8-Bit Christmas

PG

2021

1 hr. 45 min.

Holiday

Comedy

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List

84%

31 Reviews

Tomatometer

75%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

A humorous and heartfelt look back at the adventures of childhood. Set in suburban Chicago in the late 1980s, the story centers on ten-year-old Jake Doyle's (Winslow Fegley) herculean quest to get the latest and greatest video game system for Christmas.

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Premiered Jan 02

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Critics Consensus

For viewers seeking an undemanding and sweetly nostalgic ode to yuletide seasons past, 8-Bit Christmas boots up without a glitch.

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Audience Consensus

8-Bit Christmas is a solidly heartwarming holiday movie that will be extra enjoyable for viewers who grew up in the '80s.

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Jeff M

In its best moments, this enjoyable and often charmingly reminiscent holiday movie could be a 21st century version of the 1983 Christmas classic A CHRISTMAS STORY. There are many general similarities, and the two would make a great double feature on a snowy afternoon. I'm not sure this one is quite strong enough to become required annual viewing, but there's lots to appreciate here. I'm a hair bit too old to understand the Nintendo craze - I'm from the Atari era - but I think every generation has had a game or a toy or something that ruled our daydreams and became an item that everyone who was truly "cool" or "groovy" must own. The movie is obviously made with a lot of love and nostalgia for a bygone era, with scenes that wonderfully illustrate how childhood memories are easy to exaggerate. The young actors here are all impressive and represent a wide variety of exaggerated but familiar archetypes - the older bully who felt like he was 30, the "weirdo" who spoke random thoughts and made a meal of pencil erasers, and so on... Things bog down a bit at the 3/4 mark but pick up toward the end with a sweetly sentimental but not overly cloying ending ideal for this season. And things may not necessarily turn out as you expect. This is pretty much family friendly, although an extended scene of projectile vomiting had me turning away from the screen for a couple minutes - but I'm sensitive to that kind of stuff. Otherwise, grab the family and enjoy.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/10/24

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Arik S

An absolute holiday classic by any standard. It is absolutely a modern day Christmas Story. It can be watched around the holiday's or all year round. The nostalgia mixed with sincere story telling is worth the watch over and over again!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/01/24

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lucas v

Great and simple movie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/26/23

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Jenny T

8-Bit Christmas is the best Christmas movie made in years! It's a nostalgic ode to 80's trends, social norms, and "millennial" beloved films such as A Christmas Story, Home Alone, Star Wars, and Die Hard. What's special about 8-Bit Christmas is its generational appeal. Kids will love it because it's relatable and legitimately funny, parents will love it because childhood nostalgia, grandparents will love it because parenting nostalgia - it's a win, win all around! What more could you want for the holidays? I’ll tell you… 8-Bit Christmas isn't just great. It goes a step further, pushing itself into "classic" territory with a fresh new message you'll never forget!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/25/23

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Bucky R

Meh Xmas movie. NPH isn't enough.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

12/25/23

Full Review

Geo S

Was funny until the protagonist lost the other kid(s) Nintendo money, without even an "I am sorry" or making any acknowledgement of the loss. With everything going on in the world, that injustice in a Christmas movie, was just one too many for me. Left us all with a sick feeling. I want to watch a Christmas movie and leave with hope for humanity, not watch the creation of yet another narcissist. Yuck.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

12/25/23

Full Review

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Michael Dowse

Director

Neil Patrick Harris

Adult Jake Doyle

Winslow Fegley

Jake Doyle

June Diane Raphael

Actor

Steve Zahn

John Doyle

Sophia Reid-Gantzert

Annie Doyle

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0%

30%

Saving Christmas

92%

70%

Le Pupille

48%

66%

Nativity!

21%

45%

Fred Claus

TRAILER

for Fred Claus

6%

30%

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2022 Producers Guild Awards Nominations: The Full List

8 Bit Christmas: Trailer 1

2:42

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Richard Roeper

Chicago Sun-Times

June Diane Raphael has impeccable comic timing as Jake's mom, Kathy.

Rated: 3.5/4

Dec 4, 2021

Full Review

Nick Allen

RogerEbert.com

8-Bit Christmas may have a more grounded approach to gamer culture than you'd expect, but it's constantly beat by its own limited imagination.

Rated: 1.5/4

Nov 24, 2021

Full Review

Calum Marsh

New York Times

When it isn't fawning over roller rinks, "Goonies" posters, and Casio watches, "8 Bit Christmas" is a warm and refreshingly earnest holiday comedy.

Nov 24, 2021

Full Review

Aaron Phillips

But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Watching 8-Bit Christmas is well worth your time. Packed full of comedy, and nostalgia, it’s got so much going for it.

Rated: 8.5/10

Jan 16, 2023

Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

Very minor, but pleasant.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 30, 2022

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

At times it seems handcuffed by holiday movie expectations. But you kinda look over those baked-in tropes that are in nearly every movie like this. Instead, it’s the funny bits that end up standing out.

Rated: 3/5

Aug 16, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

A humorous and heartfelt look back at the adventures of childhood. Set in suburban Chicago in the late 1980s, the story centers on ten-year-old Jake Doyle's (Winslow Fegley) herculean quest to get the latest and greatest video game system for Christmas.

Director: Michael Dowse
Executive Producer: Kevin Jakubowski, Whitney Brown
Screenwriter: Kevin Jakubowski
Production Co: New Line Cinema, Warner Bros., Star Thrower Entertainment
Rating: PG (Some Mild Violence|Rude Humor|Language|Suggestive References)
Genre: Holiday, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 24, 2021
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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