Hidden holiday gems ‘Silent Night’ and a RuPaul movie top our Must List
Many of you may be in the midst of a Christmas hangover, but the holiday spirit is still going strong in us here at EW. (Happy Hanukkah and Kwanzaa!) With that in mind, we are taking this week to celebrate some underappreciated holiday gems we feel deserve more attention. Add these to your watch lists for next year — or heat up that cocoa (no eggnog for me, please) and keep the festivities going. And don’t forget to throw on Mariah Carey’s “Auld Lang Syne” (yes, it exists… and is catchier than you might expect). —Patrick Gomez, Editor-in-Chief
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“Silent Night”
Robert Viglasky/RLJE films
If you’ve had your fill of holiday cheer, lean into the existential crisis the end-of-year season also brings with this apocalyptic black comedy about a group of friends gathering for what might be their final Christmas ever, thanks to a looming planetary catastrophe (think The Big Chill meets Melancholia). The deeply unsettling and darkly humorous 2021 film (now on Netflix) stars Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and Lily-Rose Depp, and includes a Yuletide earworm from Michael Bublé that you’ll be humming as you contemplate your own mortality.
—Jillian Sederholm, News Director
Read more of EW’s coverage of Silent Night.
Sia “Candy Cane Lane”
Sia/YouTube
Cher and Kelly Clarkson have proven it’s possible to launch a new Christmas classic in the 21st century, but Sia deserves a spot on the list as well after this 2017 pop release you can’t help but bop along to.
—Patrick Gomez, Editor-in-Chief
Read more about Sia’s Christmas album Everyday is Christmas.
“Remember the Night”
Everett
Bringing together the all-star crew of Mitchell Leisen, Preston Sturges, and Barbara Stanwyck, this 1940 favorite (available now on Blu-ray) boasts all the Christmas classic staples: petty burglary, a barn dance, Beulah Bondi. It’s heartwarming, heartbreaking, and hilarious all at once. —Ryan Coleman, News Writer
Remember the Night made EW’s list of 13 Christmas films to watch with their modern counterparts.
“The Bitch Who Stole Christmas”
Jordin Althaus for VH1
Drag satires don’t always land, but this jolly romp playing up festive film tropes is an instant camp classic (available to rent on various streaming platforms). Krysta Rodriguez is a journalist sent on assignment by her Scrooge-y editor (a deliciously villainous RuPaul), joined by the largest cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race alums ever assembled outside the franchise. —Jillian Sederholm, News Director
Read more of EW’s coverage of The Bitch Who Stole Christmas.
“Happy Holidays With Bing and Frank”
Everett
Few voices evoke the feeling of the holidays like Frank Sinatra’s and Bing Crosby’s. On Dec. 20, 1957, the two crooners brought their dulcet tones together for a night of Christmas carols, story swapping, and even a visit to merry old Victorian England. (Rent or buy the 26-minute TV special on Prime Video.) —Maureen Lee Lenker, Senior Writer
