Merry Chrizzmas! 

The last thing Sandy said to me before heading off to the Arctic Circle (ok, the north of England), was to not try to be funny in this Christmas EDM. It’s on this elevated level of professional trust that the agency continues to thrive!   
 
As you may now have guessed, rather than bother your mantelpieces this year, we’ve decided just to add to your inbox with this extended E-greeting. It’s what a PR consultant might suggest reflects a commitment to efficiency and sustainability. 
 
And for those of you expecting a little baking treat or similar, I’m afraid we’ve decided this year to divert our Christmas present funds to supporting the City Mission. While we’re all feeling inflation’s pinch, as we can see every day in the city, there are a lot of people doing it tougher than us right now, so this feels like the classic 'no brainer'. Plus, I'm sure you don’t need a brownie bite to know how much we like you! 
 
We would, however, like to thank you for allowing us to be part of your ups and downs this year. Good PR shows its value around both, and we appreciate the faith you continue to show in our skills, experience and counsel. With a nod to this year’s Oxford word of the year, we really do love helping you show off your rizz and can’t wait to see where this takes us together in 2024 – whatever twists and turns it has in store for us! 
 
But for now, the only rizz we’re really interested in is the rizz we’re looking to put into Chrizzmas. For this we’ve turned to our resident movie critic Brooks, who’s come up with 12 underrated Christmas films – one for the night of every day of Christmas. For those of you wondering what on earth the photo above’s all about, scroll ahead to the twelfth night! 
 
Check out all of his recommendations below – and from all of us here at Network, we wish you a happy, healthy and hopefully sunny holiday season.  
 
P.S. The office will be closed from this Friday until Monday January 8, but for anything urgent please don’t hesitate to call Sandy or Gez. 

12 Underrated Christmas Movies 
 

'Tis the season for cozying up with a cup of hot cocoa, a warm blanket...wait hold on, that’s the American in me talking! 

It’s true that in the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas is more of a beachside BBQ than a winter wonderland, and while the rest of the world is snuggled in blankets, us Kiwis are reaching for the sunscreen. Still, while the sun may be out, the Christmas tradition of curling up by the TV and watching a movie is very much alive! 

But let's face it, the annual rewatch of yuletide favourites can sometimes leave us yearning for something new and different. The vast expanse of streaming platforms beckons with a seemingly never-ending offering of generic holiday fare ... yet hidden among the usual suspects lie the hidden gems that often go unnoticed. 

In the spirit of breaking away from the customary holiday movie marathon selections, I’ve curated a list of 12 underrated Christmas films that might just become your new festive favourites.  

So, if you find yourself in need of a cinematic escape from the routine and want to explore a road a little less travelled, please join me on this journey through some underappreciated and overlooked classics that bring a unique twist to the holiday season. 

1. Tokyo Godfathers 

Experience the magic of Christmas in Tokyo through the lens of Tokyo Godfathers, an animated masterpiece from visionary director Satoshi Kon. The film follows three homeless men who discover an abandoned baby on Christmas Eve and embark on an epic journey to find its parents. The film is bursting at the seams with Christmas themes, as each ‘Godfather’ has to reckon with their own understanding of redemption, found families and what true generosity really means. This is a heartwarming and visually astounding comedy that takes the viewer through the backstreets, subway stations and vibrant nightlife of Tokyo, and is an excellent choice for a funny, emotionally resonant Christmas movie.  

2. Go

Doug Liman’s genre-bending, critically acclaimed caper comedy is told from multiple perspectives, as three groups of people find their lives begin to intertwine after a Christmas drug deal gone sideways. Clearly inspired by Tarantino, but original enough to stand on its own two feet, Go is exciting, consistently unexpected and filled with utterly brilliant structural surprises and character moments. It’s also just plain fun to see A-list celebs like Timothy Olyphant and Melissa McCarthy at the very beginning of their careers.  

3. The Ref

If you're in the mood for a gut-busting comedy that subverts typical saccharine holiday cheer, "The Ref" is the perfect choice. Dennis Leary stars as a cat burglar who unintentionally becomes a dysfunctional family's mediator on Christmas Eve after his attempted robbery goes very wrong. Chock full of witty dialogue thanks to the hilariously nihilistic banter between Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis’ bickering married couple who seem to care more about insulting each other than the fact they’ve been kidnapped, The Ref is a comedic thrill ride that adds a nice helping of snark to your Christmas movie lineup. 

4. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang  

For a Christmas movie with a delicious film noir twist, look no further than Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. This crime-comedy comes to us from acclaimed screenwriter Shane Black and features Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer as a thief and a private eye entangled in a twisty, unpredictable plot. The film's clever narrative, hysterical dialogue, and constant plot twists set against a backdrop of New York’s holiday festivities make it a standout choice for those looking for a Christmas film with some bite to it. 

5. Spencer

Spencer is one of the most assured, satisfying biopics in recent memory, and takes viewers inside the life of Princess Diana during a fateful Christmas at her Sandringham estate as tabloid rumours of familial unrest and infidelity swirl around her. Kristen Stewart gives a hauntingly beautiful performance as the doomed princess, and she keeps the viewer transfixed from the moment they lay eyes on her. An unconventional, devastating addition to your Christmas watchlist but an unforgettable one.  

6. Bad Santa  

For those who prefer their holiday films with a healthy dose of irreverence, Bad Santa delivers the goods. Billy Bob Thornton stars as a conman who poses as Santa to rob department stores, but his hardened exterior begins to crack when he befriends an adorable eight-year-old boy. The film is absolutely packed with hysterically tasteless jokes, but it’s the undercurrent of warmth and heart that makes this a holiday classic in my book. 

 
7. In Bruges 

Take a trip to the picturesque city of Bruges, Belgium in this darkly comedic crime film set during the Christmas season and starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as hitmen forced to lie low after an assassination gone wrong. Gleeson’s character is absolutely delighted by Bruges’ architecture, art museums and quirky locals, while Farrell’s grumpy assassin couldn’t imagine anywhere worse. The film is a true dramedy with a great mix of deadpan witticisms and surprisingly gory action scenes, and the final 25 minutes will have you gasping from the intensity even while the characters learn to embrace a timeless Christmas value or two.  

8. The Apartment

Billy Wilder's classic "The Apartment" offers a nuanced exploration of loneliness and love amidst the holiday season. Jack Lemmon plays an insurance clerk who lends his apartment to colleagues for *ahem extramarital affairs. The film's quickfire script and emotional, empathetic performances are completely timeless, yet I rarely see it named on lists of Christmas classics.  

9. Rare Exports

Delve into the bizarre world of Finnish folklore with Rare Exports, a dark fantasy-horror film that reimagines the origins of Santa Claus in a way I’m certain you haven’t seen before. With its atmospheric setting, unique mythology, and a dash of jet-black humour, Rare Exports is a refreshingly different type of Christmas film for the more horror-inclined holidaygoers.

10. Tangerine

Director Sean Baker is one of our most talented, innovative filmmakers and this was his 2015 debut. Shot entirely on an iPhone 5S on the street of LA, this film transports us into the perspective of a feisty, motor-mouthed escort who has one goal and one goal only on Christmas Eve: track down the pimp who broke her heart. Thanks to the unconventional filming style and choice of protagonist, Tangerine is thrillingly off-kilter and authentic, and really makes you feel like you’re wandering the backstreets of Hollywood yourself. Laugh out loud funny throughout, before hitting you with an emotional haymaker in the final act, Tangerine isn’t for everyone, but might be just the spice up your Christmas binge watching session needs.  

11. The Green Knight 

This list has covered everything from action movies, dramedy’s, horror films and crime capers but I don’t think any other film on here comes close to matching the vibe of this twisted fairy tale. While it might not look it, The Green Knight is packed full of Christmas spirit, disguised in a mystical exterior. Not merely content with dabbling in familiar Christmas imagery and tropes, The Green Knight is obsessed with the broader history of the holiday, as pagan rituals collide with Christian theology in medieval Britain. Packed full of imaginative creatures, breathtaking scenery, and bone crunching combat, The Green Knight is an old-fashioned Christmas fable, hidden in the guise of an epic fantasy adventure.  

12. Happiest Season

And finally, a light fluffy rom com, clocking in at a perfect 1 hour 40 minutes that you won’t regret a second of. This charming film follows Abby, played by Kristen Stewart, as she plans to propose to her girlfriend Harper, played by Mackenzie Davis, during a family Christmas gathering. Unfortunately, there’s a catch: Harper hasn't come out to her conservative family yet. Happiest Season doesn’t do anything groundbreaking, it’s just a really heartwarming watch. Clever humour, genuine performances, and a wonderfully executed narrative elevate the film beyond typical Christmas comedies. If you’re looking for a festive film that combines laughter, love, and of course, beautifully executed holiday chaos, you can’t do any better than this one.