Movie review
November 7, 2019 · 103 min · PG-13
Woke Score
Lower is better
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Last Christmas.
Woke representation / casting
Henry Golding (mixed Malaysian-English heritage) plays Tom; Emma Thompson portrays the Yugoslav mother with an accent some called stereotypical, but no marketing or reception framed casting as diversity signaling or quotas. Lesbian character is minor.
Woke political dialogue
Scattered references to Brexit, immigrant worries, and family cultural tensions appear in everyday conversations, but they remain brief background notes without extended activist speeches or ideological monologues.
Identity-driven story themes
Immigrant family assimilation and a sister's lesbian identity surface as subplots that add family conflict, yet the core narrative prioritizes Kate's personal redemption, romance, and kindness through George's music rather than centering identity politics or representation as the main driver.
Review
Last Christmas is a 2019 romantic comedy-drama directed by Paul Feig and starring Emilia Clarke as Kate, a messy young Londoner working as a Christmas store elf who meets the kind stranger Tom (Henry Golding). The story uses George Michael's music and a heart-transplant twist to explore redemption, family reconciliation, and kindness, with Kate learning to volunteer and open up after personal setbacks. Background elements include a Yugoslav immigrant family navigating post-Brexit London anxieties, a closeted lesbian sister subplot, and light emphasis on charity as healing, all folded into standard rom-com beats without heavy preaching or identity-first messaging.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Light nods to post-Brexit xenophobia and the value of charity over self-interest exist, but the film avoids strong modern activist framing such as patriarchy critiques, systemic oppression narratives, or institutional takedowns; resolutions stay traditional and feel-good.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant; the story draws inspiration from George Michael's songs and life themes but makes no alterations to his biography or public record.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
A handful of conservative blogs and viewer comments criticized it as pushing a "woke checklist" via immigrant struggles, the lesbian subplot, and Brexit-era immigration notes, but backlash remained minor, often mixed with general quality complaints, and never reached broad or organized levels.
Creator track record context
Paul Feig's repeated focus on strong female leads contributes a moderate signal; Emma Thompson's feminist, climate, and anti-Brexit activism adds liberal context; George Michael's high-profile LGBT rights campaigning and philanthropy provide a clearer identity-driven pattern; other team members show little to no activism, keeping the overall score from rising higher.
Production
