The dark fan theory about The Holiday that will completely change the way you watch it.

We love a good Christmas movie.

We also love a fan theory.

And when those two loves combine, we get very, very excited.

If you’re a fan of the noughties Christmas movie The Holiday, we’ve found a lil’ fan theory that will blow your goddamn mind.

On the surface the house-swapping romantic comedy, starring Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz, may seem like it’s all about finding yourself, second chances, unrequited love etc etc.

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But according to one writer there could be something far more sinister going on.

You see, Dana Schwartz from Entertainment Weekly believes Iris (Winslet) and Amanda (Diaz) actually die right at the start of the story and the rest of movie is just about them dealing with their unfinished business.

Yep, mind blown.

If you cast your mind back to the last time you watched the movie (*cough* last night *cough*) you may remember that in the opening scenes, Iris briefly contemplates suicide.

When she arrives home after discovering her unrequited love is actually engaged to someone else, she briefly inhales the gas fumes from her oven.

Then she realises she’s making a terrible mistake and books an oversees holiday instead.

Over in America, Amanda is kicking her dirtbag boyfriend out of the house. At one point she pauses and says she can’t breathe.

This is where Schwartz believes the characters both die – perhaps at exactly the same time.

Her theory is Iris and Amanda die and because of the timing and the similarities in their stories, the universe decides to do some kind of cosmic switcheroo so they can finish their, erm, unfinished business.

Although Schwartz admits the whole “the characters were dead all along” thing has kind of jumped the shark, this theory sort of eerily makes sense.

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The movie is all about Iris and Amanda finally taking control over their own destinies and falling in love with the right men for once. Add to that, the beautiful side story of Arthur Abbott, the old man Iris befriends, finding some peace before he himself passes away.

This kind of narrative about a character only truly learning to live once they’re faced with their own mortality isn’t unusual in Christmas movies, all the best movies including Scrooge, A Christmas Carol, and It’s a Wonderful Life, do it.

The only difference is The Holiday’s writer, Nancy Meyer, never intended it to be interpreted this way.

But if it gives us another excuse to rewatch The Holiday, we totally here for it.

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