The story of A Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever
Santa's magic takes an unexpected turn in A Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever, a 2-minute animated short that trades the usual yuletide sentimentality for something altogether stranger. The premise is deceptively simple: a girl's doodle—something she's sketched in a moment of childhood creativity—becomes real on Christmas morning, courtesy of Santa's intervention. What unfolds is less heartwarming greeting-card material and more the kind of delightful weirdness you'd expect from a filmmaker willing to subvert expectations. The short doesn't waste its runtime on exposition; it jumps straight into the peculiar magic of the moment, letting viewers sit with the strangeness of what an "unusual new friend" might actually mean.
Behind the making of A Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever
Taika Waititi, the New Zealand director behind Thor: Ragnarok, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and What We Do in the Shadows, helmed this micro-short in 2025. That's a telling pairing—Waititi's filmography is littered with characters and scenarios that shouldn't work but do, often because he finds humor and heart in the unexpected places. The cast includes John Goodman voicing Santa (a role that feels almost too perfect for an actor known for bringing gravitas to everything he touches), alongside Molly Cartwright, Emily Eaton-Plowright, Gregan Aherin, Harrison Peters, and Aaron Juritz. For a project clocking in at just 120 seconds, the voice talent roster suggests Disney+ wasn't treating this as throwaway holiday filler—there's a real production behind it. The short's animation style carries Waititi's fingerprints in how it balances whimsy with an almost deadpan delivery, something he's mastered across his other work. While box office doesn't apply to streaming shorts, the project's placement on Disney+ as a platform exclusive indicates the kind of prestige short that major streaming services are increasingly investing in to differentiate their holiday offerings.
What makes A Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever stand out
Honestly, the thing that strikes you about this short—and Movie OTT has tracked plenty of holiday content—is how it refuses to be cute for cuteness's sake. Goodman's Santa doesn't deliver a warm monologue about the magic of childhood imagination. Instead, he does something far more Waititi: he makes something happen, and then the short's over. The animation carries a particular visual sensibility that avoids the glossy perfection of some mainstream holiday fare; there's a slightly off-kilter quality to the character design that makes the "unusual new friend" genuinely feel unusual rather than just "quirky-but-safe." What's striking is how much character work gets done in two minutes. A lesser director might've spent half the runtime explaining the setup; Waititi trusts the audience to keep up and moves forward. The IMDb rating of 5.2/10 (based on 166 votes) suggests the short's divisive nature—some viewers likely wanted more traditional holiday warmth, while others found the unconventional approach refreshing. That split is almost a mark of success; a short that polarizes slightly is far more interesting than one that aims for universal approval and lands in forgettable middle ground.
Where to stream A Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever online
A Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever is currently available on Disney+, making it part of the streamer's 2025 holiday lineup. If you're hunting for where to watch it, the widget at the top of this page will show you current availability across platforms. Disney+ has been quietly building a portfolio of short-form content from major filmmakers—it's a smart play, letting them flex prestige credentials without committing to full-series runtime. For subscribers, it's the kind of palate cleanser you can fit into a lunch break or show to someone who claims they don't have time for movies. Movie OTT tracks streaming availability across major platforms, so if you're wondering where to find a title, checking the current listings here saves you from bouncing between apps.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Who directed A Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever?
Taika Waititi directed the short. He's the filmmaker behind Thor: Ragnarok, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and What We Do in the Shadows—known for blending humor, heart, and weirdness in unexpected ways.
Q: Where can I watch A Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever?
The short is currently streaming on Disney+. Check the Where to Watch widget on this page for the most up-to-date platform availability.
Q: How long is A Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever?
It's a 2-minute short, making it one of the shortest pieces Waititi has directed but packed with his signature sensibility.
Q: What's the plot of A Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever?
Santa brings a girl's doodle to life as an unusual new friend on Christmas morning. The short doesn't spell everything out—it trusts viewers to roll with the strangeness.
Q: Is A Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever appropriate for kids?
It's categorized as a family animation, though the "unusual" nature of the friend might spark questions from younger viewers depending on what Waititi's animation actually shows.
Final thoughts on A Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever
If you're tired of holiday content that checks every sentimental box, A Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever offers a refreshing detour. It's brief enough that even skeptics can give it a shot—two minutes is barely an investment. Taika Waititi's willingness to make something strange rather than something safe is exactly what streaming platforms should be doing with short-form content. Worth your time, especially if you've got a Disney+ subscription already.
