# Last Christmas (film)
**Last Christmas** is a 2019 romantic comedy directed by [Paul Feig](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-feig), starring [Emilia Clarke](https://www.edgepedia.org/emilia-clarke), Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, and [Emma Thompson](https://www.edgepedia.org/emma-thompson), built around the music of George Michael and his 1984 Wham! holiday song of the same name. Clarke plays Kate, a young Londoner who works as an elf in a year-round Christmas shop and whose life changes when she meets Tom (Golding), a kind-hearted man with a mysterious past. Universal Pictures released the film on November 8, 2019.[1](https://www.universalpictures.com/movies/last-christmas) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/last_christmas_2019)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | November 8, 2019 (wide, US); PG-13; runtime 1h 42m; distributor Universal Pictures[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/last_christmas_2019) |
| Director / writers | Directed by Paul Feig; screenplay by Emma Thompson and Bryony Kimmings; story by Thompson and Greg Wise[1](https://www.universalpictures.com/movies/last-christmas) |
| Principal cast | Emilia Clarke (Kate), Henry Golding (Tom), Michelle Yeoh (Santa, Kate's boss), Emma Thompson (Petra, Kate's mother)[3](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/last-christmas/umc.cmc.2mjy3j44f6v8e4rlxqqofqc0d) |
| Music | Soundtrack of George Michael songs, including the title song, plus unreleased material, among it "Heal the Pain"[1](https://www.universalpictures.com/movies/last-christmas) • [4](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/last-christmas-movie-george-michael-emma-thompson-emilia-clarke-wham-cast-a9177176.html) |
| Reception | 46% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (216 reviews) against an 81% Popcornmeter; Metascore 50 on Metacritic from 40 critic reviews[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/last_christmas_2019) • [6](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/last-christmas/) |
| Box office | $35.1 million gross in the United States[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/last_christmas_2019) |
## Spoilers
- **Central twist:** Tom died in a biking accident the previous Christmas; Kate, who needed a heart transplant, received his heart[5](https://time.com/5719692/last-christmas-twist/)
### Plot and the twist
Kate harumphs around London making a streak of bad decisions, a consequence of her job as an elf in a year-round Christmas shop, while she pursues singing auditions with little success and struggles with unstable housing.[1](https://www.universalpictures.com/movies/last-christmas) • [7](https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/netflix/i-just-found-the-one-charming-romantic-comedy-im-watching-for-christmas-this-year-on-netflix) Her family moved to London in the late 1990s as refugees from [Yugoslavia](https://www.edgepedia.org/yugoslavia).[8](https://www.thewrap.com/that-crazy-last-christmas-twist-ending-explained-paul-feig-hbo/) When Tom enters Kate's life, he appears almost impossibly perfect, and he begins to peer past many of the defenses she has built up.[1](https://www.universalpictures.com/movies/last-christmas)
**The ending.** The film's title is a plot summary. Tom died in a biking accident the previous Christmas, shortly after which Kate, who needed a heart transplant, received his heart; in their final scene Tom tells her she was "always going to have my heart," echoing the song's line "Last Christmas, I gave you my heart."[5](https://time.com/5719692/last-christmas-twist/) The reveal recontextualizes earlier scenes: Kate was alone throughout, talking to herself and [ice skating](https://www.edgepedia.org/ice-skating) by herself, and Tom never eats, sleeps, or touches anyone but her.[5](https://time.com/5719692/last-christmas-twist/) [Speculation](https://www.edgepedia.org/speculation) about a twist began when the first trailer dropped in August 2019, and many guesses on Twitter proved correct.[5](https://time.com/5719692/last-christmas-twist/) TIME noted that the film leaves ambiguous whether Tom is a ghost or a figment of Kate's imagination, and flagged plot holes such as Tom claiming never to have heard of *Frozen* (released in 2013, nearly two years before his death) and the question of how the two can kiss if he cannot touch anyone else.[5](https://time.com/5719692/last-christmas-twist/)
## Development and George Michael's involvement
Producer [David Livingstone](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-livingstone) began developing a romantic comedy based on "Last Christmas" roughly ten years before release, inspired by the lasting appeal of *It's a Wonderful Life* and by the song's annual ubiquity in stores and on radio.[9](https://gmforever.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Last-Christmas-Movie-Production-Notes.pdf) [George Michael](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-michael) was interested in the project on the proviso that Emma Thompson become involved in its development and execution.[9](https://gmforever.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Last-Christmas-Movie-Production-Notes.pdf)
**Blessing and conditions.** Thompson initially declined the offer, saying the song was not her favorite Christmas song, but she and her husband [Greg Wise](https://www.edgepedia.org/greg-wise) found "an interesting, sideways way of telling a different kind of story about the human heart." She sent her plot ideas to Michael and later met him to discuss production; she recalled that he loved the film's themes, was passionate about homelessness, and had a great social conscience. Michael died suddenly on Christmas Day 2016 at the age of 53, before the film was made.[4](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/last-christmas-movie-george-michael-emma-thompson-emilia-clarke-wham-cast-a9177176.html) A German review states that Michael agreed to the film on the condition that homelessness also play a role in it.[10](https://www.filmstarts.de/kritiken/265823/kritik.html) The soundtrack includes a new Michael song, "Heal the Pain," written for the film; Feig said the movie is called "Last Christmas" but "should really be called 'Heal the Pain.'"[4](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/last-christmas-movie-george-michael-emma-thompson-emilia-clarke-wham-cast-a9177176.html) • [11](https://shuffleonline.net/2020/12/04/paul-feig-interview-last-christmas/)
## Casting and production
Thompson stars as Kate's mother Petra, and [Michelle Yeoh](https://www.edgepedia.org/michelle-yeoh), Golding's *[Crazy Rich Asians](https://www.edgepedia.org/crazy-rich-asians-film)* co-star, plays Kate's boss, called Santa, at the Christmas shop.[3](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/last-christmas/umc.cmc.2mjy3j44f6v8e4rlxqqofqc0d) • [5](https://time.com/5719692/last-christmas-twist/) Feig said he knew immediately that Golding was right for Tom, having worked with him on *[A Simple Favor](https://www.edgepedia.org/a-simple-favor-film)*, but the studio needed convincing before *Crazy Rich Asians* was released; the Monday morning after that film's opening, the studio agreed.[12](https://www.glamour.com/story/last-christmas-is-a-new-rom-com-classic) The film was produced by David Livingstone for Calamity Films, by Emma Thompson, and by Paul Feig and Jessie Henderson for Feigco Entertainment, with Sarah Bradshaw as executive producer.[1](https://www.universalpictures.com/movies/last-christmas)
**London as a character.** Feig said he wanted London at Christmastime to be "almost a character" in the film.[12](https://www.glamour.com/story/last-christmas-is-a-new-rom-com-classic) Tourism coverage highlights settings including [Covent Garden](https://www.edgepedia.org/covent-garden), Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus, and Cecil Court near [Leicester Square](https://www.edgepedia.org/leicester-square).[13](https://www.visitbritain.org/news-and-media/destination-news-and-inspiration/christmas-films-inspire-explore-britain?authuser=1&switch=en) The Christmas store is in Covent Garden.[14](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/nov/06/last-christmas-review-emma-thompson-emilia-clarke)
## Reception
Critical response was mixed and audience response warmer. Rotten Tomatoes recorded a 46% Tomatometer from 216 reviews against an 81% Popcornmeter from more than 5,000 verified ratings, with the critics consensus reading that likable leads, terrific behind-the-scenes talent, and an intriguing musical hook are not enough to save the film from its poorly conceived story.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/last_christmas_2019) Metacritic assigned a Metascore of 50, "mixed or average," based on 40 critic reviews, with a user score of 6.1 from 115 ratings.[6](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/last-christmas/)
Reviewers divided over the same elements. [Richard Roeper](https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-roeper) of the *Chicago Sun-Times* scored it 88, writing that even on his most Ebenezer of days he could not resist the sentimental journey, while Katie Walsh of the *Los Angeles Times* credited the performances and well-earned character arcs.[6](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/last-christmas/) Benjamin Lee of *The Guardian* called it a clunky, charmless disappointment whose script felt like a rejected first draft, though he counted the chance to hear Michael's songs on the big screen among its few plus points.[14](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/nov/06/last-christmas-review-emma-thompson-emilia-clarke) Clarisse Loughrey of *The Independent* described it as a star-studded romcom that plays like an expensive Hallmark film.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/last_christmas_2019) The film grossed $35.1 million in the United States.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/last_christmas_2019)
## References
1. [Last Christmas, Universal Pictures](https://www.universalpictures.com/movies/last-christmas)
2. [Last Christmas (2019), Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/last_christmas_2019)
3. [Last Christmas, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/last-christmas/umc.cmc.2mjy3j44f6v8e4rlxqqofqc0d)
4. [Last Christmas: Emma Thompson reveals George Michael gave his blessing for film starring Emilia Clarke, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/last-christmas-movie-george-michael-emma-thompson-emilia-clarke-wham-cast-a9177176.html)
5. [Let's Talk About That 'Last Christmas' Twist Ending, TIME](https://time.com/5719692/last-christmas-twist/)
6. [Last Christmas Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/last-christmas/)
7. [I just found the one charming romantic comedy I'm watching for Christmas this year on Netflix, Tom's Guide](https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/netflix/i-just-found-the-one-charming-romantic-comedy-im-watching-for-christmas-this-year-on-netflix)
8. [What You Need to Know About The Crazy 'Last Christmas' Twist Ending, Explained, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/that-crazy-last-christmas-twist-ending-explained-paul-feig-hbo/)
9. [Last Christmas Production Information, gmforever.com](https://gmforever.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Last-Christmas-Movie-Production-Notes.pdf)
10. [Kritik zu Last Christmas: Nichts für Weihnachtsmuffel, FILMSTARTS.de](https://www.filmstarts.de/kritiken/265823/kritik.html)
11. ["Last Christmas" Interview With Director Paul Feig, Shuffle Online](https://shuffleonline.net/2020/12/04/paul-feig-interview-last-christmas/)
12. [Last Christmas Is a New Rom-Com Classic, Glamour](https://www.glamour.com/story/last-christmas-is-a-new-rom-com-classic)
13. [Christmas films that inspire to explore Britain, VisitBritain](https://www.visitbritain.org/news-and-media/destination-news-and-inspiration/christmas-films-inspire-explore-britain?authuser=1&switch=en)
14. [Last Christmas review – Emma Thompson's romcom is an overstuffed turkey, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/nov/06/last-christmas-review-emma-thompson-emilia-clarke)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Comedy and romantic films (individual works) › Comedies of 2019 to 2020 › Released in 2019*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license