10 Best Alternative Christmas Movies

9. Brazil

"Orwellian" and "Christmas" are not exactly two words that go together, but mash up they did, in ex-Python Terry Gilliam's shadowy glimpse into a bureaucratically-fuelled nightmare. The terrorist atrocities, the disappearances and the rogue plumbers plying their nefarious trade were all happening at the closing of the year. Gilliam's bedraggled administrative hero Sam Lowry wanted to dream of soaring through the clouds.

Sadly he was just sore, broken down by the ruthless engines of his pencil-pushing employers and seeing in the season in the company of his appalling, collagen-enriched mother. The film gets especially dark toward the end, when Big Bearded Brother Peter Vaughan rocks up in Father Christmas regalia as Sam is held prisoner at Her Majesty (or to be more accurate Michael Palin with a dentists' drill)'s pleasure.

Contributor
Contributor

I am a journalist and comedian who enjoys American movies of the 70s, Amicus horror compendiums, Doctor Who, Twin Peaks, Naomi Watts and sitting down. My short fiction has been published as part of the Iris Wildthyme range from Obverse Books.