Spirited: L'esprit de Noël

Spirited is one of my favorite Christmas movies. I can watch it multiple times a year and still not get bored of it. I think it would get much more attention if it wasn't on an unpopular streaming service.

The film is a take on The Christmas Carol. There's already many adaptations of this story, but it's not as overdone as the typical Santa Claus movie, and Spirited distinguishes itself by following a new, modern protagonist, in a world where Scrooge's story was just one of many redemptions by the Christmas ghosts.

The story is gripping, and sends a realistic message about what it really means to be a good person. The characters are fleshed out and develop throughout the movie. Some of the jokes are cringy, but the ones that land are often hilarious. The plot manages to be unexpected despite its inspiration, and contains a few twists that help to further the story and don't feel like cheap shock value.

The movie is a musical, and the songs are a highlight. Neither of the leads are skilled singers, and this is noticeable at times (more so with Will), but the movie makes it work, and the rest of the cast does a stellar job. The set design and choreography is what makes the songs really incredible. Each one goes all-out visually, with spectacle rivaling that of stage musicals. At times, the talent of the dancers left me speechless.

If you don't like musicals, you won't like this movie, but if you are a fan of musicals, you'll be sure to love it. I recommend giving it a watch if you're interested and have access to Apple TV+. The cast and crew went to great efforts to make this movie great, and it deserves some recognition.