Baker’s Dozen

Meet Sin-Dee and Alexandra, two LA sex workers with an infectious, riotous friendship. One’s fresh out of prison and is on the hunt for her pimp ex, the other’s a singer just trying to plug her show, and together they’re on a Christmas Eve tour of Hollywood that’s not for the casual tourist. But here’s why you should go on it:

1. Doughnuts – The only ring you need on your finger. It’s always time for doughnuts in a Baker film (see Red Rocket), in fact one store was so key to Tangerine that he said, “If we don’t get Doughnut Time I’m not interested in making the film.”
2. No snow! – Not a fan of the white powder? This is the film for you (but, if you do want snow, see Baker’s latest film Anora)
3. Inspire a fitness kick – For a city notorious for being unwalkable, during the course of their epic night, our ladies get a hell of a lot of steps in.
4. Sex-positive – It’s got authentic casting of its trans leads and has a positive portrayal of sex work, how many Christmas movies can claim to have that?
5. Music – Move over Mariah, Alexandra’s performance of ‘Toyland’ from Babes in Toyland is a yuletide musical moment for the ages. There’s no one in the audience watching her, but we are, and we love her.
6. Pioneering filmmaking – Shot using a trio of iPhone 5Ss, as well as being an incredible film, Tangerine is an incredible piece of innovation.
7. LA sightseeing – Don’t expect La La Land glamour, this is the ugly side of LA, but despite the grimeyness (and a measly production budget of $100,000) it still somehow has that Hollywood glow. The Airbnbs are probably cheaper near Doughnut Time than Griffith Observatory too.
8. A new stocking stuffer – Instead of leaving a disappointing tangerine in a stocking, why not switch it out for a tasty Blu-ray of this instead?
9. Cinephile credentials – Sure, his latest film won the top prize at Cannes and is an Oscar front runner, but you can pretend you knew all about the director 10 years ago with this belter.
10. Stress relief – Christmas is stressful for everyone but compared to the misadventures of Tangerine, yours is going to feel like a breeze.
11. No cheese – Leave that for after lunch, midnight snacks and maybe even breakfast. Hallmark and Netflix might be full of cheesy dramas, but you’ll find none of the stuff in Tangerine.
12. Friendship – The Spice Girls said “friendship never ends” and while it’s tested over Tangerine’s brisk 88 minutes, the bond of our two leads shows you can put each other through the wringer and come out stronger than ever by the time the credits roll.
13. Tradition – You’ve just made watching this modern classic your new one.