The defence The Sentimental Softie
“Sincerity is not manipulation.”
The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.
Back to trending 
An Almost Christmas Story
Animation · Adventure · Fantasy · 2024
A young owl meets a lost little girl in New York City. Together, they try to get home for Christmas.
Movie details
An Almost Christmas Story
“Have you ever wondered what makes a Christmas story a Christmas story?”
2024 Animation · Adventure · Fantasy 24m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
7.0 / 10
Community rating
A young owl meets a lost little girl in New York City. Together, they try to get home for Christmas.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over An Almost Christmas Story?
For the defence
The Sentimental Softie
“You came to feel something, and you will.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Cool Ironist
“Feeling things is a little embarrassing.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
That Christmas
Animation · 2024
It's an unforgettable Christmas for the townsfolk of Wellington-on-Sea when the worst snowstorm in history alters everyone's plans — including Santa's.
Tinker Bell
Animation · 2008
Journey into the secret world of Pixie Hollow and hear Tinker Bell speak for the very first time as the astonishing story of Disney's most famous fairy is finally revealed in the all-new motion picture "Tinker Bell."
Welcome to Smelliville
Animation · 2021
The Oggly family arrive at the municipal rubbish dump of Smelliville and must look for a new home, but they never feel really welcome anywhere. They stink and are for most humans just a tad too oggly. When Firebottom, the family dragon, crash-lands on the run-down rubbish tip of the small town of Smelliville, the Ogglies at once feel at home. And it's here they want to stay.
Trolls Holiday
Adventure · 2017
When the eternally optimistic Poppy, queen of the Trolls, learns that the Bergens no longer have any holidays on their calendar, she enlists the help of Branch and the rest of the gang on a delightfully quirky mission to fix something that the Bergens don't think is broken.
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole
Animation · 2010
When a young owl is abducted by an evil Owl army, he must escape with new-found friends and seek the legendary Guardians to stop the menace.
James and the Giant Peach
Family · 1996
When the young orphan boy James spills a magic bag of crocodile tongues, he finds himself in possession of a giant peach that flies him away to strange lands.
The Snowman
Adventure · 1982
A young boy makes a snowman one Christmas Eve, which comes to life at midnight and takes him on a magical adventure to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus.
Trolls Holiday in Harmony
Animation · 2021
Queen Poppy plans the first annual Trolls Kingdom Secret Holiday Gift Swap, but things don't go quite as expected.
Robin Robin
Animation · 2021
A bird raised by mice begins to question where she belongs and sets off on a daring journey of self-discovery.
Toy Story That Time Forgot
Animation · 2014
During a post-Christmas play date, the gang find themselves in uncharted territory when the coolest set of action figures ever turn out to be dangerously delusional. It's all up to Trixie, the triceratops, if the gang hopes to return to Bonnie's room in this Toy Story That Time Forgot.
Where it lives
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Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.
Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
David Lowery
Written by
David Lowery · Alfonso Cuarón · Jack Thorne
Cary Christopher
Moon (voice)
E
Estella Madrigal
Luna (voice)
Jim Gaffigan
Papa Owl (voice)
Mamoudou Athie
Pelly (voice)
Alex Ross Perry
Dave The Dog (voice)
G
Gianna Joseph
Peaky (voice)
Phil Rosenthal
Punt (voice)
Court is in session
Put An Almost Christmas Story on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Cool Ironist
“The strings are showing.”
Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.