There are so many great classic holiday movies to watch this time of year and many bad, new holiday movies too. Recently, I went to go see a new holiday movie, “Last Christmas,” starring Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding. It was definitely not your average Christmas movie.

(Contributed)

“Last Christmas” follows a cynical young woman named Kate who works at a Christmas-themed shop in London and is utterly dissatisfied with her life. Starting off, Kate meets Tom, a mysterious man who slowly starts to change her viewpoint of the world.

“Last Christmas” was definitely made to appeal to modern, millennial and younger audiences. It tackles a variety of issues such as homelessness, immigration, Brexit and general confusion and dissatisfaction with life that so many young adults feel. I enjoyed the nitty-grittiness of the movie and was refreshed with the way it openly addressed different topics.

The movie included a celebration of different cultures and nationalities and showed the cultural diversity of London. Clarke’s character, Kate or Katarina, and her family immigrated from Yugoslavia to London to flee the war in their home country. The film also stars Michelle Yeoh, and her character’s Chinese culture is showcased in the movie.

I had a few complaints, but I overall enjoyed the movie. I liked the modernity of it and how it didn’t paint life as an unrealistically happy picture. It was more about finding moments of joy throughout the hard times and making the most of what one has in the moment, which I think is an important mentality for everyone to adopt today in order to keep a healthy mental state.

Although I enjoyed it, it wasn’t really a “Christmas-y” movie to me. Christmas was more part of the setting of the storyline, but I didn’t really feel the Christmas spirit throughout the movie until the ending. The plotline seemed like it could have easily been written for any other time of year; it didn’t feel like it specifically had to take place at Christmas.

I recommend watching “Last Christmas,” but I would skip spending money to watch it in the theater and wait until it becomes available to rent online or through Redbox. “Last Christmas” isn’t the next holiday classic, but it is still worth watching for its refreshing take on modern issues.

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