agmtw logo
search

Arthur Christmas (2011)

Arthur Christmas (2011)

The Very Best

8.0

A hilarious, underseen holiday gem that's sweet and smart enough for adults and kids

Movie

UK, United Kingdom
English, Spanish
Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Drama
2011
imdb
rt
wiki

What it's about

Each Christmas, Santa and his vast army of highly trained elves produce gifts and distribute them around the world in one night. However, when one of 600 million children to receive a gift from Santa on Christmas Eve is missed, it is deemed ‘acceptable’ to all but one—Arthur. Arthur Claus is Santa’s misfit son who executes an unauthorised rookie mission to get the last present half way around the globe before dawn on Christmas morning.

The take

A recent holiday classic you likely haven't seen, Arthur Christmas uses its premise of the North Pole as a massive spy organization to touch on how commercialization tears people apart. It's a surprisingly smart film with a fascinating dynamic among its family of Santas, with an incredibly funny script full of dry, British wit. And while the animation may already look dated at first glance, Arthur Christmas more than makes up for its looks with truly imaginative art direction and director Sarah Smith's fast-paced set pieces. This is that rare Chirstmas movie that doesn't just surrender to schmaltz; the lessons learned by the characters here are unique, complex, and timeless.

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

Anora (2024)

An exciting and heartbreaking fairy tale with a modern, class-centric twist

9.0

My Old Ass (2024)

A pleasant mix of comedy and coming-of-age that may or may not leave you in tears

8.0

Laapataa Ladies (2024)

Two brides are accidentally swapped in this refreshing comedy of errors

8.4

His Three Daughters (2024)

Three sisters deal with life and death in this moving family portrait

8.2

I Lost My Body (2019)

The Oscar-nominated unconventional animation

8.2

Look Back (2024)

Art connects people through time and space in this short and sweet drama

8.5

Leave the World Behind (2023)

Shyamalan meets Black Mirror in this hugely entertaining, visually inventive apocalyptic thriller with a killer ending

8.2

A Real Pain (2024)

Two cousins bond as they trace their roots in this powerfully emotional dramedy

8.0

Wild Tales (2014)

Co-produced by Pedro Almodóvar, this tumultuous Argentine anthology film tests the limits of human sanity when pushed to the extremes – and will also test yours.

9.9

Forgotten Love (2023)

The stunning third take of the classic Polish pre-war melodrama

7.7

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2025 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.