Blade Runner: Although Things Explode It Really is a Christmas Movie -

^{Art by Drew Struzan}

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the sprawl;
Deckard was stirring, because three replicants wanted to brawl;
The Nexus-6 were calibrated with care,
In hopes that St. Rick would not be there;

I know what you are thinking

But, Hark!

How is Blade Runner a Christmas movie?

Most Christmas movies share a theme that evokes a feeling of Christmas, whether through the holiday’s themes, the movie’s setting, or the audience’s personal connection to it. They also tend to feature a character’s transformation and redemption via an epiphany, thanks to resolving a conflict, internal or external.

However, all we know about Blade Runner is that it occurred in 2019, not the season; I present to you that:

Blade Runner is a cyberpunk re-telling of A Christmas Carol.

Allow me to proceed, A Christmas Carol is the story of a cold-hearted miser who despises Christmas, his redemption by visits from the ghost of Jacob Marley, an old business partner, the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. When he meets these “spirits,” his worldview is transformed; he has been transformed and learns a valuable lesson about what is truly important in life.

Enter Rick Deckard, a burnt-out cop who is visited by Gaff, an old friend, to warn him about three replicants running amok in the city. As Deckard scours the city, crossing paths with these rogue replicants, he not only learns about himself and what will eventually happen to him but also takes a different path to not only truly become himself but also truly live in the world and not in a world of darkness and cynicism.

And that is only a few analogous themes that make Blade Runner a Christmas movie. Because of the season, I will gift you one more example; Rachel is the analog for Timothy’ Tiny Tim’ Cratchit. Tim in A Christmas Carol is a major character, symbolizing the consequences of Scrooge’s life choices, pre- and post-spirit visitation. Rick and Rachel’s interactions before and after the replicants’ arrival encapsulate the transformative redemption that Deckard undergoes in Blade Runner.