Scottish Film Events: December 2025

It’s Christmas time, so you don’t need me to tell you that your local cinemas will be jam-packed with perennial faves like It’s a Wonderful Life, The Shop Around the Corner and The Muppet Christmas Carol. It took those films decades to cement themselves in the Christmas rotation, but it’s interesting to observe the rapid ascent of a new classic: The Holdovers, Alexander Payne’s bittersweet comedy set at a boarding school during the Christmas break. It was only released two years ago, but it’s already an Xmas staple, with GFT (13-23 Dec), Filmhouse (12-13 Dec) and Cameo (6-7 Dec) all giving it multiple screenings.

Also look out for more creative, and less cosy Christmas programming happening across December, like Filmhouse’s screenings of François Ozon’s murder mystery musical melodrama 8 Women, in which French acting royalty (think Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Fanny Ardant) trade barbs in a snowbound château (screening on 35mm, 20-22 Dec). At GFT, Batman Returns (15 & 18 Dec) and Eyes Wide Shut (21 & 22 Dec) make the spiky Christmas cut, and Cameo delivers some nasty winter chills with 30 Days of Night (8 Dec) and Black Christmas (12 Dec).

Talking of horror at Christmas, Filmhouse are filling that liminal space between Boxing Day and New Year with some terrifying films from the mind of Stephen King. We’re talking masterpieces like Brian De Palma’s Carrie and Rob Reiner’s Misery; Tobe Hooper’s chilling take on Salem's Lot and John Carpenter’s stylish automobile slasher Christine; Mary Lambert's gothic version of Pet Sematary and Frank Darabont's tense and ultimately brutal The Mist. See filmhouse.org.uk for details.

Still from Castration Movie Anthology ii: The Best of Both Worlds

The grisly festivities continue with the Zodiac Killer Project, Charlie Shackleton’s ingenious cine essay about failing to get the rights to make a film based on Lyndon E. Lafferty’s true-crime book. While explaining the film he would have liked to make while avoiding infringing on Lafferty’s copyright, Shackleton also creates a wry critique of the true-crime documentary genre in general. Shackleton is one of the most inventive minds in UK filmmaking – be sure to pick his brains when he brings the film on tour, with Q&A screenings at DCA (3 Dec), GFT (4 Dec) and Filmhouse (5 Dec).

Another cinema maverick bringing their work to Scotland is Louise Weard. She’s on tour with the first two films of her magnum opus, Castration Movie, a labyrinthine post-modern epic about gender (Anthology iii. is due next year), and SQIFF will be presenting screenings in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Castration Movie Anthology i. Traps screens at Filmhouse on 6 December, while Castration Movie Anthology ii. The Best of Both Worlds screens at GMAC on 12 December and at Filmhouse the following day. Weard will present the latter two screenings in person.