Netflix’s new animated holiday filmThat Christmashas an exciting soundtrack with enough nostalgia to bring together the perfect story.That Christmashas a stellar cast, which includes stars like Brian Cox, Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker, and Bill Nighy. Directed by Simon Otto with a screenplay by Richard Curtis and Peter Souter,That Christmasis the ideal family film to get into the holiday spirit. The Netflix movie revolves around the residents of the fictional British town, Wellington-on-Sea, as they deal with an unexpected blizzard that derails many of their holiday plans.
That Christmasis one of severalnew Christmas movies released in 2024, but it is easily one of the best due to its heartwarming storylines, stunning animation, and excellent soundtrack.The ending ofThat Christmaspulls this wonderful holiday film together. Although composer John Powell created the film’s score,Michael Roberts modified several well-known songs for the film’s soundtrack.That Christmasalso comes with a new original song by Ed Sheeran, which the film features. Michael Roberts created an impressive soundtrack, mixing classic Christmas songs and iconic pop ballads.
“Santa Claus is Coming to Town”
“Under the Tree”
“Underneath the Tree”
When Every Song On The Soundtrack Of That Christmas Plays In The Movie
That Christmas Has 1 Original Song While Featuring Classic Christmas Tunes & Iconic Pop Songs
“Wannabe” by the Spice Girls:The first song featured inThat Christmasis an instrumental of the iconic Spice Girls song “Wannabe.” After Bernadette and Sam introduce the play,Mrs. Beccles plays an instrumental version of the song, adjusted by Michael Roberts. The song choice does not have a deeper meaning; it is simply a fun and vibrant tune to begin the school play and the film with.
“Happy Birthday” by Stevie Wonder:Shortly after “Wannabe,” the students in Wellington-on-Sea begin to sing a rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday” as part of their Christmas play to honor Jesus Christ.“Happy Birthday” is featured again later in the film, when a group of the parents are stuck on a frozen body of water and sing the song to pass the time.
“Papa Don’t Preach” by Madonna:Another song featured in the Christmas play is Madonna’s “Papa Don’t Preach,“sung by student Nisha Mulji, voiced by Kuhu Agarwal.She performs “Papa Don’t Preach” during the playwhile she portrays Mary, indicating that her character will give birth to Jesus.
“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” by J. Fred Coots & Haven Gillespie:After Charlie Beccles upsets her parents yet again, Mrs. Beccles insists on a reading hour for her twin girls. While they read, Mrs. Beccles plays “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” on the piano while singing along. Rosie Cavaliero voices Mrs. Beccles, andher cover of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” highlights the lyric “naughty or nice,“hoping her daughter Charlie will get the message and clean up her act before Santa Claus arrives that night.
“Under the Tree” by Ed Sheeran:Ed Sheeran’s original song forThat Christmasis called “Under the Tree,” and it begins to play about 35 minutes into the movie, after Danny Williams' father tells Danny he will not be able to make it for Christmas because of the blizzard. It is a surprisingly heartbreaking song, especially for a heartwarming film that has a happy ending.“Under the Tree” describes enduring Christmas while desperately missing a lost love.The song plays over multiple montages, including Miss Trapper hesitating to open an old photo album.
“Silent Night” by Franz Xaver Gruber & Joseph Mohr:In an attempt to please their parents, Bernadette, Evie, and their neighbors attempt to watch the annual Christmas filmLove Actually, although they are uninterested. While watching the film briefly,The Pre-Teens' rendition of the popular Christmas song “Silent Night” plays over the film’s audio.
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“Underneath the Tree” by Kelly Clarkson:Bernadette and her neighbors embark on their own Christmas extravaganza almost an hour intoThat Christmasby hosting their own lunch, filled with sweets and pizza, instead of their traditional Christmas lunch. Bernadette, Evie, Nisha, Teddy, and Scarlett have the time of their lives celebrating Christmas in their own way asKelly Clarkson’s upbeat “Underneath the Tree” plays in the background. The song transitions into the next scene when Sam Beccles (voiced by Zazie Hayhurst) performs a mellow acoustic version of “Underneath the Tree.”
“Levitating” by Dua Lipa featuring DaBaby:Almost an hour intoThat Christmas, Bernadette and her neighbors begin to play with Nisha’s new karaoke machine. The first song is “Levitating” by Dua Lipa and DaBaby, which Nisha passionately belts her heart out to.“Levitating” only plays for a brief time, clearly meant just for the kids to have fun rather than be a meaningful song choice.
“Nessun Dorma” from Giacomo Puccini’sTurandot:The children’s karaoke celebration continues when Teddy Forest opts to sing an aria from Giacomo Puccini’s operaTurandot.It is a unique and strange choice for a child to sing, but Teddy is unfazed, hitting the high notes with precision and dedication.
That Christmas' primary screenwriter, Richard Curtis, also wrote other popular films, includingFour Weddings & a Funeral,Bridget Jones’s Diary,Yesterday, andLove Actually(the latter of which he also directed).
“Boom Shack-A-Lak” by Apache Indian:The karaoke continues with Scarlett Forrest’s rendition of “Boom Shack-A-Lak,” a fun song by DJ Apache Indian. It is the last song the children play on Nisha’s karaoke machine, and it fades into Apache Indian’s original tune, illustrating the upbeat and magical Christmas the children are having despite their parents not being there.All three karaoke renditions only feature brief excerpts from the original songs.
“Snowflakes” by Emmy the Great & Tim Wheeler:That Christmastakes a turn for the worse when the McNutts realize their toddler, Evie, went missing during Bernadette’s hide-and-seek tournament. Then, the residents of Wellington-on-Sea band together to look for Evie. Bernadette eventually finds Evie with the turkeys at the beach huts, and everyone is overjoyed and relieved. During this aftermath, Emmy the Great and Tim Wheeler’s song “Snowflakes” subtly plays in the background.The song is a soft ballad about someone anxiously waiting for their love to come home, a theme reminiscent of looking for Evie.
“Christmas Lights” by Coldplay:At the end ofThat Christmas, the residents of Wellington-on-Sea complete their Christmas celebration on December 26 by participating in their own version of the annual Boxing Day Dip. They all gather at the beach and go swimming despite the freezing temperatures due to the blizzard.Coldplay’s “Christmas Lights” is a Christmas ballad that perfectly reflects the hopeful noteThat Christmasends on.It is the right song choice for this film’s conclusion.
Where To Listen To That Christmas' Soundtrack
Spotify & Amazon Music Feature The Soundtrack While Apple Music Only Features Ed Sheeran’s Song
Sadly, Michael Roberts' musical interpretations of established songs are currently unavailable to stream or buy. However,Ed Sheeran’s original song forThat Christmas, “Under the Tree,” is available on all music platforms. John Powell’s score forThat Christmasis available to stream on Spotify and Amazon Music. And despite Michael Roberts' specialized renditions of several popular songs being unavailable, the original versions of these songs are available to stream on all digital platforms.
The timeless Christmas tunes featured in the film are “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and “Silent Night.” The former has been covered by artists such as the Jackson 5, Mariah Carey, Bruce Springsteen, Frank Sinatra, and Michael Bublé. “Silent Night” has been covered by Mariah Carey, Elvis Presley, Sinéad O’Connor, Nat King Cole, The Temptations, and Taylor Swift.These covers are available on streaming platformsdespite the renditions inThat Christmasnot being available.
That Christmas
Cast
That Christmas, directed by Simon Otto, weaves a series of interconnected stories exploring themes of love, loneliness, and family. The narrative unfolds with Santa Claus making a significant error, amidst a backdrop of numerous turkeys, capturing the essence of holiday spirit and relationships.
