15 Unlikely (But Perfect) Holiday Movies
December 23, 2019 by Samantha Carey
The holidays are a time for the joy of the season, family, food, and of course classic Christmas movies. You may love to spend your holidays binge-watching A Christmas Story or cackling over Elf, but there are a ton of other movies to enjoy that aren't necessarily holiday classics.
From the cold winter of Gotham in Batman Returns to the Seneca Falls in It's A Wonderful Life, these unlikely holiday movies are well worth watching. If you still need to get some holiday shopping done, try checking out our collection of winter savings!
15 Movies for Holiday Binging
1. Star Wars the Empire Strikes Back - Snow, romance, family, gigantic AT-AT walkers... what else could you want in a movie? While Christmas and holidays are not a concept in the Star Wars universe, the icy scenes out of Hoth are reminiscent of a snowy holiday season. The sparks that fly between Leia and Han Solo and the bond that the crew of the Rebel Alliance has is a force to be reckoned with. Pun intended. This classic Star Wars movie is chilly and heartwarming all at the same time.
2. Gremlins - This film gave any 80s or 90s kid serious nightmares but is nonetheless a classic movie that is centered around a Christmas gift gone wrong. "Don't expose it to light, water, or let them eat after midnight" was the warning set on "Mogwai" - the seemingly cute Christmas gift a father gets for his son. In typical 80s movie fashion, warnings are ignored and everything goes horribly wrong. The cute little pet turns into a ravenous monster that spawns even more like it and terrorizes a small town. This movie set around Christmas time is the most unlikely of holiday movies to keep you up at night.
3. The Revenant - The movie that finally gave Leonardo his well-deserved Oscar, this chilly tale of an injured traveler who is abandoned by his pack is slow but action-packed. Facing hunger, the bitter elements, bears, and foreign enemies, the story's protagonist survives a brutal winter with his life to spare. It is by no means a holiday classic, but it will have you heavy breathing the entire movie. Just don’t forget a warm blanket!
4. Step Brothers - This hysterical movie cannot be forgotten when talking about unlikely holiday movies. The beginnings of a blended family (with 40-year-old children still living at home) don't pan out well. As the 2 stepbrothers start to eventually get along after weeks of fighting, they get into some pretty hilarious antics. The Christmas-esque scene that makes the movie? The duo goes into a sleep-walking rampage as they haul all of their Christmas presents and the Christmas tree to their sleeping parents' room. This movie is a perfect holiday comedy.
5. Children of Men - In this dystopian movie, the last born child in 18 years dies. This is a huge deal because all women are infertile and without the ability to continue human life, and the world is left without hope. An unlikely hero is given the task of providing safety for none other than the first pregnant woman on earth in 18 years. This baby, a new hope in the world, is born after facing hardship and danger. This beautiful story is reminiscent of the origin story of Christmas: the birth of Christ.
6. Die Hard - Probably one of the most famous Christmas movies that isn't a Christmas movie is Die Hard. The only thing Christmas-esque about this film is the Christmas party which is quickly crashed by a group of terrorists. Bruce Willis starts with a simple visit to his wife and daughters at the party and as the hackers take over, Willis is the only one not taken hostage. By the way, he is an NYPD detective and is the last person to mess with. The movie is full of explosions and hardcore fights and ends with Willis escaping having defeated the terrorists. Far from holly jolly and gushy romance, right?
7. Batman Returns - Almost as off-beat as Die Hard is the hardly-Christmas movie Batman Returns. This film, set around a beautiful theme of Christmas garb, is pretty far from a warm and cozy holiday feel-good film. Batman faces off against multiple enemies and yet develops a romantic relationship with one of them. The film is pretty dark with a lot of death and despair, but it is one of those top-notch non-Christmas feeling movies set around the holidays.
8. It's A Wonderful Life - An absolute classic, this movie features the iconic Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey - a business-owning heir who through many twists and turns, gets into intense financial debt and family trouble and wishes he was never born. It's Christmastime, and George is met by his guardian angel Clarence who shows George in a vision what his town would be like if he was gone. Spoiler alert: the movie ends with George returning to his home to celebrate Christmas with his family. Oh, and of course, Bailey's guardian angel Clarence earns his wings!
9. The Shining - The last thing you may feel after watching this film is warm and cozy, and not just because of the freezing temperatures the movie is set in. This sinister psychological horror film is full of ghosts, evil presences, and a crazy father going insane on his family. The ending will leave you frozen, but this film is a great holiday movie for the horror film-lover.
10. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Also set in the bitter winter cold, this tragically beautiful movie of two odd people in love will give you all the feels. The eclectic Clementine removes boyfriend Joel completely from her memory and Joel turns around and does the same. After a telling tale of their rocky relationship with all sorts of crazy twists and turns, the two eventually meet again and decide to date, even after discovering their former life together. This movie will have you wanting to lay next to Clementine and Joel on the ice as they stare into the winter sky.
11. Ready Player One - A movie neither set in the cold nor given a Christmas theme, Ready Player One still makes our holiday movie list for one simple reason - video games. This movie is set in the future and features a super-realistic VR game that everyone takes part in. The main character faces danger and turmoil as he seeks to find the games‘ hidden "Easter egg." Video games are always a popular holiday gift and it’s for this that Ready Player One comes in at number 11.
12. Mean Girls - This hysterical high school comedy centers around a group of mean girls who befriend the new girl. The movie is full of raunchy encounters, iconic quotes and memorable scenes. One of the funniest scenes being the talent show. The mean girls dance to a ridiculously promiscuous, but hilarious, rendition of Jingle Bell Rock, tiny Santa costumes and all. The movie only touches on Christmas during this scene, but it is so fetch.
13. Iron Man 3 - Overcoming hardships and saving the world - classic Christmas, right? Iron Man 3 may be a bit of a stretch to include as a Christmas movie, but that’s no different than many of the titles on this list. The movie is set during Christmas and features a repentant Tony Stark ready to change his ways and start anew. Iron Man also has an epic scene where he dances to an upbeat version of Jingle Bells and also buys Pepper Potts the most ridiculous, giant stuffed animal for her holiday gift.
14. Bad Santa - An anti-Christmas con artist makes a living out of thieving as Santa Clause with his dwarf buddy. After years of conning, drinking himself to death, and stealing, the Bad Santa has his tender side revealed by the kindness (and borderline nativity) of a young child. Far from traditional, Bad Santa is the perfect unlikely Christmas tale.
15. The Nightmare Before Christmas - Ghouls, goblins, a mad scientist, and the Pumpkin King. The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of those classic movies that are kind of about Christmas but really aren't. Jack Skellington - the king of Halloween Town - discovers the magic of Christmas and wants to bring it to his village of creeps and spooks. After plenty of entertaining antics, the kidnapping of Santa, and the defeat of Oogie Boogie, this iconic movie ends with snowfall and the perfect love story ending.
Whether you're dancing along to Jingle Bell Rock or swooning over the perfect love story, these off-beat movies are the perfect alternatives to the Christmas classics!