The Night Before has all the elements to become a festive tradition. A story of growing up and moving on that's really funny and has more fantastical elements to it than expected. It's got a tight run time and is always moving, massively helped by the fact that no joke overstays its welcome.
Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anthony Mackie are an unexpected trio that really work well together. Seth Rogen is the scene stealer whose drug addled antics generate the biggest laughs. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Lizzy Caplan have an endearing chemistry and Michael Shannon as a drug dealer is a stroke of genius.
Jonathan Levine's direction cleverly hides the more fantastical elements in plain sight and crafts a comedy that's comedy is split between witty banter and genuine action. As a Christmas film, the film has the right amount of needle drops including uses of Alone on Christmas & Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) that are pretty euphoric.