It's Christmas, so it's time for mulled wine, mince pies and the annual slew of takedowns of Richard Curtis's romcom Love Actually. Released in 2003, Curtis's ensemble comedy - in which eight different couples navigate love and loss during the festive season - has developed a reputation as something of a turkey. And yet ... In this video essay Maha Albadrawi explains how an unfortunate collision with a specific strand of 2010s online journalism condemned Love Actually unfairly and why it's actually a Christmas cracker. Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subscribetotheBFI Claim an extended BFI Player Subscription free trial (UK only) - subscribe using code BFIYOUTUBE: http://theb.fi/player-subscription Watch more on BFI Player: http://player.bfi.org.uk/ Our TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@britishfilminstitute Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BritishFilmInstitute Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/britishfilminstitute/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BFI