A Great North Christmas

Despite being a feel-good festive film, the layers of backstory sadness add more depth than many movies. For different reasons, Christmas hasn't been the happiest of times for me, so I like to see how characters navigate difficult memories that make for unhappy holidays. To balance that, there's a few advent adventures in stunning snowy settings that lift the mood, despite the realistic mini mishaps. Numerous subplots occur throughout the picture - some are just one-offs whilst others are revisited and developed, so it is good to watch the whole show, even if some may find it a bit slow early on. Ultimately, there's a lot packed in.