Christmas is quickly approaching, and audiences all around the world are beginning their annual binge of popular festive movies. But watching the same Christmas films every year can get tiring, so some non-traditional examples would make a well-needed change.
Reddit users have recently shared their favorite non-traditional Christmas movies on the site. These range from bloody horror slashers to silly adult comedies - and while none of them resembles a typical Christmas movie, they all embody that traditional festive spirit.
10 Black Christmas (1974)
Available To Stream On The Roku Channel
There aren’t many Christmas movies that can easily find a home in the horror genre, but Black Christmas is a perfect example of how to execute this subversion effectively. Despite taking place over the holiday, there’s very little magic or wonder about this cinematic bloodbath.
Reddit user borg_nihilist describes Black Christmas as the perfect non-traditional Christmas movie, adding that “the original 70s one” is much better than the recent remake. It includes all the eerie cinematography and bloody violence necessary to keep an audience entertained on Christmas Day.
9 Bad Santa (2003)
Available To Rent On Amazon Video
The raunchy comedy of Bad Santa might not be everybody’s first thought for a family holiday, but for those celebrating a less family-friendly holiday, the movie is a great fit. It has all the great qualities of a Christmas movie with added humor and laughs to elevate the viewing experience.
Redditor agbro10 argues that Bad Santa is “definitely” a great movie for those looking to switch things up over the Christmas period. Not only is it filled with festive style and a nostalgic atmosphere, but it’s also brimming with laughs from start to finish.
8 Krampus (2015)
Available To Stream On Peacock Premium
Many cite Krampus as the best Christmas horror movie in recent memory, and much of that comes down to its unconventional style, both visually and narratively. Everybody knows the story of Santa Claus, but Krampus tells the lesser-known story of his eponymous demonic counterpart.
Reddit user liquifiedspam recommends Krampus to anybody looking for a less traditional Christmas viewing experience this year. While it maintains the festive magic of every other holiday movie, the story itself is something that many audiences will be unfamiliar with.
7 The Ref (1994)
Available To Stream On Hoopla
Most people associate Christmas with family and magic - but for director Ted Demme, the popular holiday is merely a setpiece for his hilarious crime drama The Ref. The film is an indisputable comedy of errors, with much of the story’s humor arising from its characters’ mishaps.
Redditor mesembryanthemum names The Ref as their “absolute favorite Christmas movie”, most likely because of how different and unpredictable it is. It doesn’t fall into the corny pitfalls of many other festive stories, but rather keeps itself fresh and original until the very end.
6 The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Available To Stream On Disney+
The debate about whether The Nightmare Before Christmas is a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie is still ongoing, but one thing’s for sure. It’s certainly unconventional viewing for the festive period. The story blends two completely different holidays together, and it’s fantastic that it works so well.
Reddit user arthur2_shedjackson believes that The Nightmare Before Christmas is a great non-traditional holiday movie. The unique animation style keeps things fresh and interesting, which is why so many audiences consider it Tim Burton’s best work to date.
5 Anna And The Apocalypse (2018)
Available To Stream On AMC+
Anna and the Apocalypse is a great alternative for those who find themselves tired by the excess of traditional Christmas movies throughout the holiday season, blending gruesome elements of horror into an unconventionally festive story.
One Redditor suggests that Anna and the Apocalypse is a good unconventional Christmas movie in recent memory. Most audiences perhaps ignore the film a s a Christmas movie simply because of its bloody overtones. For fans of horror, this is a great replacement for those traditional winter rom-coms.
4 Gremlins (1984)
Available To Stream On HBO Max
Although it’s extremely popular within the holiday subgenre, Gremlins is far from a traditional holiday movie. It starts out like a typical family flick but quickly becomes something much bolder and less traditional once the gremlins take over.
When asked for unconventional Christmas movie options, Reddit user picnicbasketsam calls Gremlins “pretty great”. The film is filled with just enough festive nostalgia and timeless humor to make Gremlins one of the most rewatchable Christmas movies out there.
3 Tangerine (2015)
Available To Stream On FuboTV
Sean Baker’s Tangerine is often forgotten when discussing unconventional Christmas movies, but it definitely deserves its due recognition. The entire film takes place on Christmas Eve, and the holiday plays a huge role in the story’s progression and meaning.
Redditor laurencelaurentz argues that Tangerine works best “if [the viewer] watches it on Christmas Eve”, allowing the viewer to experience the holiday spirit alongside the characters. It might not be the uplifting tale that most families are looking for at Christmas, but it does a great job of capturing the festive atmosphere.
2 The Family Man (2000)
Available To Stream on Peacock Premium
The Family Man might resemble a traditional Christmas movie on the surface, but once the story really gets going, it makes some bold decisions that truly set it apart from most other festive family dramas.
Reddit user real_santa_claus writes that they “LOVE The Family Man”, agreeing with several other Redditors that it deserves its spot as one of Nicolas Cage’s best movies to date. It’s the kind of movie that begs to be rewatched every year, solely because of how entertaining it is.
1 Die Hard (1988)
Available To Stream On Starz
Die Hard’s status as a Christmas movie is widely disputed, but between the Christmas backdrop, holiday references and focus on family values, it’s pretty safe to label the film as a festive classic. That being said, it’s completely different from every other holiday movie.
It’s not often that Christmas movies fall in the action genre, and Die Hard’s focus on violence and tension isn’t exactly lighthearted viewing, but that doesn’t stop Redditors like karpinskijd from watching the film every year simply because “it takes place during Christmas.”