That Christmas is a great new original animated Christmas movie streaming on Netflix, but is the movie appropriate for kids to watch with their parents? That Christmas chronicles the interconnected lives of a large cast of characters as they reconnect with family and friends and deal with love and loneliness during the holiday season. The voice cast of That Christmas is led by Brian Cox as Santa Claus, with iconic actors like Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker and Bill Nighy in supporting roles.
The well rated That Christmas marks Richard Curtis' long-awaited return to the Christmas film genre – based on his children's book trilogy of the same name – after writing and directing the classic True love. Although both films revolve around a vast array of characters whose lives intertwine in unexpected ways, That Christmas is much less daring than True love. As an animated adventure featuring Santa Claus and a legion of turkeys, it's much more family-friendly than Curtis' last holiday film. But how family-friendly is it? Is it suitable for young children?
Netflix's That Christmas is rated PG for thematic elements, some language and crude humor
This Christmas has a particularly intense plot
That Christmas was rated PG by the MPA for thematic elements, some language, and some crude humor. For the most part, That Christmas is a family film that doesn't feature much content that would be inappropriate for young children. He has no violence, no scenes of a sexual nature and no use of alcohol, drugs or tobacco. The only swear word used from beginning to end of the That Christmas is the word “hell.”
Without wanting to spoil the film, there is a subplot that may be too intense for some young viewers. There is a scene that leads the public to believe that a child was taken out to sea. It is later insinuated that the child was not actually swept out to sea, and later the audience is once again led to believe that the child was washed away. These comings and goings can be distressing for some viewers, and the concept of being swept away by the sea can be quite frightening.
That Christmas may not be suitable for young children
That Christmas deals with the theme of death
Despite being rated PG, it is possible that That Christmas is unsuitable for some young viewers. It deals heavily with the theme of death and dying, which can be quite heavy for a young viewer who has not fully understood the concept of mortality and may find it disturbing. Characters include a widow and an absent fatherboth of which can be complicated dramatic matters for children to deal with.