Festive Factor
72
Cosiness Rating
80
Santa Screen Time
0 min
The verdict
Darker than its reputation, which is exactly why it still works. Most of the running time is a man being ground down by obligation, and the film is honest about how little his good choices pay him back. That is what earns the last ten minutes — they would be unbearable otherwise. Black and white, nearly eighty years old, and still the one that gets people.
The certificate
BBFC U. 1947 cinema entry (131m 0s), passed with cuts at the time; the cuts are not carried on modern versions. The 2010 home entertainment entry is U with ratings info stating no material likely to offend or harm. BBFC notes a suicide attempt handled with a positive resolution.
How to watch it
Checked 27 August
- Rent or buy
- Prime Video · Apple TV · Rakuten TV · Sky Store
- On telly
- ITV1, around Christmas; Channel 4 in earlier years
Streaming changes constantly and we cannot promise it is still right — check the service before you settle in. Availability data by JustWatch.
If you liked this one
The Saturday Matinée
One short email a week from November.
What to watch, whether the kids can join, and the odd gift idea for the person who has seen Elf forty times. That is it. No daily noise.
Join and the printable advent checklist comes with it — twenty-four films, one a night. See what is on it.
One short email a week from November, and the odd gift idea. No daily noise, unsubscribe in one click.