It’s the 2023 Holiday Season and nothing gets you into the spirit of the season more than Holiday films. As corny as they are, I still love the Hallmark Holiday Romance films where the girl, who is career-focused and not looking for love, returns to her home town for the Holidays and finds the love of her life. Although we never want to admit it, we’d all love to have a happy holiday. One where your family members all get along, the mac and cheese is perfect, we receive dreamy gifts of the highest quality, and no one brings up politics. And if we could top that off with meeting the love of our life, that would be a true Christmas Miracle.
There are so many new Holiday films this year and many are from Black filmmakers and are starring Black leads. Here are a few that we found.
Kick your feet up in front of the television and Enjoy The Holidays!
Candy Cane Lane
After being laid off, Chris Carver (Eddie Murphy) channels all of his energy into winning the neighborhood annual Christmas decorating contest, The Candy Cane Lane Spectacular, which comes with a $100,000 prize this year. Using all of the creative energy and ingenuity he can muster, Carver struggles to find decorations that will fit the bill until he inadvertently enlists the help of an elf named Pepper (Jillian Bell). Carver and Pepper make a deal that brings the 12 Days of Christmas to life. Insanity ensues as the Carver family, 3 Christmas Figurines come-to-life (Robin Thede, Chris Red and Nick Offerman) and the entire neighborhood, team up in a fierce battle against the hostile elf Pepper to save Christmas. The movie is non-stop action and Eddie Murphy shines in this fun over-the-top holiday fantasy/comedy with lots of great special effects.
Also Starring: Tracee Ellis Ross, Genneya Walton, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Madison Thomas, David Alan Grier, Timothy Simons, Danielle Pinnock and D.C. Young Fly
Director: Reginald Hudlin
Writer: Kelly Younger
Producer: Brian Grazer, Eddie Murphy, Charisse M. Hewitt
Network: Amazon Prime
Release Date: December 1, 2023
Dashing Through the Snow
In this Disney original film, Eddie Garrick (Ludacris) is a hard-working social worker and a good-hearted man who doesn’t believe in the magic of Christmas due to a bad childhood experience. After talking to his wife Allison Garrick (Teyonah Parris), Eddie is encouraged to take his 9yr old daughter Charlotte (Madison Skye Validum) to work with him on Christmas Eve. They encounter a strange chubby man clad in a red suit named Nick (Lil Rel Howery). At first Eddie thinks that the man is in need of psychiatric help, but after engaging with him he and Charlotte are taken on a magical adventure that restores his faith in the Holiday Season.
Also starring: Kevin Connolly Oscar Nunez, Ravi Patel, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Marcus Lewis and Jennifer Sears
Director: Tim Story
Writer: Scott Rosenberg
Producer: Will Packer, Tim Story
Network: Disney+
Initial release: November 17, 2023
Heaven Down Here
Heaven Down Here is a film inspired by African American country singer Mickey Guyton‘s song by the same name. The movie tells the story of 4 people who find themselves stranded in a diner during a snow storm on the night of Christmas Eve. Tensions flare, not just because they’re all stuck on Christmas Eve, but because each of these individuals are dealing with their own set of mounting problems; and Christmas is just the tip of the iceberg. Imani (Krystal Joy Brown), a struggling widowed single mother, is regretting volunteering to work on Christmas Eve with her combative boss, Dan (Richard Harmon) who could easily be mistaken for Scrooge.
Clara (Tina Lifford) is a nurse at a crossroads. While questioning life, her choices and her path in the world, she is also struggling to deal with a difficult patient with not long to live. Felix (Juan Riedinger), a local Pastor, is doing everything in his power to help his parishioners with food and basic needs for the holiday, while his own life is in shambles. If only his son needed him the way his parishioners do.
These four must deal with the fact that they are stuck. They are not going anywhere. As they come to terms with this reality, and finally calm down and settle in, they try to get into the Christmas spirit where they are. As they begin to open up to one another, secrets are revealed and they soon find out that being stuck at this diner was not a coincidence but the answer to their prayers.
Also Starring: Phylicia Rashad, Jace Fleming, Jorge Montesi, Isabel Birch, Carlo Fortin, Kelcy Mawema, Ava Anton and Jayden Oniah.
Director: Anne Wheeler
Writer: Shana Lloyd and Alison McKenzie
Producer: Donale Monroe
Network: Hallmark Channel
Release Date: December 14, 2023
RELATED: blackfilm.com Holiday Countdown!
