Chances are you missed this Netflix classic, because the most underrated Christmas movie of the last decade is an origin story. Klaus (2019) is must watch.
The holiday season is often trapped in a cinematic time loop. We cycle through Elf, Home Alone, and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation with ritualistic devotion. While these classics are comforting, they can make the genre feel stagnant.
If you are looking for a film that captures the pure, unadulterated magic of the season but hasn’t yet been played to death, there is one undeniable answer. Klaus (2019) is the most criminally underrated Christmas movie of the last decade and needs to be your new holiday tradition.
Klaus: After proving himself to be the worst student at the academy, a postman is sent to a frozen town in the North where he discovers a reclusive toymaker named Klaus.
(Only available on Netflix)
The Masterpiece You Scrolled Past
When Klaus dropped on Netflix in 2019, it didn’t have the fanfare of a Disney theatrical release. It was a Spanish-American co-production from a smaller studio (SPA Studios), and many viewers likely scrolled past the thumbnail, assuming it was just another generic “content filler” for the holiday algorithm.
Christmas Crocs are Here: The Grinch Crocs are ON SALE
They were wrong. Klaus is not content, it is art. Directed by Sergio Pablos (one of the creators of Despicable Me), this film is a visual and narrative triumph that garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature, the first Netflix animated film to do so. Yet the movie still lacks the household name recognition of the Grinch or Buddy the Elf.
A Visual Marvel: Bringing 2D Back to Life
In an era dominated by hyper-realistic 3D CGI (think Frozen or Toy Story), Klaus made a bold choice. It went back to 2D hand-drawn animation, but it didn’t just copy the past. It evolved it.
More BuzzChomp: The PERFECT Toy Filled Christmas Countdown Calendar
The studio developed brand-new lighting tools that allowed 2D characters to exist in a volumetric, lit environment. What results is a film that looks like a moving storybook illustration. The snow feels cold, the firelight feels warm, and the textures are rich and tactile. Every frame is suitable for framing. Watching it isn’t just entertainment, it’s an aesthetic experience that makes the holiday season feel genuinely magical.
The Origin Story We Didn’t Know We Needed
Prequels are risky. Explaining the “magic” often ruins it. Klaus, however, threads the needle perfectly. It reimagines the legend of Santa Claus not through magic elves and flying dust, but through the lens of a cynical, spoiled postman named Jesper.
Home Alone & Home Alone 2: After the McCallisters mistakenly leave for the airport without their son Kevin, he is left home alone on Christmas.
Home Alone: Click To Buy from $6.99
Home Alone 2: Click to Buy from $11.99
Jesper is exiled to Smeerensburg, a frozen, miserable island town located above the Arctic Circle where two feuding clans hate each other so much they don’t even exchange mail. To escape his exile, Jesper needs to post 6,000 letters. He forms an unlikely alliance with a reclusive, heartbroken woodsman named Klaus who has a house full of handmade toys.
Where does The Nightmare Before Christmas Belong: Halloween or Christmas?
The genius of the script is how it reverse-engineers the Santa mythos. Why does Santa go down the chimney? Because the front doors were locked during the feud. Why flying reindeer? You’ll have to watch to see the hilarious misunderstanding. Why the Naughty list? It starts as a bribe to get kids to write letters. The movie grounds fantasy in a gritty reality that slowly, beautifully transforms into the legend we know.
“A True Act of Goodwill Always Sparks Another”
This is the film’s central mantra, and it hits harder than almost any other holiday moral. Unlike many Christmas movies that rely on “believing in magic” to save the day, Klaus focuses on behavior. The transformation of Smeerensburg from a hateful war zone to a cheerful community doesn’t happen because of a spell. It happens because the children, motivated by toys, start doing chores and being kind to neighbors. This forced kindness eventually becomes genuine habit, melting the icy hearts of the adults.
It is a profound message. Action precedes belief. You don’t have to feel the holiday spirit to create it, you just have to be kind.
Christmas Crocs are Here: The Grinch Crocs are ON SALE
Klaus manages to be sarcastic and witty enough for adults (Jesper’s cynicism is hilarious) while remaining tender and wondrous enough for children. It features a stellar voice cast (Jason Schwartzman, J.K. Simmons, Rashida Jones) and a tear-jerking finale that is bittersweet, spiritual, and perfect. If you are tired of the same five movies, press play on Klaus. It is a modern classic waiting for you to unwrap it.
Home Alone & Home Alone 2: After the McCallisters mistakenly leave for the airport without their son Kevin, he is left home alone on Christmas.
Home Alone: Click To Buy from $6.99
Home Alone 2: Click to Buy from $11.99
Alone: This film, distributed by Breaking Glass Pictures, explores the dark trauma of domestic abuse amid the very real horror of being stalked in isolation. The debut film from directors Dan Salem and Mandi Mellen, its described as an homage to films like Halloween and The Invisible Man, with a villain always cloaked in shadows, leaving the audience unsure of what is real.
Stream the Movie: Click To Stream Now
Baltimore Football T-shirt (BR) Nevermore Unisex heavyweight t-shirt
Unofficial Baltimore football (BR) heavyweight t-shirt, because when you quote the raven. Nevermore. With BAL on the sleeve, you’re ready to roll this football season! Let your t-shirt do the talking and move along. For the men and women in your life, championship or bust!
If you’re looking for a thick, structured tee that’s also super soft and breathable—look no further! The unise…
Photo Credits to Netflix
Other great reviews on BuzzChomp:
Horror Movies – Halloween; The Shining; Scream; The Blair Witch Project; Saw; I Know What You Did Last Summer; I Still Know What You Did Last Summer; Jaws; Jaws 2; Jaws 3-D; The Exorcist
Christmas Movies – Home Alone; Christmas Vacation; A Christmas Story; Elf; The Santa Clause; The Grinch; Bad Santa; Its A Wonderful Life
Classic Movies – When Harry Met Sally; Jurassic Park; Back To The Future; Back To The Future Part 2; Back To The Future Part 3; Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Star Wars Movies – Star Wars Episode 1; Star Wars Episode 2; Star Wars Episode 3; Star Wars Episode 4; Star Wars Episode 5; Star Wars Episode 6; Star Wars Episode 7; Star Wars Episode 8; Star Wars Episode 9
BuzzChomp is an affiliate for products and services recommended herein. Please read our Full Disclaimer for further information on affiliate programs and opportunities.
Recommended for you
You're Awesome! Subscribe and Comment Below
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
