Klaus is my all-time favorite Christmas movie. It’s an unusual thing, as I think that most of us classify our favorite Christmas movies by how much they resonated with us as children. This movie, on the other hand, did not come out until 2019. Yet, it hits all of “notes” that define the Christmas spirit, offers an origin story for Christmas traditions, provides something wholly new, and is stunningly animated. Klaus is something particularly special.

At first glance, the story is a fairly traditional narrative about a wealthy kid with affluenza named Jasper being exiled to a remote town. While there, he attempts to make his way back by delivering letters, so he engineers the concept of “Christmas.” The village that he inhabits is ridden with a family feud, making everyone hopeless. While his actions are the result of selfish aims, Jasper manages to unite the town. He makes friends with a reclusive widower named Klaus (that is, Santa Klaus) and a disillusioned teacher named Alva. Together, the three are able to patch over family feuds and unite the town. Klaus acts as a mentor to Jasper, teaching him that “one selfless deed always sparks another.”

Over time, Klaus comes to love the town and its villagers, and he decides that he might not want to leave after all. A particularly touching moment is when he develops a bond with a young Saami girl. He and Klaus work hard to provide a gift for the girl, Márgu, in spite of how remote her village is from the inhabitants we meet. In turn, Saami men and women offer to help Klaus in producing new toys for children.

The climax of the film strikes when Jasper’s ulterior motives are revealed to both the villagers and–more significantly–his newfound friends. Yet, by this point, Jasper’s aims have become selfless and he is able to redeem himself.

This is a classic Christmas story of morality and doing well for others, but the team’s attention to detail and creative management of a traditional story sets it apart. Moreover, its treatment in humanity as a whole (providing a universal narrative), musical numbers, and gorgeous artwork set the whole film apart from comparable stories. It brought me to tears, and–if I had allowed myself to be more vulnerable–I might have bawled the entire way through it.

Since the release of Klaus, no Christmas is complete for me without watching it.

Highest possible recommendation.