Take neophytes Jeff and Jennifer Karl from Valley, Nebraska, opening right before March 2020, the height of the dreaded pandemic. On the plus side, some customers found isolating in their cars to be a possible solution to enduring the virus. From the start, Jeff’s friends thought his new plan was a crazy idea. Eleven acres that needed mowing each week, $30,000 for a laser projector, and Jennifer’s conviction that “if you have a dream, you can build it” made Quasar a reality.

Next to warm eggnog and dazzling Christmas lights, few things can get one in the holiday spirit faster than a movie celebrating the season. That is, after all, why Hallmark has carved out a niche based entirely on the Christmas-movie genre. With this in mind, I’ve compiled some holiday favorites that look beyond Hallmark’s more-is-better approach. In short, all the following are great movies any time of year, but they play especially well in late December.