Think of all the great Christmas movies you have seen. Now relocate them to Australia (where it is Summer), sprinkle on some Australian humour, and add a just a dash of Christmas cliché. What you then have is a Christmas movie like no other - a guaranteed future classic. Welcome to history, A Sunburnt Christmas!
The Raley's, wily 15-year-old Hazel (Tatiana Goode), along with and her siblings, the fearless Daisy (Lena Nankivell) and hypochondriac Tom (Eadan McGuinness) are keeping things together as best they can since the death of their father. When a strange man dressed as Santa (Henshall) crashes a car full of Christmas toys into their shed, turning Christmas and their entire lives upside down in ways that could never have been imagined....
Without giving too much away, what ensues next has all the Christmas trademarks - it is funny, sweet and a touch sad.
I understand the M rating, the film does contain religious references, mild language use, some contentious issues (mostly around Santa potentially being blown up, his powers and his existence, as well as the subtext of suicide). It also has a shotgun toting 6-year-old! However, with no sex scenes, toilet talk or other inappropriate scenes or themes - you decide. This film is boldly fresh with the topics and references seamlessly and often humourlessly integrated.
If you loved watching Elf, Home Alone or Die Hard, you will love A Sunburnt Christmas.
Thank you @StanAustralia, @ScreenAustralia and director @ChristiaanVanVuuren, as well as the entire cast and crew for making such a standout Christmas movie!
