Festive… ish?
Which is the ultimate non-holiday holiday movie?
Everyone watches "Miracle on 34th Street" and "Elf" over the holidays. They’re classics for a reason. But does holiday spirit really require a Santa origin story or a grown man in green tights searching for his dad?
Here's our "non-traditional holiday movie" bracket-style showdown, where unlikely films go head-to-head and prove that festive vibes come in unexpected forms. You cast the votes to crown the ultimate non-holiday holiday film – and we'll tell you how everyone else voted too.
Let’s get started!
Round 1
Which one do you prefer?
Select one
Eyes Wide Shut
1999
Stanley Kubrick’s final film is an exemplary anti-Christmas movie set at Christmas. Most of the reasons why are too lewd to mention.
The Nice Guys
2016
This ’70s-era buddy cop movie set in LA doesn’t get very Xmas-y until the very end, but it’s worth it.
Reindeer Games
2000
No, these games don’t actually involve magical cervine creatures, but they do involve Ben Affleck and Charlize Theron.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
2005
A Christmas-adjacent, Hollywood crime caper starring Robert Downey Jr. and the late great Val Kilmer? Yes please, Santa!
Turbulence
1997
A Christmas Eve flight goes awry with a shootout and a serial killer. And you thought your holidays were “turbulent.”
Trading Places
1983
Is this one actually a Christmas movie? Fight me. It’s on this list.
Catch Me If You Can
2002
Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks complete a portrait of holiday loneliness in this joyfully chaotic caper based on a true story.
12 Monkeys
1995
This Terry Gilliam-directed film is an eerie precursor to the pandemic era… and it’s largely set at Christmas to make things even more depressing.
The Green Knight
2021
An epic and fantastical retelling of Sir Gawain’s medieval story, which begins and ends on Christmas Day.
Go
1999
A holidays-set time capsule of a movie follows a drug deal that goes off the rails, from three different perspectives.
The Holdovers
2023
It’s winter break at a preppy boarding school in 1970 and Paul Giamatti is the not-so-jolly overseer.
Little Women
1994
This heartwarming version of the classic sees dear Beth receiving a piano as a gift. Um, but don’t get too attached to her.
Edward Scissorhands
1990
Sure, only the ending is set at the holidays, but if Winona Ryder dancing jubilantly in ice shavings doesn’t say “Christmas” to you, then what does?
Fargo
1996
This Oscar-winning dark comedy set in the wintriest of wintry settings gave birth to the Emmy-winning series. Now that's a Christmas miracle.
The Chronicles of Narnia
2005
This magic fantasy franchise with Tilda Swinton as the White Witch starts with a heavy dose of “winter wonderland.”
Red Riding Hood
2011
Amanda Seyfried stars in this gothic horror that is a dark, wintry answer to typical holiday fare.
The Shining
1980
For some, the idea of cozying up to a movie over the holidays means watching Jack Nicholson go totally, homicidally crazy. And that’s OK.
Bridget Jones’s Diary
2001
The original of this charming quadrilogy starts and ends at Christmas, and really, who could forget the ending of this one?!
Iron Man 3
2013
From the director of ‘The Nice Guys’ and ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,’ it’s another movie set around Christmas. Are we sensing a theme?
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
2001
Ghostly carolers? Levitating ornaments? Truly magical presents? Who wouldn’t want to spend the holidays at Hogwarts?!
Serendipity
2001
The classic rom-com that begins on Christmas Eve. We needn’t say more.
Carol
2015
This lesbian romance set at Christmas in 1950s NYC is the perfect gift for anyone who enjoys Cate Blanchett’s acting (i.e., everyone).
Carry-On
2024
This action movie tries to scratch the itch left by ‘Die Hard,’ taking your infuriating TSA holiday travel experience to a new level.
Die Hard
1988
This classic starring Bruce Willis essentially invented the wheel when it comes to setting a movie around the holidays for no good reason. Yippee Ki Yay!
Batman Returns
1992
One of the all-time greatest comic book movie sequels features Christmastime in Gotham City.
Lethal Weapon
1987
Released one year before ‘Die Hard,’ this just may be the REAL alt-holiday movie trailblazer, especially with that climax lit by Christmas lights.
In Bruges
2008
A biting crime comedy set in the picturesque Belgian city at Christmastime, with Colin Farrell as a hitman who'd rather be anywhere else.
The Long Kiss Goodnight
1996
This underrated actioner is like a combo of ‘Die Hard’ and ‘Overboard’ ...set at Christmas.
The Ref
1994
Denis Leary is your anti-Santa as a thief confronted with an awful couple on Christmas Eve. Merry this isn’t.
Blast of Silence
1961
If you hate the holidays, this black-and-white neo-noir set in NYC's criminal underbelly at Christmas is for you.
Silent Night
2021
Don’t be fooled by the yuletide title. This family gathering amid impending apocalyptic catastrophe is about as festive as it sounds.
Spencer
2021
‘Spencer’ chronicles Princess Diana’s holidays with the Royal family in 1991 before announcing her divorce.
