Sure, Home Alone, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Santa Clause and Elf are indisputable Christmas classics; however, it’s always nice to mix things up a bit with some non-traditional films that don’t necessarily have all the holiday cheer you associate with the season.
Die Hard, for example, an action-packed thriller through and through, has become the poster child for non-traditional Christmas movies, simply because the events of the film take place at an office holiday party. Other films, such as Edward Scissorhands, Dreamgirls and Friday After Next have followed suit, becoming feel-good viewing for when we need some reprieve from all the (jingle) bells and whistles.
So as you plan your couch-rotting schedule over the next few weeks, here are 15 movies to dial up that have that festive feel but aren’t specifically Santa-oriented.
‘Die Hard’
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Perhaps Die Hard, set on Christmas Eve, is the ultimate example of a movie that has entered the canon by accident. The intent wasn’t necessarily for the film to become a Christmas classic — it was released in summer 1988 — but you have your work cut out for you if you try to convince any Bruce Willis fans that this action-packed thriller is not a Christmas movie.
‘Glitter’
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Glitter tanked at the box office when it first premiered on Sept. 21, 2001, 10 days after 9/11. The film and its accompanying album have since gotten a redemption arc in recent years, with the soundtrack re-entering the Billboard charts in 2018. So what’s its connection to Christmas? Well, Mariah Carey invented the holiday, so her Lambs have deemed it unmissable at this time of year.
‘Edward Scissorhands’
Disney+
Edward Scissorhands (starring Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder) has a kooky Christmas appeal, with all the sweep of a romantic drama like Titanic, except in this case, the girl actually helps save the boy, too. And that last scene, with its memorable Tim Burton holiday decorations, is hard to beat. Streaming services will often plug this 1990 classic just in time for holiday viewing each year.
‘Dreamgirls’
David James/Paramount
Feel at home in your own home with this Oscar-winning musical with a star-studded cast that included Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé and Anika Noni Rose, and was responsible for making Jennifer Hudson a star, winning her an Oscar just two years after she was eliminated from American Idol. (She has since become an EGOT.)
‘Sister Act’ and ‘Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit’
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You can’t convince us that “Oh, Happy Day” is not a Christmas carol. The film is whimsical, it’s got singing teens and a ridiculously fun plotline. Not to mention, an early-career Lauryn Hill’s voice might make you see God. A holiday hit.
‘Harry Potter’
Peter Mountain/Warner Bros.
With the eight films in the series coming in at roughly 2 hours and 30 minutes apiece, this beloved childhood franchise makes for the perfect nostalgic Christmas Day marathon. But, if you only have time for one, we’d say go with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The sweet, “Happy Christmas, Harry!” from Ron as the Boy Who Lived experiences his first real Christmas is forever heartwarming.
‘Lord of the Rings’
Pierre Vinet/New Line
Similarly, if you’re looking for a long date with your couch, you might as well do so with Frodo and the gang. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is about 9 hours and 17 minutes long, with the extended versions of the film totaling 12 hours and 6 minutes. So get your hot cocoa and snuggle in.
‘Batman Returns’
Zade Rosenthal/Warner Bros
Starring Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer and Christopher Walken, this version of Batman is considered one of the better films starring the comic book hero. Set over the Christmas holidays, the Tim Burton-directed film doesn’t shy away from leaning into the dark motifs of the comic. (What is it with Tim Burton and slightly spooky Christmases?)
‘Friday After Next’
Tracy Bennett/New Line
Sure, there is no caroling in the traditional sense, but the chemistry between Ice Cube and Mike Epps in this buddy comedy is undeniable as their characters try to make ends meet after a “ghetto Santa” breaks into their apartment and steals valuables — including their rent money — on Christmas Eve. The late John Witherspoon’s comedic genius is on full display, with Terry Crews, Katt Williams, Anna Maria Horsford, Clifton Powell and more supporting the story.
‘The Godfather’
Paramount
The strong motifs of family alone make this 1972 classic an easy choice for Christmas viewing. However, as this Medium article points out, several of the film’s most significant scenes also take place over the Christmas holidays. So, if you can look past, you know, all the shooting and stuff, this is an indisputable holiday classic.
‘Little Women’
Wilson Webb/Sony
According to several PEOPLE staffers, any version of Little Women is a good Christmas pick. And there have been plenty. The most recent one is the 2019 adaptation, directed by Greta Gerwig, starring Saoirse Ronan and Florence Pugh. Previous versions have had the likes of Katherine Hepburn (1933), Elizabeth Taylor and June Allyson (1949) and Winona Ryder and Susan Sarandon (1994).
‘Carol’
WILSON WEBB/TWC
Starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, this gripping historical romantic drama, which takes place over the Christmas holidays in 1952, is the perfect film to get you in your feelings. Who doesn’t love a good romance with star-crossed lovers? Sarah Paulson, Kyle Chandler and Jake Lacy also feature.
‘Creed’
Barry Wetcher/Warner Bros
The first two Creed movies were released in time for Thanksgiving, which is only a month away from Christmas and therefore essentially a holiday film. Creed III was a March release, but are we really going to get technical about spending Christmas with Michael B. Jordan right now?
‘Hustlers’
STXfilms
On the surface, Hustlers is, of course, about strippers who scam wealthy men. However, there are some good lessons in there about how your chosen family can also change your life. And excuse us for being vain, but if said chosen family can get us Louboutins, fur coats and fancy jewels for Christmas, as Ramona (Jennifer Lopez) did, then it’s a win-win. (Love does cost a little something, after all.)
‘The Holdovers’
Seacia Pavao/Focus Features
This 2023 comedy drama took awards season by storm, scoring four Academy Awards nominations and a Best Supporting Actress win for Da’Vine Joy Randolph. The film, also set over the Christmas holidays, follows a grumpy professor (Paul Giamatti) forced to babysit held-over students at a New England boarding school, who have nowhere to go for the holidays.
