Non-Christmas Christmas Movies
Tired of watching Elf and The Polar Express every Christmas? Why not sit the family down and get the kids started early on their Letterboxd career with some of these more unorthodox Christmas movies.
Bridget Jones’s Diary remains one of the greatest Christmas-themed rom-coms of all time. The film stars Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones, a 32-year-old publicity assistant caught in a love triangle between two men: her cocky, loudmouthed boss, Daniel Cleaver, played by Hugh Grant, and Mark Darcy, a childhood acquaintance turned handsome barrister, played by Colin Firth. Beyond being an absolutely hilarious, heartwarming, and entertaining film, it also offers a glimpse into the typical festivities of an English holiday season. If nothing else, watch this film simply to admire peak-hotness Hugh Grant and Colin Firth.
Just Friends is a romantic comedy about Chris Brander, played by Ryan Reynolds, a former undesirable and overweight nerd in high school who had a one-sided crush on his best friend, Jamie Palamino, played by Amy Smart, but was ultimately rejected at the end of senior year. Ten years later, Chris is a hunky record producer living in L.A. and dating pop stars when he is ordered to accompany wild-child superstar Samantha James, played hilariously by Anna Faris, to Paris. However, when their private jet makes an emergency landing in Chris’s hometown, he is forced to take Samantha home, where he ultimately runs into his old crush Jamie and tries to win her over. It’s a great, lighthearted Christmas comedy with some classic performances that evoke nostalgia for an early 2000s East Coast winter.
If the holiday season fills you with uncontrollable rage that makes you want to commit murder, then 1974’s Black Christmas is the movie for you. Starring Romeo and Juliet’s Olivia Hussey, this Canadian-made slasher film has been hailed as one of the earliest in the genre, inspiring countless horror movies to follow. Loosely based on the urban legend of “The Babysitter and the Man Upstairs,” Black Christmas tells the story of a group of sorority sisters being stalked by a faceless killer who terrorizes them with incessant phone calls before slowly picking them off one by one. Known as one of the darker cult Christmas movies, this film is credited with defining slasher genre tropes later used in classics like Halloween and Scream. It’s a perfect film for anyone who takes pride in being on the naughty list.
Arguably the most Christmas-themed movie on this list, Gremlins still goes underappreciated during the holiday season. The plot follows small-town bank teller Billy during Christmastime, when his father brings him a gift from a mystical Chinatown antique store: a living, breathing mogwai. Billy names his new, cute, and cuddly pet Gizmo, but when he accidentally breaks one of the three golden rules of caring for a mogwai, five new creatures spawn from Gizmo and wreak havoc in the neighborhood. Directed by Joe Dante and produced by Steven Spielberg, Gremlins is a great mix of a children’s movie and a black comedy, all set during the holiday season. It’s also famously known as the film that led to the creation of the PG-13 rating after multiple complaints upon its release.
Stanley Kubrick’s last film, Eyes Wide Shut, is arguably one of his most bizarre and haunting works. The story follows Tom Cruise as he scours New York City for a sexual encounter after his wife, Nicole Kidman, admits to fantasizing about a man she met. His carnal desire sends him on a journey where he stumbles upon an elite underground society filled with orgies and Venetian masks. Surprisingly, all of this takes place during the Christmas and holiday season, as seen in the numerous Christmas trees and lights filling each backdrop. Beyond being a fantastic film, Eyes Wide Shut has also spawned a multitude of conspiracy theories surrounding secret societies, the upper echelons, and the Illuminati—some theorists even speculate this was the true cause of Kubrick's death. Was this film a glimpse into the reality of the hidden workings of elite society or simply an adaptation of 1926’s Dream Story? Who knows. Either way, it makes a wonderful watch during the holiday season—just be careful that the pot doesn’t make you aggressive..
We’ve arrived at the least well-known film on this list: Doug Liman’s 1999 film Go. However, despite being a more obscure ’90s indie film, Go is packed with a loaded ensemble cast, a future A-list director, and a great script. Coming straight off Swingers, Doug Liman directs this film about a Christmas Eve night of debauchery in the same quick-witted and fast-paced style he is known for. It features classic performances from Katie Holmes, Taye Diggs, Jay Mohr, William Fichtner, and Melissa McCarthy. And if that doesn’t sell it for you, there’s also a very sexy Timothy Olyphant as a shirtless drug dealer in a Santa hat.
Tim Burton actually has multiple films that could be considered for this list, such as Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas. However, Batman Returns does a perfect job of subtly inserting Christmas themes and motifs into the background of an action movie, on par with Die Hard. Following the success of the first Batman, Tim Burton introduces a whole new roster of star-studded villains for Batman to contend with, including Danny DeVito as the Penguin, Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman, and Christopher Walken as Max Shreck. Batman Returns is a perfect film for those who desire a darker, more gothic Christmas, filled with snow-covered art deco architecture and moody fireplace lighting.