Feral Christmas Film list

“Sleigh bells ring are you listening…?” I’m sure you are, they’re jingling all over town.

While the proper bit of Christmas cheer is very welcome; the food, the time off work, the chance to catch up with family and friends, there’s something all-consuming about this season's festivities – and they appear so early these days. Especially when it comes to films. The Holiday was available from that famous-film-streaming-network from early-November this year. Few of us are ready for Jude Law and his Mr Napkin Head at that point.

So, if you're feeling a need to escape some of this, let’s do what feels good and seek out some water. Here are six alternatives to Christmas films. No need to turn off the tree lights, just dive right in ................

Nyad (2023)

"Don't you want to be fully awake? Your soul ignited by a purpose." This is the line that makes Jodie Foster's character groan after hearing it from her partner, Diana Nyad, a world champion swimmer. Nyad wants to undertake a challenge in the water - to swim 60 hours from Florida to Cuba. This is a distance of 100 miles. And she is afraid of sharks. This inspiring film is about a woman going for what she believes she can do.

Watch the trailer 

The Deepest Breath (2023)

Free-diving is said to be an extreme sport with extreme consequences. This documentary focuses on Alessia Zecchini who wanted to be the best female free diver in the world. Working with an expert safety diver at the pinnacle of the free-diving world, together they experience the thrilling rewards and inescapable risks of chasing dreams through the depths of the ocean.

Watch the trailer: 

Sauna Sisterhood (2023)

In the darkness of a smoke sauna, women share their innermost secrets and intimate experiences, washing off the shame trapped in their bodies and regaining their strength through a sense of communion. This gentle, soft-edged documentary about the sauna ritual won a Sundance prize and is a soothing way to spend a couple of hours.

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Octopus Teacher (2020)

A filmmaker forges an unusual friendship with an octopus living in a South African kelp forest, learning as the animal shares the mysteries of her world. An absorbing watch.

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The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)

With a plan to exact revenge on a mythical shark that killed his partner, Oceanographer Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) rallies a crew that includes his estranged wife, a journalist, and a man who may or may not be his son.

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Finding Nemo (2003)

20 years on from its release, this kids classic remains a feelgood film to watch. Nemo, a timid clown fish is captured in the Great Barrier Reef and taken to Sydney and his Dad sets out on a journey to bring him home.

Watch the trailer