These 12 Christmas- and New Year-themed comedies have it all: the jokes, the festive feeling and the beautiful film locations… Not only will they make you laugh, you can also start planning your next film-inspired getaway for the new year from the comfort of your couch…
1. Last Christmas (2019) – filmed in London, UK
Scene from "Last Christmas". Photo: © Universal Pictures
The Story
London, 2017: Last Christmas, 26-year-old Londoner Kate (Emilia Clarke) nearly died of a heart failure and was only saved through a heart transplantation. A year later she is back at working in an all-year Christmas shop while hoping for her big break as a singer.
However, while she is supposed to live healthy, she doesn't really make healthy choices in her life… until she meets the mysterious Tom (Henry Golding)…
The Film Locations
Last Christmas was filmed mainly around the area of Covent Garden, where Emilia's character Kate works as an elf in an all-year-round Christmas shop.
Covent Garden is a popular shopping area, not only at Christmas time. Centrally located, it's just a few steps away from London's cinema and theatre district around Leicester Square. Chinatown and Trafalgar Square with its famous free museums "The National Gallery" and "The National Portrait Gallery" are within walking distance, too.
However, the film also showcases some lesser known areas of London, such as East London's Brick Lane or the so-called "Isle of Dogs", where Kate's parents live.
My verdict
I loved this cute little romcom, its humor and the various London film locations that let me revisit all my former "stomping grounds" in London (from when I lived there myself).
I also loved the soundtrack of Wham!/George Michael songs, especially because I did not know of several of his great songs before I heard them in this movie.
2. Home for Christmas (2019-) – filmed in Røros, Norway
New Netflix series from Norway! (OT: Hjem til jul, 2019 and Hjem til jul 2, 2020)
Scene from "Home for Christmas". Photo: © Netflix
The Story
Johanne (Ida Elise Broch) is a bubbly Norwegian girl who lives in the cute, snow-covered Norwegian town of Røros and works as a nurse at the local hospital.
But: Johanne is 30 and… still single. So, when pressured by her friends and family, Johanne decides to go on a dating hunt to find the man of her dreams in the 24 days leading up to Christmas…
Season 1 of this Netflix original was released on 5th of December 2019 and Season 2 on 18th of December 2020.
Read the full film review of Home for Christmas
The Film Locations
The series was filmed entirely in and around Røros, which is a cute Norwegian town full of colourful wooden houses that are covered in lots of snow every winter.
In August 2020, I visited Røros for a day while I was working as a tour guide on a tour through Norway.
Read more about the film location of Home for Christmas in Røros in this post
My verdict
Home for Christmas is a modern Christmas fairy tale romcom, close to real life and hilariously funny. Plus, it lets you escape to a super pretty and dreamy winter wonderland in Norway called Røros with Johanne, who I like to call the "Norwegian Bridget Jones"!
3. Holidate (2020) – filmed in Chicago, Illinois and Atlanta, Georgia, USA
New 2020 Netflix film from the USA!
Scene from "Holidate". © Netflix
The Story
Sloane (Emma Roberts) and Jackson (Luke Bracey) meet by chance in a mall a few days after Christmas. The Christmas holidays were a disappointing experience for both of them as they both are single.
So they decide to have a hang out on New Year's Eve on a so-called "Holidate" - a date that only happens on a holiday and is strictly platonic.
Throughout the year, they meet on various (American) holidays (Thanksgiving, 4th of July, Halloween or St. Patrick's Day, which is celebrated in Chicago due to the city's strong influence of immigrants from Ireland)… until something called feelings threatens to ruin their perfect "holidating"…
The Film Locations
Sloane and Jackson hang out at the mall quite a lot. According to IMDb, these mall scenes were filmed at the Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth, Georgia, USA.
Other scenes were filmed in Atlanta, Georgia and Chicago, Illinois.
My verdict
Yes, this movie was of course filmed in 2019 as we all know 2020 didn't have quite that many occasions to go out and party the night away…
It is still nice to remind yourself how many occasions there are during a (normal!) year when you could potentially have a "Holidate". So maybe something to put on your post-panedemic "to do list". 🙂
Also, this was still at a time when working remotely was still a somewhat strange thing to do as Sloane gets "mocked" by her mom a little bit for working from home in her pyjamas… Something, which seems a million lightyears ago now but was just last year in 2019.
4. Over Christmas (2020) – filmed in Cologne, Berlin and Monschau, Germany
New 2020 Netflix Mini series from Germany! (OT: ÜberWeihnachten)!
Scene from "Over Christmas". © Netflix
The Story
As every year, Bastian (Luke Mockridge), who normally lives in Berlin, returns home to his parents' house somewhere in the countryside near Cologne to spend the Christmas holidays with his family.
This year, he is particularly dreading the visit because he is still not over the breakup with his ex girlfriend and he is not getting anywhere in his career as a singer. Thus, Bastian is forced to work in a Berlin call center, which is a secret he keeps from his family.
To make matters worse, he also learns that his younger brother is now dating his ex girlfriend and that they will be hanging out at his parents' house over the holidays.
The Film Locations
I am from Germany, but I had never before heard of the town Monschau, which is the place that served as the backdrop for Bastian's home village.
It's quite pretty actually with a lot of half-timbered houses and a little river that runs through the hilly alleyways. While he is riding his bicycle, Bastian shows us around his cute little town, which is almost as cute as Røros in Norway, but without the snow (well except a few flakes towards the end…).
The German town of Monschau does actually exist, has a little more than 12,000 inhabitants and is located very close to the French border and near the German city of Aachen.
My verdict
Yes, also watching this Mini series seems very strange in Corona times (all that hugging, partying and drinking that was going on in 2019 now seems a lifetime away).
Although Bastian is quite bitter in the beginning, he opens up as the holidays continue, reconnects with his family members as well as old friends / possible new flames. 😉
I also liked Bastian's outbursts, which he imagined, but didn't act out in reality. They really added to the humour of his mini series.
So all in all, a nice little Christmas romcom from Germany. Plus the "Oma" (grandma) has the naughtiest comments! Loved it!
5. Just another Christmas (2020) – filmed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
New 2020 Netflix film from Brazil! (OT: Tudo Bem No Natal Que Vem)
Scene from "Just another Christmas". © Netflix
The Story
Just as Bastian in Over Christmas, Jorge dreads the Christmas holidays because he was born on Christmas Day, but never could compete with all the fuss that the other guy gets, who happens to be born on that day.
As a father and husband he is dragging along the holidays as usual until one year he becomes trapped in a time loop. From now on, he wakes up every Christmas Day with no memory of what he did during the rest of the year.
As the years go by and his children grow up it's Jorge's task to find out the true meaning of Christmas… and life in general for that matter!
The Film Locations
This Christmas comedy takes you on a trip to Brazil… more precisely some really nice neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro!
And some more surprise travel destinations towards the end… as this film, again, was filmed in a time when it was easily possible to travel the world!
My verdict
Enjoy the little escape to Latin America from the comfort of your couch and see how Christmas differs (or doesn't differ for that reason) in Brazil!
Although this film seemed superficial at first, it was actually a very heartwarming tale with several surprises along the way! 😉
6. Four Christmases (2008) – filmed in California, USA
Scene from "Four Christmases" Photo by John P Johnson – © 2008 – New Line Productions
The Story
San Fransisco based couple Brad (Vince Vaughn) and Kate (Reese Witherspoon) try to avoid visiting each of their combined four sets of divorced parents at Christmas.
Instead, the two jet off to an exotic holiday destination each holiday season. This year, however, their flight to Fiji gets cancelled and they are forced to spend Christmas with their lovely families, which you can imagine means a whole lot of drama…
The Film Locations
This Christmas movie was filmed almost entirely in sunny California, including Los Angeles, Santa Clarita, Oakland and San Fransisco International Airport – as you can tell by the flourishing green plants in the background!
My verdict
Four Christmases features plenty of the typical Vince Vaughn humour! If you liked his other comedies such as Wedding Crashers (2005) or The Internship (2013), this one will get you cringing for sure! Plus, it will give you a good glimpse of what the Christmas season looks like in California in case that's where you're heading to next…
7. The Night Before (2015) – filmed in New York City, USA
Scene from "The Night Before" Photo © 2015 – Columbia Pictures
The Story
Ever since he lost both of his parents in a car accident in 2001, New York City local Ethan Miller (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has spend Christmas Eve with his best mates Isaac Greenberg (Seth Rogen) and Chris Roberts (Anthony Mackie).
In 2015, times have changed: Chris is now a famous football player, and Isaac is married with a baby on the way. For good times sake, however, they want to go all wild one last time. And the venue for this will be the New York City Nutcracker Ball – a tremendous, invite-only party on Christmas Eve…
The Film Locations
What I probably liked best about this medium-funny Christmas movie was how it showcased New York City, which can be a magical place around Christmas time.
Scenes were filmed all over the city, including St Bartholomew's Church (325 Park Avenue and East 50th Street, Manhattan), Vazac's Horseshoe Bar (108 East 7th Street and Avenue B, Manhattan) and the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.
Find out more about the filming locations you see in The Night Before.
My verdict
Expect the typical Seth Rogen humour, which is not always a 100 % politically correct. Plus, there are some really funny cameos by Seth's acting buddy James Franco and singer Miley Cyrus playing themselves. So, while watching the craziness of the guys' Christmas Jumper scare, you can start planning your next fun trip to New York City!
8. The Holiday (2006) – filmed in California, USA and England, UK
Scene from "The Holiday" Photo © Universal Pictures
The Story
Iris (Kate Winslet) from Surrey just outside of London and Amanda (Cameron Diaz) from Los Angeles, California, have two things in common: a) They own a house, and b) They recently broke up with their boyfriends.
As Christmas is just around the corner and they both desperately need a break from their daily lives, the two women decide to swap houses. However, both were not suspecting that during their holiday break, there will be more love chaos to come…
The Film Locations
Amanda's ultra modern LA mansion is a real house in Pasadena, Los Angeles county. For the scenes in England, the film crew did indeed go to a small Surrey village called Shere. Iris' cosy cottage, however, doesn't actually exist and it was built from scratch by the film crew.
But, there are plenty of rural and cosy cottages like this to be found all over Britain, particularly in an area called The Cotswolds. Perhaps an accommodation idea for your next film-inspired holiday to England?
Read more about Iris' film cottage and Amanda's LA mansion in the film The Holiday.
My verdict
If you ever thought about trying a home swap website, this is the movie to watch! The Holiday was released in 2006, at a time when AirBnB had not yet been founded. Fast forward 10 years and there are lots of opportunities to stay at real people's houses for authentic holiday experiences – not only through AirBnB, but also through several home swapping websites such as homeexchange.com to name one example.
9. Bridget Jones 1, 2 + 3 – filmed in London / England, UK
Scene from "Bridget Jones's Baby" Photo © Universal Pictures
The Story
All of the three Bridget Jones films do at some point involve the Christmas season. Christmas is where everything started in the first Bridget Jones movie (2001) when Bridget and Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), both wearing a hilarious Christmas jumper, had a rather awkward "first encounter". After all, they had last seen each other as kids (check out the film scene below).
Each of the two other films that followed, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) and the newest arrival, Bridget Jones's Baby (2016), are also seen by many as a typical Christmas movie.
The Film Locations
London takes centre stage in all of the Bridget Jones movies. There are many original film locations you can visit, such as Bridget's flat in Bedale Street just across the street from London's Borough Market (Yep, Briget kept that all the time since 2001. However, in real life, her tiny flat would cost a fortune now).
Moreover, the beautiful English countryside is featured, too. For example, each time Bridget visits her mum and dad (which of course includes Christmas and New Year).
Read more about the locations in Bridget Jones's Baby in my film review
My verdict
This Christmas, get yourself a nice cuppa, laugh along with Bridget and dream of your next getaway to London and / or England…
10. Love Actually (2003) – filmed in London, UK
Scene from "Love Actually" Photo © 2003 Universal Studios
The Story
Featuring all the typical ingredients of a RomCom (romantic comedy) and the big acting names of the time (Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy, Keira Knightley and German actress Heike Makatsch to name a few), Love Actually could have been set at any time during the year.
But because the film tells the stories of eight different couples dealing with their (chaotic) love lives in the hectic month before Christmas, Love Actually has been known as a typical Christmas movie ever since it was first released in cinemas 15 years ago.
The Film Locations
Similar to Bridget Jones, the British capital became one of the main stars of this film as Love Actually was mostly filmed in London. Among the film locations seen in this Christmas movie are Canary Wharf, Trafalgar Square and Heathrow Airport.
Specific film locations of Love Actually can be found at Grosvenor Chapel, South Audley Street, Mayfair (Peter and Juliet's wedding), Selfridges, Oxford Street (Harry shops for a necklace) and 27 St Luke Mews, Notting Hill (Juliet's house).
Furthermore, Colin Firth plays an English writer who retreats to a cottage in the South of France. There he falls in love with his Portuguese housekeeper, so some scenes for Love Actually were also shot in Vidauban, Marseille and Aix-en-Provence in Southern France.
My verdict
While I re-watched this Christmas movie on Netflix, I realised how much I had forgotten over the years and how funny this film featuring quintessentially British humour actually is. A Christmas classic not to be missed!
11. A Bad Moms Christmas (2017) – filmed in Atlanta, USA
Scene from "A Bad Moms Christmas" Photo © Motion Picture Artwork 2017 STX Financing, LLC
The Story
A Bad Moms Christmas (2017) must be the speediest sequel in the history of film, having been released just one year after the first Bad Moms film in 2016.
In the Christmas movie, Amy Mitchell (Mila Kunis), now a much more relaxed mom than in the first film, meets up regularly with her two "partners in crime" Kiki (Kristen Bell) and Carla (Kathryn Hahn).
Together, they do typical bad mom stuff, such as getting drunk at the mall and stealing Christmas trees…
But the fun ends when the mom's own mothers turn up unexpectedly. After all, in their own special way, each mom is a real piece of work…
The Film Locations
In contrast to the first Bad Moms movie (2016), which was largely filmed in New Orleans, Louisiana, A Bad Moms Christmas was shot almost entirely in Atlanta, Georgia.
According to this film locations post, the Phipps Plaza Mall in Atlanta Georgia is the shopping mall where the moms get drunk and crazy. The Trampoline Park is the Sky Zone Trampoline Park in Newnan, Georgia and Amy's lavishly decorated "Christmas house" is also located in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia.
My verdict
I thought this sequel was actually just as funny and entertaining as the first Bad Moms movie even though the r‑rated humour was pretty much "below the belt". Location-wise, this could have been set anywhere in the US.
But the film still inspires a visit to America's "Southern Belles". After all, Atlanta, Georgia has been used as a film location city in plenty of modern American movies.
Read my full film review of A Bad Moms Christmas
12. New Year's Eve (2011) – filmed in New York City, USA
Scene from "New Year's Eve" Photo © 2011 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
The Story
The name says it all: New Year's Eve is definitely a film that is best enjoyed on actual New Year's Eve, while you are preparing for your own party (or in 2020 your comfy couch evening at home).
Similar to Love Actually, this one-day-film follows several New York City residents as they spend the last day of the year. Each of them struggling with their own problems, we get a glimpse into their complicated (love) lives before they head out for the big party on Times Square.
There is, for example, secretary Ingrid (Michelle Pfeiffer) who is a bit down as she has just quit her job. In return for tickets to a fancy Masquerade Ball, she asks delivery boy Paul Doyle (Zac Efron) if he can help her complete all of her New Year's resolutions from last year before midnight. Paul accepts and shows Ingrid that she doesn't even have to leave the city for that…
And just like in Love Actually, this holiday film features the big acting names of the time it was shot in (2011/2012), including Sarah Jessica Parker, Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl, Robert De Niro, Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Josh Duhamel as well as German actor and director Til Schweiger.
The Film Locations
Although this movie is packed with stars, the true star is New York City! We see many different parts of the city that never sleeps, including Brooklyn and Brooklyn Bridge, Queens and the Queens Museum of Art, the Statue of Liberty, the Radio City Music Hall and of course Times Square!
My verdict
There won't be a big party on Times Square this year, so why not travel virtually to New York City? In 2020, this is the film that gets you closest to this exciting city and its magnificent New Year's Eve celebration while it's also a wonderful RomCom I could watch year after year again!
Over to you: What are your favourite Christmas movies and New Year movies? And have you ever been inspired to travel somewhere because you liked the film locations you have seen in Christmas movies? Let me know in the comments below!
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