Forget Die Hard: Why Tangerine is the best Christmas movie that's not really about Christmas

Move over, Die Hard.

The action-packed classic, along with holiday-set peers like Gremlins and Trading Places, is perennially at the center of the age-old debate: What makes a Christmas movie a Christmas movie? Is it holiday themes like gift-giving and family gatherings? Is it the cold weather and snow? Or is it enough for a film to simply take place during the holidays? Each year sparks new debates, and since 'tis the season, we're adding a new entry to the list of unconventional contenders for the title of best Christmas movie that's not really about Christmas: 2014's Tangerine.

Directed by Sean Baker, the low-budget indie, filmed entirely on iPhones, takes place on Christmas Eve but features no sleds, reindeer, or Santas. Instead, it follows two transgender sex workers: Sin-Dee Rella (played by first-time actress Kitana Kiki Rodriguez), fresh off a 28-day prison stint and determined to find out if her boyfriend is cheating on her, and Alexandra (Mya Taylor), an aspiring singer preparing for a performance later that evening.

Below, EW enlists Baker, Taylor, and co-writer Chris Bergoch to help break down both why Tangerine works as a Christmas movie and why it deserves a place alongside classics like A Christmas Story, It's a Wonderful Life, and Elf in the pantheon of great holiday movies.

Christmas in the Desert

Christmas is usually associated with snow and frosty air, not the sunny streets, donut shops, and seedy motels of Los Angeles. But Bergoch says that in Tangerine, the off-kilter setting adds to one of the film's central themes: You "really can't judge a book by its cover."

"The spirit is in the air [in Los Angeles], and some people have lights, but the point is it doesn't look like Christmas [but that] doesn't mean it's not Christmas," he adds. Similarly, "Alexandria [is] doing what she has to do to survive on the streets, but in her mind, she's a singer. She's a performer, and she's going to get there, so it's playing a little bit with that idea."

With scheduling issues forcing filming to begin in January, Baker had to take extra steps to bring some Christmas cheer to L.A. after the holidays. "We were all running around L.A. trying to find houses that were still had lights," he recalls. "There were a few shots I got with Kiki right before Christmas in order to grab Christmas tree stands that were still open, but everything else was in January using leftover decorations."

Chosen Family

At its core, this film tells a story about a family structure not typically included in holiday narratives. "All of us discussed early on [that] the actual holiday of Christmas does not cater kindly to those who don't have a conventional family, and the at-risk LGBTQ youth who were at the center with [Mya], many of them were rejected by their family," Baker says. Depicting Cindy and Alexandra's family was crucial to show that family doesn't have to be blood, but "those you can rely on and connect with."

Taylor says her real-life best friend Alfred is an example of that bond. They met when she came to L.A. at 19, took care of one another before Tangerine, and remain close to this day. "You find family anywhere your heart is," she says.

And in Tangerine, there's nothing accidental about how its family themes work in tandem with its Christmas Eve setting. At its heart, the film is about Cindy and Alexandra's unshakable bond. "It's really the ultimate Christmas wish fulfilled when their friendship is repaired," Bergoch says. The duo's chosen family is juxtaposed with cab driver Razmik's family, tied by blood but not as tight as the central pair. Bergoch credits Baker's editing for putting the two different types of families side by side for those paying close attention to the film.

Caroling at the Club

Christmas movies mean Christmas music, and while Alexandra's powerful performance of "Toyland" checks that box in Tangerine, the film once again subverts holiday movie expectations. On its surface, the performance delivers the musical climax the narrative has been building toward: Alexandra finally gets her chance on stage. But it's hardly the type of joyous musical number we're used to seeing in holiday films like Elf and The Polar Express. Despite her efforts throughout the film to solicit an audience, she ultimately performs for a near-empty bar. And in another heartbreaking reveal, we learn she had quietly paid the owner for her time on stage. In the end, it's Sin-Dee, her chosen family, who's there to support her, and that's what matters most.

Behind the scenes, Taylor was not a fan of the music choice and would have preferred to sing Toni Braxton's version of "Santa Please." "Toni has a very seductive voice, and I love it," she says. "I wanted to bring that to the film."

Baker and Bergoch remain impressed with how Taylor, a trained singer, managed to sound less polished when performing as Alexandra, an amateur. "It wasn't supposed to be perfect, and still it kind of messes with my head because when people watch the film and talk about the performance, it just kind of makes me weak because that's not really how I sound," Taylor says.

Ghosts of Christmas Yet to Come

For fans of the film, new and old, a Christmas gift could be granted in the future. The team behind Tangerine is trying to reunite for a television series that would explore a new chapter of Alexandra's journey. While the project is in the early stages of development, Baker hopes to have trans talent in front of and behind the camera. If the show does happen, maybe Alexandra can sing Toni Braxton's "Santa Please" this time.

Until then, everyone looking for something new to watch this holiday season should turn on Tangerine. It may not be about Christmas, but it has the spirit of the season and tells a powerful story about family. Tangerine presents an unconventional Christmas story, but it has holiday spirit in spades.

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