John Lewis Christmas advert accused of 'ripping off' one of the saddest movies ever made
This year's John Lewis advert is a return to form, but it has a clear inspiration
John Lewis’ 2025 Christmas advert is another emotional one, but movie fans have accused it of “copying” a heartbreaking, Oscar-nominated movie.
John Lewis adverts are (mostly) guaranteed tear-jerkers. They’ve been fantastical, like an old man who lives on the moon. They’ve also been understated, like a young boy who wants one thing for Christmas: to give his parents a present.
This year’s effort is a return to its latter, simpler ads. It revolves around a dad who’s given a vinyl record, which transports him to his clubbing days before he was a father. By the end, he tearfully embraces his son and dances in front of him.
It’s been widely praised, but there has been one criticism: it’s very similar to a film called Aftersun and one of its best (and saddest) scenes.
Why John Lewis Christmas advert has been compared to Aftersun
As the dad in the John Lewis advert dances to Alison Limerick’s ‘Where Love Lives’, he sees his son standing alone in the crowd, only to be absorbed by the darkness.
The advert cuts to them standing alone, with the father remembering holding him as a baby, before they smile and dance in the present.
If you’ve seen Aftersun, Charlotte Wells’ acclaimed drama with Normal People star Paul Mescal, you’ll see some similarities.
In that film’s pivotal scene, Mescal’s character dances with his daughter to Queen and David Bowie’s ‘Under Pressure.’
It flickers between them and his daughter as an adult, seeing her dad sweaty and out of control on the dance floor.
Just like ‘Where Love Lives’ in the John Lewis advert, ‘Under Pressure’ slows down into a sad, intense remix. No other spoilers for the film, but (thankfully) the ad has a cheerier ending.
Viewers say John Lewis 2025 advert ‘copied’ Aftersun
It hasn’t been confirmed if Aftersun was its direct inspiration or if it’s just a coincidence. However, viewers have been commenting on the parallels between the advert and the movie since it dropped online.
“The John Lewis Christmas advert reminds me so much of the nightclub scene in Aftersun, aka the saddest film to ever exist,” one user wrote on X.
The John Lewis Christmas advert reminds me so much of the nightclub scene in Aftersun, aka the saddest film to ever exist pic.twitter.com/LlmHgWPyBl
— Becca Peel (@BeccaPeelPr) November 4, 2025
“The John Lewis advert was definitely inspired by Aftersun. Thought we wouldn’t notice but… we did,” another tweeted. “Cannot believe how blatantly that new John Lewis advert has copied Aftersun,” a third wrote.
“Didn’t have John Lewis ripping off Aftersun on my festive bingo card but there you go,” another posted. “Why is the John Lewis Christmas advert this year a rip-off of the Paul Mescal movie Aftersun?” a fifth user asked.
If you liked the new John Lewis ad, you can buy a new pressing of ‘Where Love Lives’. Profits will be donated to the Building Happier Futures fund.
Read more: The best films on Netflix you can watch right now
