Suranne Jonesas Carole MackayThe story
About Christmas Carole
A ruthless online entrepreneur who has got rich selling flimsy festive tat, and who can't stand Christmas, spends Christmas Eve snubbing her family and firing her put-upon assistant while lining up a sale that would cost her staff their jobs. A string of distinctly British spirits, from a Morecambe and Wise double act to Jo Brand and Nish Kumar, drag her back through a hard childhood and forward to where she is heading, until she sees what she has lost and sets out to put things right.
The CineClaus verdict
Suranne Jones makes a fine monster as an online mogul who has got rich flogging festive tat, and the best idea here is casting the ghosts from British telly: a Morecambe and Wise double act first, then Jo Brand and Nish Kumar. Those cameos carry it. The script is clunkier than its cast, and the swipe at cheap Christmas commerce lands softer than it should.
The sentimental turn at the end works anyway, which says a lot about Jones. Worth catching on Sky if you grew up on the specials it keeps winking at.
The family desk
Can the kids watch?
Our take: with no BBFC certificate to go on, judge it yourself: nothing is physically scary, but the cruel lead and the jokes aimed at parents who remember Morecambe and Wise make it better for older children than little ones.
Content advice & accessibility
- Not BBFC rated
- The BBFC has no classification for this film, so it has no UK certificate. Our age guidance above is editorial, not an official rating.
