Comedy Central’s Hot Mess Holiday.
Hot Mess Holiday
Starring Melanie Chandra & Surina Jindal, Hot Mess Holiday brings a new kind of representation to the holiday genre. The plot of the film follows a young finance executive (Chandra) who is jilted by her cheating fiancé during the Indian holiday of Diwali. When her wild friend (Jindal) realizes she’s down in the dumps, the two go to Chicago to make the most of their holiday.
Hot Mess Holiday also features appearances from Chris Parnell, Tituss Burgess, and Kal Penn. The creators of Hot Mess Holiday wanted to create a perception of Diwali in the media that goes beyond the Diwali episode of The Office. Surina Jindal even mentioned this fact in an interview with Deadline.
Jindal said, “People have that episode of The Office to point to and say ‘Oh, Diwali is the Indian Halloween!’” Jindal continued, “That just carries forward and we want people to know that it’s more than that. To see a new vision of what a holiday movie can be, stream Hot Mess Holiday on Sling TV or with the Comedy Central app.
Black Christmas
If you want to watch a Christmas movie but are still in the mood for horror after Halloween, then you should check out Black Christmas. This 2019 film is technically the second remake of the 1974 Canadian film of the same name. There was another Black Christmas in 2006, yet the newest one has received widespread acclaim.
The film follows a group of sorority sisters at Hawthorne College who are being stalked by a mysterious stranger. Black Christmas stars Imogen Poots, Aleyse Shannon, Lily Donoghue, Brittany O’Grady, Caleb Eberhardt, and Cary Elwes. The film was produced by Jason Blum through Blumhouse Productions.
Black Christmas fared well for a fairly low-budget movie, being made for five million dollars & grossing eighteen & a half. The film has received mixed reviews, yet critics praised its prescient feminist themes & throwback grindhouse energy. Stream Black Christmas this holiday season on HBO Max, Hulu, and Amazon Prime.
8-Bit Christmas
8-Bit Christmas is the film for you if you want a new holiday movie with the old-school energy of films like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. This new Christmas movie is set in 1980s Chicago, centering on a young boy named Jake Doyle (Winslow Fegley/Neil Patrick Harris).
In addition to the action occurring in the past, 8-Bit Christmas uses a framing device set in the present, which is why Jake Doyle is played by two actors. Back in the late 80s, Jake Doyle desires to get a Nintendo Entertainment System before everyone else he knows. 8-Bit Christmas also stars June Diane Raphael, David Cross, and Steve Zahn.
While 8-Bit Christmas might rely on nostalgia to draw people in, it’s still an interesting take on how we relate to Christmases past through the gifts we wanted. You can watch 8-Bit Christmas on HBO Max now.
—
Hot Mess Holiday is just one of the new festive features for you to watch this holiday season. What’s your favorite new holiday movie? Let us know in the comment section!
