Before horror director Paco Plaza made a name for himself on an international scale with the first three entries in the beloved [REC] franchise and Netflix’s Veronica, he married an Amblin-esque kids story with yuletide terror in the made-for-TV movie A Christmas Tale. Because it aired in native Spain on network television and received a minor DVD release as part of a collection stateside, A Christmas Tale remains one of the more hidden holiday gems. For those looking for something outside of the norm, albeit with an ‘80s nostalgic spin, it’s worth seeking out.
The plot revolves around five twelve-year-old friends in 1985; Koldo (Christian Casas), Peti (Roger Babià), Tito (Pau Poch, [REC] 2), Eugenio (Daniel Casadellà) and Moni (Ivana Baquero, Pan’s Labyrinth). They spend their days biking around their small coastal town, hanging out in clubhouses, and obsessing over a B-horror movie titled Zombie Invasion– clips of which open the film and are interspersed throughout, adding both context and fun to the overarching narrative. The gang’s usual routine is interrupted when Moni comes across a pit in the woods, with an unconscious woman dressed as Santa Claus at the bottom. The kids split up; three remain at the pit to help the woman out of the hole while two bike to the police station for aid.
While there and being ignored by the front desk, the kids snatch an incoming fax that reveals the mysterious woman to be Rebeca Expósito (Maru Valdivielso, Veronica), a dangerous criminal wanted for theft of $2 million. They return and exert a majority vote to keep the woman in the pit until she splits the stolen loot with them.
The ‘80s setting means there’s a lot of nostalgia at play here, from the kids’ bedroom décor to Tito’s extreme obsession with The Karate Kid and the morality tale underpinnings that hearken back to ABC’s After School Special movies. A Christmas Tale can be seen as a precursor to Stranger Things in many ways, though with a much, much darker edge. Save for Moni, the sole female of the group, these kids are vicious toward their captive. Rebeca’s fall into the hole left her battered and bruised, and many of the boys make it worse with the way they ruthlessly pelt her with food- including full soda cans. Her attempts to climb up the hole with busted knee caps make for some cringe-worthy moments of horror. The careless way they treat Rebeca, regardless of her criminal background, racks up a severe debt with karma. It’s only a matter of how and when.
It’s the how of it that provides the biggest surprise; Plaza both embraces and subverts expectations, offering up grisly surprises while ultimately delivering a satisfying end to the story. It helps that for all the morally wrong choices made, all characters are ultimately sympathetic. Even the most rotten of the gang still feel like children, like they don’t fully understand the ramifications of their actions. Rebeca may be a wanted criminal, but you can’t help but feel bad for what she endures, too. As for the holiday motif, the iconography might be pretty limited, but Plaza does offer up a refreshing take on the naughty and nice theme.
Plaza’s a lifelong horror fan, and A Christmas Tale feels very much like his love letter to horror and his discovery of it from a young age. He specifically sought out Valdivielso for the part of Rebeca as a fan of the actress’s work, and she later appeared in his possession horror, Veronica. Pau Poch, who played The Karate Kid-obsessed Tito, played a prominent role in [REC] 2– as the teen that becomes infected and offers up new exposition on the series’ unique mythology. The character’s name? Tito. A fun nod.
A Christmas Tale initially aired as part of the Películas para no Dormir series, a modern attempt to revive popular Spanish series Historias para no Dormir from the ‘60s. The entire six-film series is worth checking out- either through the 6 Films to Keep You Awake DVD collection or separately on Tubi, where its currently streaming.
For holiday cheer with a mean horror twist, add this hidden holiday gem to your watchlist.