The Night Before – Friday 26th December 2025

I really wanted to get into Christmas this year, and the way I get that ‘feeling’, is by watching Christmas movies; ‘Scrooged’ being my all-time favourite.
Unfortunately, this year, I never found the time.

Watching ‘The Night Before’ was an impromptu, last minute attempt at getting into the Christmas spirit, whilst also (hopefully) watching a decent movie!

I like Seth Rogen movies; you’re always guaranteed a chuckle at the very least, and Joseph Gordon Levitt usually plays likeable characters, so I figured I was in safe hands.

The film was decent.

Definitely a few chuckles to say the least, and the characters were all likeable. That said, I really don’t enjoy seeing the glorification of drug abuse! I mean, it’s a Seth Rogen movie, of course it’s going to depict weed as being the best thing since sliced bread, but that’s still problematic for me.

Firstly, the idea that you can’t have a great time without getting high is ludicrous, but unfortunately that’s an idea that Hollywood continuously perpetuates. Secondly, do you know how many lives are ruined in getting those drugs into your hands? How much suffering is involved?

The people that buy drugs never seem to consider the human cost of the drug trade, but they’re the same type of people that would buy ‘fair-trade’ coffee to ‘do their bit’, whilst snorting cocaine that leaves a trail of blood and misery.

I’m no angel, but I can’t abide hypocrisy, or people that do drugs.

There was also the issue of denigrating Christmas, arguably the most important day in the Christian calendar. I’m not Christian, or religious, but I find it troubling that no other faith is so open to having their traditions made fun of, or exploited for profit.

Can you imagine a movie making fun out of Jewish or Muslim religious days and traditions? So yeah, that aspect of the movie bothered me; by all means, make Christmas movies, but don’t take the piss out of it, unless you’re willing to do the same for all faiths (and prepared to incur the wrath of the more fanatical amongst the devotees).

Still, all said and done, it was a decent movie, and I did enjoy it. The aspect of being hung up on a girl during the festive period (like one of the characters in the movie) is something I haven’t experienced in DECADES! So I did get some flashbacks, which was nostalgic; I miss that sh!t. If I’m honest, having a romantic interest is always nice, despite the heartache that it often involves…

So yeah, if you can tolerate the glorification of substance abuse and the denigration of Christmas, this is definitely a fun Christmas movie to watch.

Now excuse me while I go in search of my very own Lizzy Caplan.