The Best Movies to Watch on Christmas
The holidays can be stressful, but there are few things better than gathering around to watch a good movie on Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day. Sitting back with the people you love most to share the experience of watching a great film is a great way to de-stress, whether you have a belly full of delicious treats or an adult beverage in hand.
That is why we at Collider have compiled a list of the best Christmas movies. We have something for everyone, whether you want something family-friendly or something a little different. So, take a look at our suggestions below and have a Merry Christmas!
Edward Scissorhands
Why does it snow every Christmas in a fictitious California suburb? Winona Ryder, wrinkled, tells her granddaughter that it's because Edward (Johnny Depp), a tender artificial boy left incomplete when his Geppetto died before completing his hands, carves ice sculptures on top of the mountain. Wrinkled Winona claims he was expelled after getting into a Christmas brawl with some of the residents, who don't like people who look and act differently than them.
Tim Burton inserts false accusations and bullies into his homemade hero, but he perfectly balances the darkness with bright, phony suburban cheeriness straight out of a Jacques Tati film. Burton's suburban gothic is one of the original "look closer..." films about the lack of uniqueness in homogeneous communities, and it's Christmas setting makes it even more timeless.
Home Alone
If you need to get away from the family this holiday season, watch the 1990 Christmas comedy classic Home Alone. This story about an overlooked member of the vast McCallister brood who is left home alone when the family heads off to France for Christmas, directed by Chris Columbus and scored by John Williams, may give you residual Harry Potter vibes. While there are some seasonal similarities between Home Alone and the Boy Wizard franchise, John Hughes' s
The McCallisters are a wealthy and, if we're being honest, snobbish family; the trouble-making Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) isn't exactly a Christmas angel, but you start to feel sorry for him when the Wet Bandits (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) attempt to break into his house and exact vengeance on the boy for putting them through his Rube Goldberg House of Horrors. And, while Kevin has plenty of screen time to get up to mischief without parental supervision, the specter of Old Man Marley - the rumored neighborhood "Shovel Slayer" - looms over his holiday revelry.
In the end, Hughes weaves all of these disparate plot threads into a satisfying conclusion that redeems Kevin's mother (Catherine O'Hara) for her blunder, teaches Kevin the true spirit of Christmas, and punishes the bad guys for their serial burglaries. Perhaps most importantly, but often overlooked, is Kevin's facilitation of Old Man Marley's reunion with his estranged family. The fact that Home Alone manages to bring all of these stories to a satisfying conclusion while also providing plenty of physical comedy and memorable one-liners along the way makes it a worthwhile watch at any time of year, but especially around the holidays.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
You can't go wrong with Shane Black if you're looking for an unusual way to spend your Christmas. The writer-director of Iron Man 3 has a habit of setting his films during the most wonderful time of the year, and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is not only his most holiday-themed film, but also his best. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang stars Robert Downey Jr. as a low-rent thief who is drawn into the world of Hollywood glamour by chance and gets himself and Val Kilmer's no-nonsense private detective, "Gay Perry," tanked in the process of a murder cover-up.
While Black already had Lethal Weapon and a few other big screenwriting credits under his belt, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was his directorial debut, and they don't come any better.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a vibrant update on the genre that relays its twisty-turny narrative through whip smart dialogue delivered to perfection by Kilmer and Downey Jr. Borne out of Black's love for the pulpy noir novels of yesteryear, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a vibrant update on the genre that relays its twisty-turny narrative through whip smart dialogue delivered to perfection by Kilmer and Downey Jr. The pair has an electric odd-couple chemistry that alternately makes you laugh or hits you right in the feels.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, adorned with the trappings of the holiday season—right down to Michelle Monaghan's silly little third act Santa suit—is a great choice for the Christmas lineup when you need a break from the old standbys.
Gremlins
To properly care for a mogwai, follow three rules: keep it out of direct sunlight, don't get it wet, and don't feed it after midnight. When the first rule is broken, a slew of adorable furballs (and... commerce! That's the way it's done in America). When one mogwai turns into many, a struggling father begins to consider the profit that could be made by producing and selling them. The furballs procreate at an alarming rate. They do, however, violate the second rule because they have the midnight munchies. They then transform into scaly monsters.
Okay, you've seen it before, but watch it again to remind yourself that Gremlins also includes some character rants about foreign manufacturing and local real estate moguls ruining the small town. Gremlins is a fantastically entertaining film that uses mass production to explore both an older generation's nostalgia and a new generation's paranoia. And you thought it was just a silly Christmas movie.
Love Actually
Okay, so Love Actually is a little schmaltzy and, at times, creepy (I'm looking at you, Rick Grimes confessing your love to your best friend's wife), but filmmaker Richard Curtis' ensemble story of love at Christmastime is positively delightful. Some of the stories work better together than others, but there are some great comedy bits throughout, as well as fine performances from Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy, and others, and it all culminates in a wonderful crescendo of warmth and happiness that leaves you feeling good all over. Turn to this old standby for a heartwarming film about love and Christmas.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
As a horror fan, it should come as no surprise that Halloween is my favorite time of year, so the way Jack Skellington celebrates Christmas is exactly my style. The Nightmare Before Christmas not only captures the spirit of Christmas, but also of Halloween, thanks to The Pumpkin King's well-intended but seriously flawed plan to bring holiday cheer to Halloween Town. It's suspenseful, heartwarming, and, if you're tired of hearing traditional Christmas songs on repeat, absolutely jam-packed with catchy tunes that are so well-written and detailed that you can relive key scenes long after the movie has ended.
I remember insisting on my grandparents taking me to see Nightmare Before Christmas in theaters multiple times when it first came out in 1993, and even though I've seen it dozens and dozens of times since, the movie still charms me to no end and instills some serious Christmas (and Halloween) spirit in me.
Do you like this movie? This I’m A Nightmare Before Coffee Mug is a great gift for anyone who loves this film.
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