It has become a Christmas tradition: after we get sick of our families on Christmas day, Americans of all faiths and non-faiths head to the movies. But the only thing worse than spending time with your racist uncle is skipping out on your racist uncle by accidentally going to a terrible movie. So here are a few Stranger-guaranteed good movies for you to check out.

theater-570.jpg

Of course you should go see It's a Wonderful Life at the Grand Illusion, which is a Seattle Christmastime institution. I'm not ashamed to say this is one of two Jimmy Stewart movies that makes me cry every time. (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is the other.)

film-into-570.jpg

Christopher Frizzelle admits that the pacing of Into the Woods is weird, but he says Meryl Streep's goodness overcomes Johnny Depp's general shittiness.

10794_28287-width_920_height_410_scale_mode_c_Zero-Motivation-HERO.jpg

Sean Nelson praises Zero Motivation's "dry observational comedy," calling it a "mordant, diverting cross between Three Kings and Reality Bites." Plus, it's playing at the Harvard Exit, so you can get one last Exit run in before it closes forever.

1415217511-film-interstellar-570.jpg

I admit that Interstellar is a flawed movie, but it's definitely a goddamned spectacle, and it's worth seeing in theaters, preferably on film.

film-birdman-570.jpg

I'm not sure Birdman has a point, but it's a sprawling, tense character study that will at the very least wow you with Michael Keaton and Emma Stone's brilliant performances.

The_Babadook_Movie__1_.jpg

If you're sick to death of Christmas, maybe The Babadook is the movie for you. It's a genuinely creepy Australian horror film about a haunted pop-up book and the terrors of parenthood. I loved it, Sean Nelson loved it. Everybody loves it. (If The Babadook is sold out and you haven't seen Nightcrawler yet, that would make for a good creepy bit of Christmas counter-programming, too.)

Those are the guaranteed good moviegoing experiences; find everything else in our Movie Times.