With another holiday season here, it can feel like all you do is watch the same Christmas movies each year such as Elf, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and other classics. There are so many other great movies out there that fit the feelings, emotions, and experiences that one feels during the holidays without being considered a traditional Christmas movie.
While You Were Sleeping: (1995)
Starring Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman, While You Were Sleeping couldn’t have happened without the main character, Lucy (Bullock), having to work on Christmas Day. This is a holiday movie that opens right before Christmas and ends just a day or two before New Year’s Eve. There is something about a ‘90s romcom that is heartwarming, charming, and of course, features the ‘misunderstanding trope’ at its best. Available on Disney+, this is a gem of a romcom and a fun movie to watch.
Gremlins (1984):
This one doubles as both a Halloween and Christmas movie. Gremlins begins when Randall, a well-meaning father, gifts his son, Billy, a Mogwai for Christmas. Mogwais are supernatural pets that come with three rules: do not get them wet, do not expose them to sunlight, and do not feed them after midnight. Of course, it wouldn’t be a movie if at least one of those rules wasn’t broken. The majority of the film takes place on Christmas Eve, making it a perfect horror-comedy for someone who may want more than a feel-good movie this year while maintaining a strong focus on familial and romantic relationships throughout the film.
Hook (1991):
Starring Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, and Julia Roberts, Hook is Steven Spielberg’s sequel to J. M. Barrie’s 1911 novel: Peter and Wendy. Williams plays an adult Peter Pan who is a successful and career-minded lawyer with a wife who is the granddaughter of Wendy Darling and two children. Captain Hook kidnaps the children which leads to Pan returning to Neverland. It takes place over the holiday season and shows Pan finally emotionally maturing but also remembering his childhood and time in Neverland. This film captures the fantastical elements of the holidays while also reliving one’s childhood as an adult and learning how to finally move on from it. Hook has also been considered similar to A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, which once again ties it to the holidays as another great option.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005):
Starring Val Kilmer and Robert Downey Jr., Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a witty, violent crime comedy, a predecessor of The Nice Guys if you will. Though the Christmas season is merely a backdrop to the film with various references scattered throughout, the film doesn’t revolve around the holidays. Set in LA, there’s no snow, people are wearing short sleeves, and it’s easy to forget that it is Christmas in the film. As a crime thriller, the characterization of Christmas is twisted to fit the themes of the film and often appears most around the women in the film. An exotic dancer is dressed as a reindeer, the main woman (Harmony) wears a sexy Santa dress for most of the film, and there is even a sultry virgin Mary. Christmas can be considered a metaphor for the innocence and abuse shown throughout the film. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Bang doesn’t shy away from being dark, critiquing society, and twisting the meaning of Christmas.
Batman Returns (1992):
Tim Burton’s sequel to Batman (1989) features Michael Keaton as Batman, Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman, and Danny DeVito as Penguin. It might perhaps be one of the closest film adaptations to Bob Kane’s original Batman strip and comics. It is filled with graphic violence and a dark undertone, yet it is contrasted with various Christmas decorations and traditions such as a public Christmas tree and yuletide songs. The movie even puts its own twists on classic Christmas stories with one businessman being considered a stand-in as Scrooge. This film is great for any superhero fan, as well as fans of Tim Burton.
There are so many other uncommon holiday movies such as Go, American Psycho, White Reindeer, and more. Not every Christmas movie needs to be delightfully happy and cheerful; they can feature heavier moments, bring characters together, and even twist viewers’ expectations of what the holidays truly mean. Happiest Season is another great romcom that is set at Christmas time and perfect for a more heartwarming film, along with Bad Santa if thrillers aren’t quite your scene. Hopefully one of these movies caught your interest and you can enjoy something new this holiday season!