Back to trending
Noel

Noel

Drama · 2004

With Christmas Eve just around the corner in bustling New York, five lonely and sad strangers find their lives inadvertently intersected.

Movie details

Noel

“Miracles are closer than you think.”

2004 Drama 1h 36m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

5.8 / 10

Community rating

With Christmas Eve just around the corner in bustling New York, five lonely and sad strangers find their lives inadvertently intersected.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Noel?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

Breathe In

Breathe In

Drama · 2013

When a foreign exchange student arrives in a small upstate New York town, she challenges the dynamics of her host family's relationships and alters their lives forever.

Dad

Dad

Drama · 1989

A busy executive learns during a meeting that his mother may be dying and rushes home to her side. He ends up being his father's caretaker and becomes closer to him than ever before. Estranged from his own son, the executive comes to realize what has been missing in his own life.

Helen

Helen

Drama · 2009

On the outside, Helen has it all – a loving family and a successful career – but when her suppressed mental illness resurfaces, the world crumbles around her. Crippled by depression, Helen finds solace through her friendship with Mathilda, a kindred spirit struggling with bipolar disorder.

Rabbit Hole

Rabbit Hole

Drama · 2010

Life for a happy couple is turned upside down after their young son dies in an accident.

The Son

The Son

Drama · 2022

A successful lawyer, with a new wife and infant, agrees to care for his teenage son from a previous marriage after his ex-wife becomes concerned about the boy's wayward behavior.

Miracles from Heaven

Miracles from Heaven

Family · 2016

When Christy discovers her 10-year-old daughter Anna has a rare, incurable disease, she becomes a ferocious advocate for her daughter’s healing as she searches for a solution. After Anna has a freak accident and falls three stories, a miracle unfolds in the wake of her dramatic rescue that leaves medical specialists mystified, her family restored and their community inspired.

Everybody's Fine

Everybody's Fine

Drama · 2009

Eight months after the death of his wife, Frank Goode looks forward to a reunion with his four adult children. When all of them cancel their visits at the last minute, Frank, against the advice of his doctor, sets out on a road trip to reconnect with his offspring. As he visits each one in turn, Frank finds that his children's lives are not quite as picture-perfect as they've made them out to be.

It's a Wonderful Life

It's a Wonderful Life

Drama · 1946

George Bailey has spent his entire life giving to the people of Bedford Falls. All that prevents rich skinflint Mr. Potter from taking over the entire town is George's modest building and loan company. But on Christmas Eve the business's $8,000 is lost and George's troubles begin.

Interiors

Interiors

Drama · 1978

When Eve, an interior designer, is deserted by her husband of many years, Arthur, the emotionally glacial relationships of the three grown-up daughters are laid bare. Twisted by jealousy, insecurity and resentment, Renata, a successful writer; Joey, a woman crippled by indecision; and Flyn, a budding actress; struggle to communicate for the sake of their shattered mother. But when their father unexpectedly falls for another woman, his decision to remarry sets in motion a terrible twist of fate…

The Starling

The Starling

Drama · 2021

A woman adjusting to life after a loss contends with a feisty bird that's taken over her garden — and a husband who's struggling to find a way forward.

Where it lives

Watch in your region.

Cinema release signals and current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region.

Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.

Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Chazz Palminteri

Written by

David Hubbard

Susan Sarandon

Susan Sarandon

Rose Collins

Paul Walker

Paul Walker

Mike Riley

Penélope Cruz

Penélope Cruz

Nina Vasquez

Alan Arkin

Alan Arkin

Artie

Marcus Thomas

Marcus Thomas

Jules Calvert

Sonny Marinelli

Sonny Marinelli

Dennis

Daniel Sunjata

Daniel Sunjata

Marco

Court is in session

Put Noel on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Adrenaline Seeker

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.