Festive Factor
90
Cosiness Rating
88
The verdict
Elf does the difficult thing: it is sincere without being sickly, and it holds up on the fifteenth watch. Ferrell plays the lead entirely straight, which is why the joke never curdles into smugness — he is not winking at you. The New York material gives it just enough grit to stop the whole thing floating off. If you want one film to open the season with a house that agrees on nothing, it is this one.
The certificate
BBFC PG. 2019 cinema entry (97m 12s), ratings info: mild bad language, sex references. First passed for UK cinemas 27/10/2003 (96m 34s), also PG.
How to watch it
Checked 27 August
- Included with
- Sky Cinema · NOW Cinema Membership
- Rent or buy
- Apple TV · Prime Video · Rakuten TV · Sky Store
Streaming changes constantly and we cannot promise it is still right — check the service before you settle in. Availability data by JustWatch.
Own it
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