Last Christmas is inspired by the song of the same name by the late George Michael, but the real clue as to what the film is actually about can be found in the lyrics of that song.
Without going into any spoilers, the film revolves around Kate Andrich (Emilia Clarke), a twenty-something girl who has been left traumatised by a mysterious life-threatening incident from a year before, but is yet to appreciate her second chance at life, and as such, has become somewhat self destructive.
Kate alienates everyone in her life, whether it’s her mum Petra (Emma Thompson), her sister Marta (Lydia Leonard), her best friend Jenna (Ritu Arya), or even her boss “Santa” (Michelle Yeoh). But when she meets the charismatic Tom Webster (Henry Golding), everything begins to change.
Not much is known about Tom, other than the fact that he’s infectiously positive and likes to dedicate almost all of his time to helping out at a nearby homeless shelter. His mission where Kate is concerned? He tells her she should “start looking up” a lot more and recognise that there is happiness everywhere.
At first, Kate begins to resist Tom’s help, but she comes to learn that it’s time for a change, and there’s no better time to turn the tide than at Christmas. Last Christmas is, on first glance, a festive rom-com, but it actually goes a lot deeper than you might think (this is where those spoilers would come in handy).
There are some great characters in this film too, and while Kate and Tom are compelling enough all by themselves, supporting characters from Kate’s mother to the ensemble at the homeless shelter are great fun. And then there’s the soundtrack, courtesy of the late legend George Michael and Wham!
Ultimately, though, it all really boils down to the film’s themes. While they’re arguably Christmas movie tropes - be grateful for all the things you have and always consider those less fortunate and such messages - there’s a reason they tend to pop up in this genre more often than not.
Emilia Clarke gives a solid performance as Kate, a character who goes through quite an arc by the film’s end, evoking echoes of Ebenezer Scrooge and the Grinch (though nowhere near as miserable as either of them), while Henry Golding is simply a delight to watch as the enthusiastic Tom.
Last Christmas probably won’t go on to become one of the most popular Christmas movies of all time, but over time, we think many will come to consider it something of a Christmas classic.
As per Universal Pictures, here’s the official synopsis for Last Christmas:
Emilia Clarke (HBO’s Game of Thrones), Henry Golding (A Simple Favor, Crazy Rich Asians), Michelle Yeoh and Emma Thompson star for director Paul Feig (A Simple Favor, Spy, Bridesmaids) in Last Christmas, a romantic comedy inspired by a George Michael beat, from a screenplay by Academy Award® winner Thompson (Sense and Sensibility, Bridget Jones’s Baby) and playwright Bryony Kimmings. Kate (Emilia Clarke) harumphs around London, a bundle of bad decisions accompanied by the jangle of bells on her shoes, another irritating consequence from her job as an elf in a year-round Christmas shop. Tom (Henry Golding) seems too good to be true when he walks into her life and starts to see through so many of Kate’s barriers. As London transforms into the most wonderful time of the year, nothing should work for these two. But sometimes, you gotta let the snow fall where it may, you gotta listen to your heart … and you gotta have faith.
Last Christmas stars Emilia Clarke (Katarina “Kate” Andrich), Henry Golding (Tom Webster), Emma Thompson (Petra Andrich), and Michelle Yeoh (Santa).
