A Boy Called Christmas is a 2021 Netflix original Christmas film, based on the 2015 children's book by Matt Haig and directed by Gil Kenan.
Synopsis[]
This is the story of Father Christmas, the tale of a young boy named Nikolas as he goes on his adventures.
On Christmas Eve, Andrea, Moppet, and Patrick, whose mother has died recently and whose father is leaving for an urgent task for work, are put in the care of Aunt Ruth, an old woman who tries to entertain the kids by telling a Christmas tale.
13-year-old Nikolas and his father, Joel, a woodcutter, live in the forest. Nikolas' mother had died two years before, eaten by a bear, and Nikolas tries to take comfort every night remembering the legend of a place called Elfhelm, where a girl found a magical place inhabited by elves that helped her to survive the winter. One night a mouse tries to steal some food, but his life is spared by Nikolas who calls him Miika and tries to teach him to speak.
One day, the King calls his subjects and promises a big reward if someone is able to find an object that would bring hope to the kingdom. Joel joins a group of hunters to try to find Elfhelm. He leaves Nikolas under the care of Aunt Carlotta, a selfish woman who makes Nikolas' life miserable.
Nikolas finds a map that confirms the existence of Elfhelm so he decides to go to the Extreme North to find Joel and give him the map. During the journey, Nikolas learns that Miika has learned to speak, and this provides hope in continuing his quest. When they reach the Half Moon Forest, a reindeer who Nikolas names Blitzen allows Nikolas to mount him.
The trio reaches Elfhelm but finds nothing there except for Joel's knife. Nikolas loses hope and collapses. He is found by Little Noosh and Father Topo. Father Topo, gives Nikolas a "hope spell" that allows him to recover. Father Topo informs him that he is in Elfhelm, but it is only visible to the people who believe in the place.
Nikolas is able to see the place after believing in the elves and tries to stay in the town. He learns that a group of humans, including Joel, has kidnapped a small elf called Little Kip. Nikolas is sentenced to be eaten by a troll in the Dark Tower. Nikolas manages to escape with the help of a young fairy called the Truth Pixie. He then decides to try to find Joel's party and clarify the misunderstanding.
In the forest, Nikolas finds a group of hunters and Little Kip, but he is trapped by the hunters and discovers Joel is along with them. Joel has a change of heart and comes up with a plan. He frees Nikolas, Little Kip, and Blitzen and they run away from the hunters. Blitzen is unable to lift the sled with Joel sitting in it, so he decides to sacrifice himself to allow the trio to fly away.
Nikolas comes back to Elfhelm with Little Kip and he is able to bring the little elf on time to prevent Father Topo from being punished. Little Kip's parents reward Nikolas with the elves' traditional making of toys. Nikolas then has an idea and has all the elves create a bountiful of toys and candies. Nikolas is about to ride Blitzen with the gifts when he is confronted by Mother Vodol. She sees the locket he carries with him showing the portrait of her mother, revealing that the girl who reached Elfhelm in the legend is none other than Nikolas's mother.
Mother Vodol then tells him about how she lost faith in the humans when news spread in the place that the men (including Joel) took Little Kip. Nikolas tells her that his mother always remembered how joyful it was in Elfhelm.
Nikolas goes back to the kingdom one night and he shows himself to the King, offering one of the toys. Confused, the King asks him about the meaning of the gift, leading Nikolas to bring him to all the houses in the kingdom to leave toys to the kids while trying to not disturb them. The King is moved and decides to help him.
Finishing the story, Aunt Ruth explains to the kids the meaning of Nikolas' actions and she felt that one of them has already accepted the fate of their mother and is learning to live with that. The children already figure Nikolas is Santa Claus. Their father comes back, to find to their surprise that the living room is filled with Christmas ornaments and presents. Aunt Ruth then leaves the place and throws a firecracker in the ending scene, revealing herself to be the Truth Pixie.
Cast[]
| Actress/actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Maggie Smith | Aunt Ruth |
| Isabella O'Sullivan | Andrea |
| Joel Fry | Matt |
| Eden Lawrence | Patrick |
| Ayomide Garrick | Moppet |
| Henry Lawfull | Nikolas |
| Michiel Huisman | Joel |
| Jim Broadbent | King |
| Rune Temte | Anders |
| Philip Lenkowsky | Hessu |
| Gregory Gudgeon Michael Pitthan Václav Chalupa |
Palace Courtiers |
| Dan Brown | Weather Beaten Man |
| Robert Russell John Comer Sinead Phelps |
Members of Crowd |
| Kristen Wiig | Aunt Carlotta |
| Tomás Dianiska | Dog Master |
| Kendrick Ong | Big Hunter |
| Karel Belohradský | Horseman |
| Trish Osmond | Goose Lady |
| Stephen Merchant (voice) | Miika |
| Indica Watson | Little Noosh |
| Toby Jones | Father Topo |
| James Beaumont | Elf Guard Dibby |
| Lukás Tran | Elf Guard Red Nosed |
| Zdenek Godla | Snow Sweeping Elf |
| Carol MacReady | Mother Gerri |
| Tonya Graves | Elf (Announces raid) |
| Sally Hawkins | Mother Vodol |
| Saikat Ahamed | Moodon |
| Perveen Hussain | Loka |
| Zoe Colletti | The Truth Pixie |
| Abiola Ogunbiyi | Mother Harkus |
| Una Kenan | Elf Kid (Screams) |
| Isabel Volavá | Elf Girl |
| Pearl Haig | Elf Girl |
| Lucas Haig | Elf Boy |
| Rishi Kuppa | Little Kip |
| Peter Hosking | Some Elf |
| Jared Bailey | Some Other Elf |
| Perrie Murphy | Tailor Elf |
| Emmi Tjernström (voice) | Little Noosh |
Gallery[]
External links[]
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