20 non-traditional Christmas movies to watch this year

4. Hysteria

Watch if: You’d be hypothetically intrigued by a Victoria–Sex and the City–Gilmore Girls mashup. Yeah, you read that right.

What it’s about: In Victorian England a young doctor (Hugh Dancy) invents the vibrator in order to treat women suffering from hysteria (i.e. a vague catch-all diagnosis for women who didn’t subscribe to stereotypical gender norms).

Connection to Christmas: A distinct possibility. Christmas is not explicitly mentioned in Hysteria, but the film takes place in late 1880 and features lots of snow. I think it’s fair to assume that the holidays factor in at one point or another.

Why it makes for good holiday entertainment: Despite (or because of?) its risqué subject matter, Hysteria is as delightful as a gingerbread house. It’s quick, a little bit screwball, feminist, and ultimately very sweet — exactly the type of film a socially engaged person can watch on Christmas and love without feeling guilty.

Additionally, Hysteria’s main female character, Charlotte Dalrymple (Maggie Gyllenhaal), works at a settlement house and is passionate about education, health, equality, fighting poverty, and — not that she uses this term — social justice. We tend to forget that Christmas isn’t just about decorated pine trees or carols or parties: it’s about charity and compassion. It’s also about giving, not just to our friends and family, but to our communities and fellow man. It’s about trying to do some good in the world, even when it seems impossible. That’s exactly what Charlotte does, and it’s what she convinces Mortimer to do, too.