This review will contain a spoiler-free section followed by a spoiler section so if you don’t want the film spoiled for you, only read the first half!
Last Christmas has been highly anticipated since its trailer was released; staring Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke and Crazy Rich Asians’ Henry Golding as well as gems Emma Thompson and Michelle Yeoh. With Christmas, London, love, and comedy, Last Christmas has all the makings of a festive and heartwarming Christmas movie. However, Last Christmas is far from that. Kate (Clarke) works in a Christmas decor store and spends a fair amount of the movie in an elf costume. This as well as the lit up London and occasional Christmas song are the only Christmas elements of the movie. If you’re looking for something with santa and reindeer and a joyous ending in which the star learns the true meaning of Christmas, then this is not for you.
The film had the basic elements of a successful rom-com; a quirky ‘screw up’ protagonist with an odd job and charming personality plus a handsome, fun love interest who’s a little bit weird. There’s your typical meet cute, serendipitous run ins where one person accuses the other of following them, and of course the impromptu date where they realise that this person is unlike any other person they’ve ever met and they inevitably start to fall for them.
One of the best parts of Last Christmas was the diversity. The cast was a lovely mix of races but none of the characters were used as a ‘token’ minority. In fact, when the storyline did focus on racial tensions, it didn’t go the typical route with the Asian-English actor but instead looked at Kate’s Yugoslavian heritage and immigrants’s perspectives on brexit. It was quite refreshing to see a film showcase many races without stereotyping them.
The film included a twist that many did see coming. Without spoiling the film, I will say that the twist elevated the film above the typical rom-com that I was expecting.
All in all, Last Christmas was an enjoyable film that left me with a range of feelings but in the end, I was glad I saw it. Is it my new go to christmas movie? Not by a long shot but it does deliver laughs, sighs, a little bit of sadness and an overall good time.
Spoilers Below!!!
Prior to watching Last Christmas, having not seen the trailer, all I knew about the film was that it was filmed in London, based on the song Last Christmas, and starred Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding. Therefore, I had no clue that Tom was a ghost/spirit/figment of Kate’s imagination. After hearing that people guessed that twist, I watched the trailer and can honestly say I don’t think I ever would have guessed that. It was an incredible shock to me but one that I am very thankful for. About half way through the film, I was quite disappointed. The film seemed excruciatingly average and cliched, a quite basic and shallow love story with an equally basic and shallow ending. Therefore, when Tom was revealed to be the donor who quite literally gave Kate his heart last christmas, I was very relieved. That elevated the film from a mediocre rom-com to something more complex. The lack of a happy ending for these characters made the moments they shared that much better. I loved the spin on the Wham! song and the shock of the twist fully renewed my interest in the film.