A cynical TV executive finds darkly comic redemption through whimsical, ghostly visitations on Christmas Eve.
Satirical, with big broad humor. A date-night pick at a measured pace. Emotionally it is heavy.
Streaming on Hoopla (free) and YouTube (free).
Some innuendo or implied sex and some strong language, about what a PG-13 should carry.
Our estimate: fine from about 13. Rated PG-13.
How we rate: an AI reads what is known about each title and tags it 0 to 3; we check the tags against a hand-rated set and correct them by hand when readers tell us. Estimates, not a scene-by-scene review. Spot a mistake? Tell us.
Frank Cross is a wildly successful television executive whose cold ambition and curmudgeonly nature has driven away the love of his life. But after firing a staff member on Christmas Eve, Frank is visited by a series of ghosts who give him a chance to re-evaluate his actions and right the wrongs of his past.
Yes. It lands on a happy note.
Jojo Rabbit (2019)Dark satire · heartwarming · date night · strong violenceA lonely boy's imaginary Hitler guides him through the darkly comic absurdities of wartime propaganda.
Life Is Beautiful (1997)Dark satire · heartwarming · date night · strong violenceA whimsical father crafts an elaborate game to shield his son from the heartbreaking reality of a concentration camp.
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)Dry wit · whimsical · comfort watch · emotionally heavyA dysfunctional family's road trip to a child beauty pageant becomes a darkly comic, heartwarming, and whimsical journey.
Pleasantville (1998)Dry wit · whimsical · date night · emotionally heavyTeenage siblings get trapped in a wholesome 1950s sitcom, bringing witty, colorful disruption to its black-and-white world.
Monsters, Inc. (2001)Wholesome humor · whimsical · family watch · mildly scaryA giant furry monster and his wisecracking sidekick discover heartwarming chaos when a human child enters their world.
The Truman Show (1998)Dry wit · surreal · late-night trip · emotionally heavyA cheerful man’s perfect life slowly unravels as he suspects his entire reality is a surreal television show.
Modern Times (1936)Wholesome humor · whimsical · comfort watch · measuredA bumbling tramp's wholesome heart chases a home with a young woman, despite constant, whimsical setbacks.
Green Book (2018)Dry wit · feel good · comfort watch · emotionally heavyA witty and earnest journey through the 1962 Deep South reveals an unlikely, heartwarming friendship.Scrooged is on our Christmas, Comedy on Hoopla and Fantasy on Hoopla lists.
Prompts we typed into CouchRot, and the lists that share its tags.
Lists with the same feel: Date night and Comfort watches.
Say the mood. Five picks with where they stream, right here.
Uses the TMDB API; not endorsed or certified by TMDB. Intensity, content, tone and pace tags are CouchRot's own.
