It is December 28, 2025. Christmas is over. The wrapping paper is in the trash. The leftover turkey is getting sketchy. New Year’s Eve is approaching but not here yet. You exist in a strange temporal pocket dimension where nobody knows what day it is, pants are optional and the concept of productivity is laughable. Welcome to Twixmas. The liminal space between Christmas and New Year’s. The week that does not really count. The days when you tell yourself you will be productive but instead spend eight hours on the couch wondering if you should eat another cookie. This is the sacred time for movie marathons. No obligations. No rush. Just you, a blanket and films that make you feel things. But not just any films. Twixmas requires a specific vibe. Nothing too dark or you will spiral. Nothing too demanding or your holiday brain will reject it. You need movies that are cozy, hopeful, reflective and entertaining. Films that make you appreciate life while also letting you completely zone out. Share this with everyone currently experiencing Twixmas paralysis. Send it to your group chat. Bookmark it for next year. Because these 12 films are scientifically engineered for the weird beautiful week when time stops mattering and movies are the only thing that makes sense.
1. About Time: The Perfect Film For Reflecting On The Year
Credits: The Nest
About Time is criminally underrated. It is marketed as a romantic comedy but it is actually a meditation on how we spend our limited time on Earth. That makes it absolutely perfect for the reflective mood of late December. Domhnall Gleeson plays Tim, a young man who discovers on his 21st birthday that the men in his family can time travel. Not to fix historical events or prevent disasters. Just backward through their own lives. Tim uses this power to improve awkward moments, pursue his dream girl Rachel McAdams and generally try to live a better life. What starts as a charming rom com becomes something much deeper. The film explores father son relationships, the inevitability of loss and the importance of living each ordinary day fully. Bill Nighy plays Tim’s father and their scenes together are devastating in the best way. The film’s central message is revealed in the third act. After learning to relive each day to make it perfect, Tim eventually learns to live each day only once but with the appreciation and attention he developed through time travel. That philosophy is perfect for Twixmas. As one year ends and another begins, About Time reminds viewers to be present. To notice the small moments. To appreciate the people around them.
Director Richard Curtis, who also made Love Actually and Four Weddings and a Funeral, brings his signature British charm. The film is set in London and Cornwall. The cinematography is warm and inviting. The soundtrack features artists like Ben Folds and The Cure. About Time runs 123 minutes which is perfect for a Twixmas afternoon. Long enough to fully immerse yourself but not so long you lose an entire day. The film works whether you watch alone or with family. It has romance for couples. Family dynamics for multi generational viewing. Humor for when the emotions get too heavy. The time travel concept is just fantastical enough to be magical without requiring complex explanations. You do not need to understand the mechanics. You just need to feel the emotions. Critics gave About Time strong reviews but it never became a massive hit. Over the years it has developed a devoted following. People discover it. Fall in love. Recommend it to everyone they know. If you have never seen About Time, Twixmas is the ideal time. If you have seen it, rewatch it with the perspective of another year lived. Notice how the themes land differently depending on what you experienced over the past twelve months. About Time is not just a movie. It is a reminder to live better. And that is exactly what Twixmas should inspire.
2. The Grand Budapest Hotel: Escapism Through Wes Anderson’s Pastel Perfection
Credits: Variety
Sometimes Twixmas calls for pure escapism. For visuals so gorgeous you forget reality exists. For storytelling so whimsical you remember why you love movies. The Grand Budapest Hotel delivers all of that wrapped in Wes Anderson’s meticulous aesthetic. The film is set in the fictional Republic of Zubrowka between the World Wars. Ralph Fiennes stars as M. Gustave, the legendary concierge of the Grand Budapest Hotel. He takes a young lobby boy named Zero played by Tony Revolori under his wing. When a wealthy hotel guest dies and leaves Gustave a priceless painting, they become embroiled in a theft mystery involving fascists, inheritance disputes and prison escapes. The plot is delightful but the visuals are what make this essential Twixmas viewing. Every frame is a painting. Anderson uses symmetry, color coding and miniatures to create a world that feels like a luxurious dollhouse. The hotel itself is a character. Pink and purple and gold. Ornate yet organized. A place that exists outside of time. The cast is stacked. Fiennes is phenomenal, balancing comedy and pathos. The supporting cast includes Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Jeff Goldblum and more. Anderson regulars mixed with actors trying his style for the first time.
The Grand Budapest Hotel won four Academy Awards including Best Production Design and Best Costume Design. Those wins were deserved. The attention to detail is extraordinary. Every costume. Every prop. Every set piece is deliberate. The film uses different aspect ratios for different time periods. The 1930s story is shot in Academy ratio. The 1960s framing story is widescreen. The 1980s is even wider. This technique subtly reinforces the passage of time and changing eras. The film runs 99 minutes. The perfect length for Twixmas when attention spans are nonexistent. It moves quickly. The pacing is brisk. You are never bored. But you also want to pause constantly to appreciate the composition of each shot. The Grand Budapest Hotel grossed 174 million dollars worldwide against a 25 million budget. It became Anderson’s highest grossing film. Critics loved it. Audiences embraced it. It sits at 92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. For Twixmas viewing, this film offers beauty, humor and a sense that somewhere out there is a hotel where everything is perfect and the concierge knows your preferences before you arrive. That fantasy is exactly what the weird week between holidays requires. Queue this up on a lazy afternoon. Let Anderson’s pastel world wash over you. Forget about emails and responsibilities. Just exist in Zubrowka for 99 glorious minutes.
3. When Harry Met Sally: The Rom Com That Defines New Year’s Eve
Credits: MovieWeb
When Harry Met Sally is not technically a holiday movie. But the climax takes place on New Year’s Eve which makes it essential Twixmas viewing. Especially if you are watching during the final days of December building toward midnight on the 31st. The film stars Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan as two people who meet in 1977 after college graduation. They share a car ride from Chicago to New York. Harry proclaims that men and women cannot be friends because sex always gets in the way. Sally disagrees. Over the next twelve years, they run into each other periodically. They become friends. They date other people. They support each other through breakups and career changes. And slowly, inevitably, they realize they are perfect for each other. The film is structured around seasons and New Year’s. Each section shows Harry and Sally at different points in their lives. The passage of time is marked by changing fashions, aging and evolving perspectives. By the time the film reaches its New Year’s Eve climax, you are completely invested in whether they end up together.
Director Rob Reiner and writer Nora Ephron created something special. The dialogue is sharp and quotable. The characters feel real despite living in a romanticized version of New York City. The film understands that the best relationships are friendships that evolve into something more. The supporting cast includes Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby as Harry and Sally’s respective best friends. Their subplot romance provides comic relief and demonstrates healthy relationship communication. The film features multiple talking head segments where older couples describe how they met. These vignettes ground the romantic fantasy in reality. Real relationships are messy and weird and sometimes take years to develop. The orgasm scene is iconic. Meg Ryan faking an orgasm in Katz’s Delicatessen while Billy Crystal watches in horror has become one of cinema’s most famous moments. The punchline, delivered by director Rob Reiner’s mother, is perfect. When Harry Met Sally was released in July 1989. It became a massive hit and cemented the modern romantic comedy template. It grossed 92 million dollars domestically. Critics praised the writing and performances. The film earned Nora Ephron an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. For Twixmas viewing, When Harry Met Sally works on multiple levels. It is funny enough to watch casually. Romantic enough to enjoy with a partner. Smart enough to appreciate the craft. And the New Year’s Eve finale makes it ideal for watching as December 31 approaches. The final speech Harry gives at the party, explaining all the little things he loves about Sally, is one of the best romantic declarations in film history. It is specific. It is vulnerable. It is true. Queue this up as you prepare to ring in the new year. Let Harry and Sally remind you that the best love stories take time. That friendship is the foundation of romance. And that sometimes you have to run through the streets of New York to tell someone how you feel before midnight.
4. Soul: Pixar’s Meditation On Life’s Meaning
Credits: Disney Plus
Soul was released on Disney Plus on Christmas Day 2020 during the pandemic. It has since become a holiday season staple for families and adults seeking something meaningful. The film is perfect for Twixmas because it grapples with big questions about purpose, passion and what makes life worth living. Jamie Foxx voices Joe Gardner, a middle school band teacher who dreams of becoming a professional jazz musician. Just as he gets his big break, an accident sends his soul to the Great Before, a realm where new souls develop personalities before being born to Earth. Joe becomes a mentor to Soul 22, voiced by Tina Fey, a soul who has been in the Great Before for thousands of years because she cannot find her spark. The film explores what it means to have a purpose. Joe believes his purpose is jazz. That music is what he was born to do. But the film gently challenges that assumption. What if purpose is not one grand thing but the accumulation of small moments? What if the spark is not about finding your calling but about being alive?
The animation is stunning. The Great Before is abstract and colorful. Earth is rendered with realistic detail that makes New York City feel tangible. The jazz performances are authentic thanks to consultation with musicians including Jon Batiste who composed original songs and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross who scored the film. Soul won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score. The wins were deserved. The film is technically brilliant and emotionally resonant. The voice cast is excellent. Jamie Foxx brings warmth and desperation to Joe. Tina Fey makes 22 sarcastic but sympathetic. The supporting cast includes Graham Norton, Rachel House, Alice Braga and Angela Bassett. Phylicia Rashad voices Joe’s mother in a performance that grounds the fantastical story in familial reality. Soul runs 100 minutes. The pacing is deliberate. The film takes time to let moments breathe. That approach might bore young kids but it rewards older viewers willing to engage with the themes. For Twixmas, Soul offers reflection without being preachy. It asks viewers to consider what they value. What brings them joy. Whether they are so focused on future goals that they miss present beauty. Those questions are perfect for the week between Christmas and New Year’s. As one year ends, Soul encourages appreciation for the life you are living right now. Not the life you wish you had. Not the accomplishments you have not achieved. But the actual existence you wake up to every day. That message is profound and hopeful. Queue Soul for a Twixmas evening when you want something meaningful. Watch it with family. Discuss the themes afterward. Or watch it alone and let the questions sit with you as the year winds down.
5. Groundhog Day: The Ultimate Film About Second Chances
Credits: People
Groundhog Day is technically a February movie. But its themes make it perfect for Twixmas. The film is about getting stuck in a time loop and using that experience to become a better person. That arc mirrors the reflective energy of late December when people assess the year and commit to improvement. Bill Murray stars as Phil Connors, an arrogant weatherman sent to cover Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. When a blizzard traps him in town, he wakes up the next morning to discover it is Groundhog Day again. And again. And again. Phil is stuck reliving the same day. At first he panics. Then he exploits the situation for personal gain. He learns information about people to manipulate them. He indulges every selfish impulse. But nothing brings satisfaction. Eventually Phil realizes that the only way to break the loop is to become genuinely good. He learns piano. He saves lives. He helps strangers. He pursues producer Rita, played by Andie MacDowell, not through manipulation but by becoming someone worthy of her affection.
The film never explains why Phil is stuck in the loop. That ambiguity is part of its power. The mechanism does not matter. What matters is how Phil changes. Director Harold Ramis and co writer Danny Rubin created a deceptively simple premise with profound implications. Groundhog Day has been analyzed by philosophers and religious scholars. It has been compared to Buddhist concepts of reincarnation and Christian ideas of redemption. The film works as pure comedy. Bill Murray is hilarious. His deadpan delivery and physical comedy make even the darkest moments funny. But it also works as existential fable. If you could relive the same day indefinitely, how would you spend it? What would you learn? Who would you become? For Twixmas, Groundhog Day offers hope. No matter how the past year went, the new year is a chance to try again. To learn from mistakes. To build better habits. To become the person you want to be. The film grossed 70 million dollars in 1993. It has since become a cultural touchstone. The phrase Groundhog Day is used to describe repetitive situations. The film appears on best comedy lists and best films of the 1990s lists. It was added to the National Film Registry in 2006 for being culturally significant. Watch Groundhog Day during Twixmas as motivation. Let Phil’s transformation inspire your own new year intentions. And remember that change is possible. It just requires commitment and the willingness to try again. Every day is a fresh start. That is the gift of time. Use it wisely.
6. The Holiday: Cozy Comfort With Two Love Stories
Credits: Slate
The Holiday is the epitome of cozy winter viewing. It is predictable. It is fluffy. It delivers exactly what you expect. And during Twixmas, that is exactly what you need. No surprises. No stress. Just attractive people falling in love in beautiful houses. Cameron Diaz plays Amanda, a successful Los Angeles movie trailer editor reeling from a breakup. Kate Winslet plays Iris, a London journalist heartbroken over her boss. They discover a home swap website and decide to trade houses for two weeks over Christmas. Amanda goes to Iris’s cottage in Surrey. Iris stays in Amanda’s Los Angeles mansion. Both women intend to use the swap to escape and heal. Instead they find new love. Amanda meets Iris’s brother Graham, played by Jude Law. Iris meets Miles, a film composer played by Jack Black. The film cuts between the two romances as they develop over the holiday period. The structure is simple but effective. Both stories follow familiar beats but the chemistry between the actors sells it.
Nancy Meyers directed and wrote The Holiday. Her aesthetic is instantly recognizable. Gorgeous homes. Soft lighting. Characters who drink wine in enormous kitchens. Everything is aspirational and comforting. The Surrey cottage is absurdly perfect. Stone walls. A thatched roof. Cozy interiors. It is the kind of place that does not exist in reality but everyone wishes it did. Amanda’s LA mansion is equally fantasy. All glass and modern furniture. A pool. Stunning views. The homes become characters that represent the different worlds the women inhabit. The cast is charming. Cameron Diaz brings her trademark energy. Kate Winslet is luminous and vulnerable. Jude Law is perfectly cast as the handsome single dad. Jack Black shows his softer side as the sweet composer. Eli Wallach has a scene stealing role as a legendary screenwriter who befriends Iris. His character adds depth to what could have been pure fluff. The Holiday was not a critical darling. Reviews were mixed. But it grossed 205 million dollars worldwide. Audiences loved it. Over the years it has become a holiday season staple. It plays on cable every December. It trends on streaming platforms. People rewatch it annually like a tradition. For Twixmas, The Holiday offers escapism and comfort. The problems are solvable. The romances are sweet. The houses are beautiful. You do not have to think. You just have to feel warm and hopeful. That is the perfect energy for the couch potato days between Christmas and New Year’s. Put this on. Wrap yourself in a blanket. Sigh contentedly as attractive people kiss in front of fireplaces. This is what Twixmas was made for.
7. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind: For When You Need To Feel Something Deep
Credits: Prime Video
Not every Twixmas movie needs to be light and fluffy. Sometimes the weird liminal energy calls for something profound and melancholic. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is perfect for those contemplative Twixmas moods when you want to think about memory, love and what it means to truly know someone. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet star as Joel and Clementine, a couple who undergo a procedure to erase each other from their memories after a painful breakup. As Joel’s memories of Clementine are systematically deleted, he realizes he does not want to forget her. He tries to hide her in memories where she does not belong, desperately clinging to any trace of their relationship. The film is structured non linearly. Memories play backward and forward. Reality blends with dream logic. The editing is disorienting but purposeful. You experience Joel’s confusion and desperation. Director Michel Gondry brings his signature visual inventiveness. Memories dissolve. Locations collapse. The physical world becomes unstable as Joel’s mind is wiped. The special effects are mostly practical. Sets were built to fall apart. Actors performed in environments designed to change around them. The result feels tactile and surreal.
Charlie Kaufman wrote the screenplay. It is one of his best. The concept is high concept science fiction but the emotional core is deeply human. The film asks whether it is better to have loved and lost or to erase the pain entirely. Joel and Clementine’s relationship was messy. They fought. They hurt each other. But the good moments, the small connections, the genuine love, were those worth the pain? The film argues yes. Even if a relationship ends badly, the experience shapes you. Erasing it erases part of yourself. The supporting cast includes Mark Ruffalo, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood and Tom Wilkinson. They play the technicians who perform the memory erasure procedure. Their subplot reveals that they have their own complicated relationship to the technology. Eternal Sunshine won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Jim Carrey was widely praised for showing dramatic range. The film grossed 74 million against a 20 million budget. It has since been recognized as one of the best films of the 2000s. For Twixmas viewing, Eternal Sunshine offers depth. It is a film that rewards attention and contemplation. It makes you think about your own relationships. The ones that worked. The ones that failed. Whether you would erase the painful memories if given the chance. Watch this during a quiet Twixmas evening when you want something substantive. It is not easy viewing. But it is rewarding. And it reminds you that love, in all its messy complicated glory, is what makes life meaningful.
8. Bridget Jones’s Diary: New Year’s Resolutions And British Charm
Credits: THR
Bridget Jones’s Diary opens on New Year’s Day with Bridget, played by Renée Zellweger, drunkenly singing All By Myself and writing resolutions in her diary. That scene alone makes it essential Twixmas viewing. The film follows Bridget through a year of romantic mishaps, career challenges and personal growth. She works in publishing. She is 32 and single which her family and friends treat as tragic. She makes a New Year’s resolution to improve herself. Lose weight. Quit smoking. Find a nice sensible boyfriend. What follows is a year of romantic comedy chaos. Bridget falls for her charming but unreliable boss Daniel Cleaver, played by Hugh Grant. She also keeps running into Mark Darcy, played by Colin Firth, a successful lawyer her mother keeps trying to set her up with. The love triangle plays out over the course of the year with Bridget documenting everything in her diary. The film is based on Helen Fielding’s novel which modernized Pride and Prejudice. The Darcy name is not subtle. Colin Firth famously played Mr. Darcy in the 1995 BBC Pride and Prejudice adaptation. Casting him as Mark Darcy is meta and perfect.
Renée Zellweger won a BAFTA for her performance. She gained weight for the role and learned a flawless British accent. Her portrayal of Bridget is funny, vulnerable and relatable. Bridget is not a rom com cliché. She is messy. She makes bad decisions. She says the wrong thing constantly. But she is trying. The supporting cast is delightful. Hugh Grant leans into smarm as Daniel Cleaver. Colin Firth plays Mark as stiff and awkward until he reveals his softer side. Gemma Jones and Jim Broadbent play Bridget’s parents with comedic warmth. The film was a massive hit. It grossed 281 million worldwide. It launched a franchise with two sequels. It made Bridget Jones a cultural icon. For Twixmas viewing, Bridget Jones’s Diary is perfect. It captures the New Year’s resolution energy. The hope that this year will be different. The inevitable stumbles. The eventual realization that you do not need to change yourself to deserve love. The film is funny enough to lift your mood. Romantic enough to satisfy. And British enough to feel sophisticated while still being accessible. Watch it as December 31 approaches. Let Bridget remind you that resolutions are less about perfection and more about effort. That the right person will love you for exactly who you are. And that starting a new year single is not failure. It is just a different chapter. Queue it up. Pour some wine. Laugh at Bridget’s mishaps. And head into the new year with hope.
9. Little Miss Sunshine: The Dysfunctional Family Road Trip You Need
Credits: MovieWeb
Little Miss Sunshine is not a holiday movie. But it is perfect for Twixmas viewing with family. Because if your family is gathered and driving you slightly crazy, this film will make you feel seen. The story follows the Hoover family on a road trip from Albuquerque to California so that seven year old Olive can compete in the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant. The family is spectacularly dysfunctional. The father Richard, played by Greg Kinnear, is a failing motivational speaker obsessed with winning. The mother Sheryl, played by Toni Collette, is barely holding everyone together. The teenage son Dwayne, played by Paul Dano, has taken a vow of silence until he gets into the Air Force. The grandfather, played by Alan Arkin, is a foul mouthed heroin addict. The uncle Frank, played by Steve Carell, is a suicidal Proust scholar recovering from a breakdown. And Olive, played by Abigail Breslin, is an adorable kid who just wants to compete in a pageant. The film follows them in a broken down VW bus as everything that can go wrong does. Arguments. Breakdowns. A death. A pornographic dance routine. The family implodes and rebuilds multiple times over the course of the trip.
What makes Little Miss Sunshine work is that it loves these characters despite their flaws. They are selfish and deluded and difficult. But they are also trying. And they show up for each other when it matters. The climax involves the entire family getting on stage to support Olive during her pageant performance even though it means social humiliation. That moment crystallizes the film’s message. Family means being there. Even when it is uncomfortable. The film was made for 8 million dollars. It grossed 100 million worldwide. It earned four Oscar nominations and won two for Alan Arkin’s supporting performance and Michael Arndt’s original screenplay. The cast is uniformly excellent. Everyone commits fully to their character’s quirks without making them cartoons. The VW bus becomes a character. Its horn gets stuck. It cannot start unless everyone pushes. It is a metaphor for the family. Broken but functional if everyone works together. Little Miss Sunshine is darkly funny. It does not shy away from uncomfortable topics. Suicide. Drug use. Failure. But it balances the darkness with genuine warmth. For Twixmas with family, this film offers catharsis. Your family might be a mess but at least you are not on a cross country road trip in a broken van with a corpse. Perspective. Watch this together. Laugh at the chaos. Appreciate that dysfunction is universal. And remember that showing up is what matters. Little Miss Sunshine is a perfect Twixmas film because it finds hope in disaster. Because it argues that winning is not the point. Connection is. And because it makes you grateful for your own weird family.
10. The Royal Tenenbaums: Wes Anderson’s Winter Masterpiece
Credits: THR
If The Grand Budapest Hotel is Wes Anderson’s pastel fantasy, The Royal Tenenbaums is his melancholic family portrait. Both are perfect Twixmas viewing but Tenenbaums hits differently. It is about failure, regret and tentative reconciliation. The film follows the Tenenbaum family, once celebrated for their genius children, now fractured and stuck. Royal Tenenbaum, played by Gene Hackman, is the patriarch who abandoned the family years ago. Etheline, played by Anjelica Huston, is the matriarch holding everything together. The three children, former prodigies now adults, are all struggling. Chas, played by Ben Stiller, is a widowed father paranoid about his sons’ safety. Margot, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, is a playwright stuck in a loveless marriage. Richie, played by Luke Wilson, is a former tennis champion in love with his adopted sister Margot. When Royal learns Etheline is planning to remarry, he fakes terminal illness to move back into the family home. His presence forces everyone to confront unresolved issues. The film is structured like a novel. Chapters. Narration by Alec Baldwin. Character introductions with their accomplishments listed. Anderson’s aesthetic is fully realized. Every frame is composed with meticulous symmetry. The color palette is warm browns, reds and yellows. The costumes define each character. Margot’s fur coat and barrette. Richie’s headband and tracksuit. Chas’s Adidas tracksuit in red.
The soundtrack features songs by The Ramones, Nico, Van Morrison and Elliott Smith. The music underscores the emotional beats without overwhelming them. The cast is extraordinary. Gene Hackman makes Royal charming and despicable. Anjelica Huston brings grace to Etheline. The younger actors commit to their damaged characters without melodrama. Bill Murray, Owen Wilson and Danny Glover round out the ensemble. The Royal Tenenbaums was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars. It grossed 71 million against a 21 million budget. It established Anderson as a major filmmaker with a distinct voice. For Twixmas, Tenenbaums offers recognition. Families are complicated. People disappoint each other. Reconciliation is messy and incomplete. But it is possible. The film does not offer easy resolutions. Characters do not magically heal. But they take small steps toward understanding. That incremental progress feels honest. Watch The Royal Tenenbaums when you want something beautiful and sad. When you need to sit with complicated feelings. When you want to be reminded that even broken families can find moments of grace. This is Wes Anderson’s most emotionally vulnerable film. It is gorgeous and heartbreaking and perfect for Twixmas contemplation.
11. Singin’ In The Rain: Pure Joy When You Need It Most
Credits: THR
Sometimes Twixmas calls for pure unadulterated joy. No deep themes. No emotional devastation. Just talent, music and infectious happiness. Singin’ in the Rain delivers exactly that. The film is set in Hollywood during the transition from silent films to talkies. Gene Kelly plays Don Lockwood, a silent film star whose career is threatened when sound arrives. His leading lady Lina Lamont, played by Jean Hagen, has a voice that does not match her glamorous image. The studio decides to dub her voice with that of Kathy Selden, played by Debbie Reynolds, a talented newcomer. The plot is simple. A love triangle. A technological shift. Show business satire. But the execution is transcendent. The musical numbers are among the best ever filmed. The title song, with Gene Kelly dancing and singing in the rain, is iconic. Kelly insisted on filming in real rain. He had a fever during the shoot. The performance is pure movie magic. Good Morning features Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor tapping through a house with perfect synchronization. Make Em Laugh is Donald O’Connor’s tour de force. He performs increasingly absurd physical comedy culminating in running up a wall and doing a backflip. O’Connor was hospitalized from exhaustion after filming the number.
Singin’ in the Rain was not a massive hit when it was released in 1952. It was a modest success. Over decades it has been reevaluated and is now considered one of the greatest films ever made. It regularly tops lists of best musicals. The AFI ranked it fifth on their 100 Years 100 Movies list. The film is a masterclass in filmmaking. The choreography by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen is innovative. The Technicolor cinematography is vibrant. The script is funny and smart. The performances are committed. For Twixmas viewing, Singin’ in the Rain offers escapism and joy. It is impossible to watch Gene Kelly dance and not smile. The energy is infectious. The music lifts your spirits. The romance is sweet without being saccharine. Watch this when the post holiday slump hits. When you need something to pull you out of a funk. When you want to be reminded that art can be joyful and perfect. Singin’ in the Rain is a gift. A film so well crafted and entertaining that it transcends time. It was made over 70 years ago but it feels timeless. Queue it up. Let Gene Kelly dance in the rain. Let Donald O’Connor make you laugh. Let Debbie Reynolds charm you. And remember that sometimes joy is the most profound thing art can offer. Especially during Twixmas when the year is ending and you need a reason to smile.
12. The Apartment: Billy Wilder’s Bittersweet New Year’s Classic
Credits: THR
The Apartment is the perfect film to close out this list. It is a romantic comedy drama that climaxes on New Year’s Eve. It balances humor with genuine melancholy. And it features one of cinema’s most iconic final lines. Jack Lemmon stars as C.C. Baxter, a lonely office worker who climbs the corporate ladder by lending his apartment to executives for their extramarital affairs. Shirley MacLaine plays Fran Kubelik, an elevator operator who is having an affair with Baxter’s boss Mr. Sheldrake, played by Fred MacMurray. When Baxter realizes the woman his boss is using his apartment to meet is Fran, the woman he has been falling for, everything gets complicated. The film is a scathing satire of corporate culture and male entitlement. But it is also a tender romance about two lonely people finding each other. Director Billy Wilder balances the tones perfectly. The film is funny. The situations are absurd. But underneath is real pain. Fran attempts suicide in Baxter’s apartment on Christmas Eve. That dark turn could derail a romantic comedy. But Wilder uses it to deepen the characters and stakes.
Jack Lemmon is extraordinary. He makes Baxter sympathetic despite enabling terrible behavior. You root for him even when he is being spineless. Shirley MacLaine brings vulnerability and strength to Fran. She is not a victim or a prize. She is a fully realized woman making difficult choices. The film was a massive success in 1960. It won five Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. It grossed 25 million against a 3 million budget, a huge return. The Apartment has been preserved in the National Film Registry. It appears on every list of greatest films. It influenced countless romantic comedies that came after. For Twixmas and especially for New Year’s Eve viewing, The Apartment is perfect. The climax involves Fran leaving Sheldrake during a New Year’s Eve party and running to Baxter’s apartment. Baxter has just quit his job and is preparing to leave New York. They find each other just as midnight approaches. The final scene is simple. They sit together playing cards. Baxter confesses his love. Fran responds with one of cinema’s best final lines. Shut up and deal. That is it. No sweeping declaration. No dramatic kiss. Just two people choosing each other and getting on with life. The Apartment argues that happiness is not found in grand gestures or corporate success. It is found in small moments with someone who sees you. That message is perfect as one year ends and another begins. Watch The Apartment on New Year’s Eve. Let it close out your Twixmas marathon. And carry that final line into the new year. Shut up and deal. Get on with living. Choose connection over status. Be brave enough to walk away from what is easy and toward what is right. That is how you start a new year.
The Final Word On Twixmas Cinema
These twelve films represent the range of Twixmas moods. Reflective. Joyful. Melancholic. Cozy. Profound. Escapist. Every emotional need the weird week between Christmas and New Year’s can throw at you. You do not have to watch all twelve. You probably will not. But knowing they are there, ready for whatever Twixmas mood strikes, is comforting. Maybe you watch one per day. Maybe you marathon three in one sitting. Maybe you rewatch old favorites or discover something new. The point is to lean into the liminal space. To accept that Twixmas exists outside normal time. To give yourself permission to do nothing but watch movies and exist. Share this list with everyone experiencing Twixmas paralysis. Post your favorite in the comments. Build your own watchlist. And remember that movies are not just entertainment. They are companions. They are teachers. They are reminders of what it means to be human. As 2025 ends and 2026 begins, let these films guide you. Let them make you laugh, cry, think and feel. Let them remind you that time is precious and should be spent doing things that matter. Even if that thing is just watching Gene Kelly dance in the rain for the hundredth time. Happy Twixmas. May your films be cozy and your blankets warm. Now go press play.
