No matter what popular culture suggests, the holidays aren’t for everyone. They can be stressful, forced, boring, and lonely. Yet the season is often presented as a time of unbroken cheer, family gatherings, and wholesome sentimentality — which isn’t always welcome. If you’d rather skip saccharine holiday fare, re-runs of sentimental classics, or the usual … Read more

Thank you for taking part in The Film Magazine’s Christmas movie quiz. If you enjoyed these questions, follow @thefilmagazine on social media for more quizzes, film news, and seasonal features. We post regularly on our Facebook, Instagram and X (Twitter) channels — and we’d love to see your scores and reactions on the posts where … Read more

Conclave (2024)Director: Edward BergerScreenwriter: Peter StraughanStarring: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, Isabella Rossellini, Lucian Msamati, Carlos Diehz Conclave is a tightly controlled political and spiritual drama that centers on the immediate aftermath of the pope’s death and the secretive process of selecting his successor. The film concentrates on the locked-down world of … Read more

Born in New Jersey in 1952, director and animator Henry Selick is celebrated not for the number of films he has made but for the consistent quality of his craft. While some filmmakers measure success by output, Selick’s medium—stop‑motion animation—is famously slow and meticulous, which explains why he has released a relatively small but remarkable … Read more

When Judy Garland performed, her gaze seemed to reach beyond the camera, beyond the set and the stars. Her arms often rose like a storyteller’s, reaching for something unseen. She seized songs and stories and breathed life into them with a rare, magnetic presence. That gift is why audiences flocked to see her. Born Frances … Read more

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)Director: Vincente MinnelliScreenwriter: Irving Brecher, Fred F. FinklehoffeStarring: Judy Garland, Margaret O’Brien, Mary Astor, Lucille Bremer, Joan Carroll, Leon Ames, Tom Drake, Marjorie Main, Harry Davenport Few performers reshaped the movie musical the way Judy Garland did. Her performance in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz introduced a new approach to … Read more

Spellbound (2024)Director: Vicky JensonScreenwriters: Lauren Hynek, Elizabeth Martin, Julia MirandaStarring: Rachel Zegler, Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, John Lithgow, Susan Fitzer, Olga Merediz, Tituss Burgess, Nathan Lane Skydance Animation’s Spellbound (2024), distributed by Netflix, arrives as a vividly imagined animated feature that frequently demonstrates the medium’s unique potential. Guided by director Vicky Jenson, with a screenplay … Read more

Wicked (2024)Director: John M. ChuScreenwriters: Winnie Holzman, Dana FoxStarring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande-Butera, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum Eighty-five years after MGM’s iconic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, which cemented its place in film history with technicolor visuals, memorable lines and Judy Garland’s unforgettable voice, Hollywood returns … Read more

Murder on the Orient Express (1974)Director: Sidney LumetScreenwriter: Paul DehnStarring: Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Anthony Perkins, Sean Connery, Vanessa Redgrave, Martin Balsam, Jacqueline Bisset, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Wendy Hiller, Rachel Roberts, John Gielgud Following the cultural success that reinforced Agatha Christie’s standing as the Queen of Crime, filmmakers took on the challenge of bringing … Read more

Pixar Animation Studios stands among the world’s most influential feature animation companies. Beginning life in computer graphics in 1986, the studio grew from a small contender into a creative powerhouse whose critical and commercial success ultimately prompted Disney to acquire it for $7.4 billion in 2006. Pixar’s distinctive 3D animation style changed the industry and … Read more