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Original painted Christmas scene, from the Cine Claus illustration set

Essential Christmas · 2020

Alien Xmas

77/100Festive FactorWhy it scores 77 ↓
UK certificate Universal42 min · TV special
Comedy · Family

Made by the Chiodo Brothers, who did the stop-motion effects on Elf, and the handmade craft shows in every…

On Netflix · UK subscription →
Plan this film night ↓Can the kids watch? ↓
Explore this film 8 sections

The CineClaus Christmas score

Festive Factor

Christmas all the way through.

Original painted Christmas scene, from the Cine Claus illustration set

A little magic in the making.

Five ingredients make the Festive Factor.
Open an ingredient to find out more.

Christmas in the storyChristmas drives it, firmly.25/30

What we ask: Take Christmas out. Does the plot survive? Worth up to 30 of the 100 points.

A world dressed for ChristmasVisibly Christmas for effectively all of it.20/20

What we ask: How much of the running time is visibly Christmas? Worth up to 20 of the 100 points.

The little seasonal details6 of the 10 kinds of Christmas icon we count turn up on screen.9/15

What we ask: How many kinds of Christmas icon turn up on screen: trees, lights, snow, carols and the rest? Worth up to 15 of the 100 points.

A Christmas heartHow far the ending rests on goodwill, family and belief: entirely.20/20

What we ask: Does the ending depend on what Christmas means: goodwill, family, redemption, belief? Worth up to 20 of the 100 points.

A returning traditionNiche at Christmas (under 25,000).3/15

What we ask: Is it actually watched at Christmas in the UK? Worth up to 15 of the 100 points.

82/100

Cosiness Rating Rating

Warm in tone. Mild threat. A happy ending.

How we score →
What do these scores mean?

Festive Factor measures how Christmassy a film is. Five ingredients add up to 100: story (30), setting (20), seasonal details (15), emotional heart (20) and returning tradition (15).

Cosiness is a separate score for warmth of tone, sense of safety, visual comfort, a reassuring ending and how easily you can settle into it.

How the Festive Factor works →
Your next film night

Where to watch

United KingdomChecked

Netflix

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Streaming changes constantly and we cannot promise it is still right - check the service before you settle in. Streaming availability information provided by Streaming Availability API by Movie of the Night (opens in a new tab).

The story

About Alien Xmas

A race of drained, colourless alien thieves plans to switch off Earth's gravity at Christmas so everything on the planet floats up into their ships, and sends its smallest agent to set up the machine beside Father Christmas's workshop town. Mistaken for a toy and handed to an elf's young daughter, the little alien spends the days before Christmas Eve watching the elves look after one another, until an unexpected gift makes him rethink the whole idea of taking. The story is framed as a bedtime tale told by Santa himself.

The CineClaus verdict

Made by the Chiodo Brothers, who did the stop-motion effects on Elf, and the handmade craft shows in every frame.

The plot is wafer-thin. A tiny alien thief sent to rob Christmas learns that giving beats taking, a lesson most viewers will spot well before he does. The puppets and sets carry it, and the brief running time means it ends before anyone gets restless.

The invasion finale gets busy and a touch loud, though nobody comes to real harm. Ideal for children who have already worn out the usual Netflix favourites.

The family desk

Can the kids watch?

U

Our take: suits most children from six: a menacing villain and a noisy laser-gun invasion near the end, but nobody is seriously hurt and the ending is warm.

Content advice & accessibility
Our age guidance
Editorial, separate from the official U certificate, and never looser than it.
Subtitles · Audio description
Check your chosen service and edition for supported tracks.
The people behind the film

Cast and crew

The faces in front of the camera, and the people who brought the story to life.

Main cast

In billing order
Keythe Farleyas Santa Claus
Dee Bradley Bakeras X
Barbara Goodsonas Z

Behind the camera

Directed by
Stephen Chiodo
Writing & production credits
Producer
Jon Favreau
Step into the story

Filming locations

The real places behind Alien Xmas. Choose one to explore.

Find it on the mapSun Valley, Los Angeles

© OpenStreetMap contributors (opens in a new tab)

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Location sources

Sun Valley, Los Angeles · Animated Views interview (opens in a new tab)

Map pins mark the place, not a camera position or a route. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), including any pin positions read from OpenStreetMap.

A little more Alien Xmas

Film facts &
behind the scenes

For the fans who stay after the credits.

Movie magic

Built by the team behind the Elf stop-motion effects

Stephen Chiodo directed the special from a children's book he wrote with Jim Strain. The Chiodo Brothers' stop-motion studio made it with Jon Favreau's Fairview Entertainment, Sonar Entertainment and Netflix.

Read the story

Source: Kidscreen ↗ (opens in a new tab)

On set

A producer who had worked with the studio before

Jon Favreau had hired the Chiodo Brothers for the stop-motion effects on Elf. He became an advocate for this project and joined it as an executive producer.

Read the story

Source: Animated Views interview ↗ (opens in a new tab)

On set

Years in development before Netflix

The idea grew out of bumpers and interstitials the Chiodos made for ABC Family. It was later developed as a feature and sold to Relativity Media, but the funding vanished in the 2008 financial crash.

Read the story

Source: Animated Views interview ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Movie magic

Sixteen stages and more than 200 people

Shooting ran from June to late 2019 at Bix Pix's facility in Sun Valley, California. The crew used 16 stop-motion stages, with more than 200 people on fabrication and production.

Read the story

Source: Animated Views interview ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Movie magic

Digital cameras and automated lighting passes

The animators shot on Canon EOS R cameras with Nikon prime lenses. Dragonframe software automated the multi-pass lighting on each frame.

Read the story

Source: Cartoon Brew ↗ (opens in a new tab)

And at a glance

Releases and certificates
: On streaming. Arrived on Netflix worldwide on the same day, billed as a 40-minute special.
Sources & a note on these facts

Each production story is linked to its source, in our own words. Ending details stay behind a spoiler reveal.

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Alien Xmas is in this collection

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Stay for another story.All collections · The Christmas Edit