Films for your feel-bad holiday watchlist

During a time of year that inundates us with cheer and merry, it isn’t always easy to feel joyful. 

By Ella Walken

Below the surface of twinkling lights, happy Christmas music and gifts under the tree, the holidays are a hard time for many. Seasonal depression, strained family situations and loneliness can all make a traditional feel-good movie like “ELF” or “A CHRISTMAS STORY” ring hollow. To offer some balance, this list highlights films set during the holidays that recognize the harder side of the season. 

In the controversial 1999 thriller “EYES WIDE SHUT” Tom Cruise plays Bill, a young doctor who is sucked into New York City’s dark underworld. Bill is a deeply lonely man whose desperation to fit in leads him to compromise his values. Many of the most memorable scenes revolve around Christmas. A highly fateful visit to a holiday party jumpstarts Bill’s descent into horrifying realizations about the people he’s been fraternizing with. Bill and his wife begin to resolve their marital issues while Christmas gift shopping. “EYES WIDE SHUT” is a fitting holiday watch for the person who feels alone in a room full of people at a Christmas party. 

Douglas Sirk’s classic 1955 technicolor melodrama, “ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS” finds Cary (Jane Wyman), a middle-aged lonely widow in small town New England desperate to be seen. She begins seeing her arborist, a much younger man named Ron who makes her feel loved and accepted. Without spoiling the film, their relationship does not go to plan. This tale of lost love is situated around familial conflicts that take place during the holidays. Every frame is crafted delicately and drenched in vibrant technicolor. 

Another classic film which explores the darker side of the holidays is “THE APARTMENT” (1960) directed by Billy Wilder. The film follows a lonesome worker in New York City who allows coworkers to use his apartment to carry out their extramarital affairs. The many mishaps and tragedies of the film take place during the final weeks of the year, using the holidays as a narrative tool. “THE APARTMENT” is one of Wilder’s greatest achievements, and Shirley MacLaine offers a particularly touching and unforgettable performance. 

One of the defining queer films of the 2010s, “CAROL” (2015) follows two women falling in love during the holidays in 1950s New York City. While this film is much more hopeful than the others on this list, it offers insight into the isolation queer people may feel around the holidays if they have been ostracized from their families. The film is romantic and gentle but never sickly sweet. The two leads, Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, give career-defining performances, and Ed Lachmann’s sumptuous 16mm film captures both the joy and loneliness of the big city during winter. 

During a time that often brings up painful emotions, watching films that center characters also having trouble around the holidays can ease a bit of those struggles.