Why do we love predictable and comfortable holiday films?

Why do we love predictable and comfortable holiday films?

Christmas films are like a visual sugar rush for most of us.

“They feel so warm and comforting. You know what will happen in every film, but you still feel happy watching it,” says Esra Hurst, a Dubai-based American expat and entrepreneur. “It’s like a perfect escape,” she says.

“You don’t need to think much when watching them,” says Rachel Martin, a British entrepreneur based in Abu Dhabi.

While classics like The Holiday and Home Alone serve as a comforting balm for the soul, Martin enjoys the recent craze of formulaic holiday films that now sweep the networks. She illustrates the basic storyline for most of them: A busy protagonist moves from the big city to the small town during the festivities. They meet a person who teaches them the meaning of life. At the end, there’s snowfall, mistletoe, a Christmas tree, and everyone’s happy again.

If it’s so predictable, then why do we like watching these kind of films?

‘The predictability is the charm’

No one wants a Christopher Nolan plot-twist in Christmas films. Some of us just want the assurance of predictability.

“Far from being a detriment, the predictability is a key part of their charm, particularly during