It’s that time of year when folks across North America curl up under a blanket to watch a holiday movie. For Asian families like ours, these movies—while a staple during the season—can feel a bit distant from our own holiday traditions and experiences.
Instead, here’s a list of heart-warming Christmas movies that hit a bit closer to home. These AAPI Christmas movies (and one TV series) feature Asian leads and themes are a must watch this winter.
The Syed Xmas Family Game Night
Bringing a partner home for the holidays is never really easy. For Noor, who brings her Puerto Rican girlfriend to meet her Pakistani Canadian family in this holiday comedy, she has a lot of groundwork to do. For cross-cultural couples, Noor’s traversing her family’s judgment and bias will likely ring true.
With details like the Bhangra remix of Jingle Bells, the movie shows how Asian millennials and their families have holiday traditions unique from the ones we usually see on TV. Luckily, it’s an easy short film to add to your holiday watch list too, clocking in at 11 minutes.
Boyfriends of Christmas Past
Released in 2021, Boyfriends of Christmas Past was one of Hallmark’s first attempts to give an Asian actor the leading role in a holiday movie. The movie weaves subtle Asian Canadian touchstones into a universal narrative about the difficulties of romantic commitment.
Leading up to Christmas, high-power marketing executive Lauren receives a visit from each of her four ex-boyfriends as they help her grow into a new romance. Plus, with an appearance from Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, everyone’s favorite Asian dad, what’s not to like?
Pushing Hands
One of two films on this list that doesn’t have “Christmas” in the title, Pushing Hands remains a holiday movie in our minds—maybe even more so than Die Hard. Ang Lee’s script, thrust into the limelight after winning a competition in Taiwan, centers around a father from Beijing who moves in with his son in New York City.
The story touches on the struggles of Asian American families who try to connect despite cross-generational and cultural barriers, something many folks experience all the more deeply as they reunite with loved ones around the winter holidays.
While the movie isn’t set during Christmas or New Year’s, the themes and the 90’s movie aesthetic are reminiscent of holiday movie staples. Plus, it even has the occasional kung-fu flair for any Die Hard fans too!
Last Christmas
With a star-studded cast featuring Henry Golding and Michelle Yeoh, Last Christmas is about new beginnings. Set in London, the plot revolves around Kate’s attempt to turn her dull life around, including the start of a new romance. It has the feel of that “guilty pleasure” holiday rom-com with significant talent to back it up. And the climatic ending has us all ready to make New Year’s resolutions and focus on self-improvement, like Kate.
Crashing Eid
A welcome departure from the typical holiday movie, Crashing Eid is full of unexpected characters and their chaotic transformations over one Eid’s celebrations. While not about Christmas nor set in the winter, this 2023 TV series touches on quintessential holiday movie themes such as familial conflict and love beyond difference.
Audiences will also get a well-rounded dose of the “meeting the parents” tropes, with plenty of dark comedy jokes intertwined. This romcom series is not one to miss on Netflix this holiday season.
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas
The last movie on our list, this third film in the groundbreaking stoner trilogy unexpectedly stands as the first Asian American holiday movie we can find. Reunited by an unexpected present and a burning Christmas tree, Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) embark on another high-jinks-filled road trip. A departure from all the romcoms on our AAPI Christmas movies list, this story focuses on the rekindling of lost friendship. The movie hits cross-cultural themes too, as Harold tries to please the family of his wife, Maria. And if you’re looking for more Kal Penn in another holiday movie, check out Hot Mess Holiday.
See also: Harold and Kumar: Using stereotypes to fight stereotypes
Nowadays, holiday movies have begun finding Asian voices to include, which is certainly progress to celebrate. Still, for the Asian community, winter is much more than just AAPI Christmas movies.
Holiday movie producers have yet to stumble upon the untapped potential of the many other winter cultural celebrations happening across the diaspora. We’re looking to 2024 and beyond for more movies telling the stories of families, couples, and friends like us navigating our own holiday ups and downs.
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