The 10 best “Are They Really Christmas Movies?” ever. from Iron Man 3 to Die Hard, these will have you wondering, are they REALLY Christmas movies?
10 Best “Are They Really Christmas Movies?” Ever
Well, kind of.
While certain films land squarely in festive flick territory, there are just as many that can be found floating around the genre’s edges, caught somewhere in holiday movie limbo.
Does it have to be set around the holidays to qualify as a Christmas movie? Does a festive film have to feature stuff like Santa, carols, snow, and sleigh bells? Or is there more to it all than that?
Whatever the case, there are plenty of movies that reside in that festive grey area, ones that defy Christmas categorization, those yuletide outcasts that refuse to be pigeonholed. These are the festive films I’m interested in here.
So, come join me as I countdown the 10 greatest alternative Christmas movies of all time…
10. Brazil (1985)
Many films on this list are for everyone. Brazil is the Christmas film for everyone else. Terry Gilliam’s stark satire about an absurdist, consumer-driven dystopia may not sound particularly Christmassy, yet Brazil is an oddly festive, wonderfully twisted antidote to all the schmaltz, corporate-enforced joy, and rampant consumerism that comes with this time of year.
9. Iron Man 3 (2013)
There are Christmas movies. Then there are Shane Black Christmas movies. And, for better or worse, Iron Man 3 is every inch a Shane Black Christmas movie.
Set around the lead-up to Christmas and propelled by a unique festive superhero energy, somewhere between the fire-breathing villains and the army of super suits lies the most seasonal of Marvel movies and a surprisingly warm-hearted ode to the holidays.
Best “Are They Really Christmas Movies?” Ever continued…
8. In Bruges (2008)
A tale of two hitmen holed up in Belgium may not scream Christmas movie but there’s definitely one in In Bruges somewhere. In Bruges is about as bleak as a festive film gets, yet, even in its darkest moments, it manages to hit on more than a few perennial Christmas movie themes.
Despite all the tinsel and joy, Christmas can often be a bleak time, and In Bruges captures this mood perfectly with an existential energy that speaks to the dark underside of the holiday season and feels festive in the harshest possible way.
7. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
Quite honestly, if you’re looking for an offbeat way to spend your Christmas, Shane Black is your man. The filmmaker has a seemingly unquenchable thirst for the season and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang represents this more than most. Powered by Val Kilmer and Robert Downey Jr’s chemistry and driven by Black’s love of pulpy noir novels, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a vibrant, twisting crime thriller adorned with all the festive trimmings and the perfect alternative Christmas viewing option for those needing a break from all the old favorites.
Best “Are They Really Christmas Movies?” Ever continued…
6. Lethal Weapon (1987)
As with any Shane Black movie, Lethal Weapon’s Christmas credentials are rather tangential. Although it was actually directed by Richard Donner (with Black on writing duties), Lethal Weapon has all the hallmarks of a Shane Black Christmas classic.
While your protagonist attempting to end his own life may be a pretty dark way to begin a Christmas movie, Lethal Weapon builds its entire narrative around said hero’s search for salvation, a family, and a reason to keep going; and amidst all its bombastic 80s action, Lethal Weapon is about a lonely man finding a sense of belonging in this crazy world. And what could be more festive than that?
5. Batman Returns (1992)
Ok, so Batman and Christmas may not seem like the most dynamic of duos on paper, however, Batman Returns stands proud as one of the greatest Christmas action movies not called Die Hard. Whether it’s his love of snow and gothic whimsy, or simply the always twinkling Danny Elfman score, Tim Burton movies have always seemed a bit Christmassy, and Batman Returns represents the director at his most idiosyncratically festive.
As Christmas arrives in Gotham, drenching it in all the brightly coloured, sugar-coated trappings of the season, there’s an undeniable darkness lurking under Batman Returns’ snow-slicked surface, serving as a bleak, wicked twist on the traditional festive film.
Best “Are They Really Christmas Movies?” Ever continued…
4. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
As we’ve already established, there’s just something inherently festive about Tim Burton’s brand of filmmaking, and nowhere is this more evident than with Edward Scissorhands. Edward Scissorhands doesn’t start at Christmas but it certainly finishes there, with the film’s final act offering an absolute feast of festive imagery, but as is always the case with any Burton outing, underneath the snow, candy stripes, and tinsel is a distinct darkness.
Treating others with grace and understanding is an evergreen theme for any holiday movie worth its salt, and with acceptance and kindness two of the film’s crucial elements, it’s hard to argue against Edward Scissorhands’ credentials as a true Christmas classic.
3. Gremlins (1984)
“Now I’ve got another reason to hate Christmas”, says Phoebe Cates’ Kate before heading off into one of the greatest monologues in Christmas movie history. So begins one of the best films of the 80s and one of the greatest Christmas tales of our time. Like many entries on this list, Gremlins uses Christmas as its backdrop rather than the core of its action, yet it’s as seasonal as any and funnier than most.
Best “Are They Really Christmas Movies?” Ever continued…
2. Trading Places (1983)
Scandalously overlooked on many a Christmas movie countdown, Trading Places is quite simply one of the greatest festive films going.
With a highly tangible seasonal atmosphere throughout, Christmas is an integral part of Trading Places, not least the party that lies at the film’s heart.
Representing the lowest ebb of Winthorpe’s fall from grace, said Christmas Eve party sees Dan Aykroyd’s character at rock bottom, culminating in an inspired sequence in which he piles mountains of free food into his Santa pockets before stuffing an entire salmon into his matted, fake beard-covered mouth on a bus ride home – a dark, but no less iconic, Christmas movie moment.
Best “Are They Really Christmas Movies?” Ever continued…
1. Die Hard (1988)
I mean, of course it is.
While all the entries in this countdown walk a thin line between Christmas movie and – well – just a movie, few spark more of a debate than Die Hard. Arguments regarding the film’s festive credentials have been raging for years now, yet there’s really no doubt about it. Whether you want to believe it or not, Die Hard is a Christmas movie.
No more, no less. Put simply, there is no Christmas without Die Hard and there’s no Die Hard without Christmas.
End of debate.
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