How many times have you watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Polar Express, or It’s a Wonderful Life? Every year is the same staple movies and the Hallmark TV specials. Instead of running through the same titles this season, why not try out some non-traditional Christmas movies?
These movies are set around the holidays, but they don’t entirely focus on Christmas at all. With the holiday season and the decorations, you can still get in the Christmas spirit, but still watch some of your favorite genres, like dramas and action-packed adventures. Put away A Charlie Brown Christmas and pick up one of these amazing non-traditional Christmas movies for the night.
6. Carol, Netflix (2015)
Starting off we have Carol, a historical drama romance movie directed by Todd Haynes and starring Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Jake Lacy, and Kyle Chandler. The 2015 movie is based on the 1952 romance novel, The Price of Salt, but Patricia Highsmith, which was republished as Carol in 1990.
The movie is set in the 1950s during the Christmas season in New York City. The story focuses on a forbidden affair between an aspiring female photographer and an older woman going through a difficult divorce.
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5. Phantom Thread, Netflix (2017)
Next up on the best non-traditional Christmas movies to watch this season is Phantom Thread, a 2017 romantic period drama by Paul Thomas Anderson.
The movie stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps, and Lesley Manville, and follows a haute couture dressmaker in 1950s London who takes a young waitress as his muse. This is yet another movie in that the story does not focus on Christmas, but it features scenes about Christmas and New Year’s in London.
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4. Eyes Wide Shut, Paramount (1999)
From romantic dramas to mystery psychological dramas, we have Eyes Wide Shut, another one of the best non-traditional Christmas movies, except, not appropriate for the children to watch. The 1999 film by Stanley Kubrick is based on the 1926 novella Dream Story by Arthur Schnitzler.
The plot centers around a doctor played by Tom Cruise who is shocked when his wife, played by Nicole Kidman, reveals she had contemplated having an affair months earlier. The movie begins in New York City during a Christmas party hosted by a patient, and will soon lead to a crazy adventure.
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3. Catch Me If You Can, Paramount (2002)
Turning to biographical crime comedy dramas, we have Catch Me If You Can, one of the best non-traditional Christmas movies. The 2002 movie by Steven Spielberg stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks.
The movie is based on the autobiographical book by Frank Abagnale Jr., who claims that prior to his 19th birthday, he successfully performed cons worth millions of dollars by posing as a Pan American World Airways pilot, a Georgia doctor, and a Louisiana parish prosecutor. However, as of the 2020s, the truth has been heavily disputed. Still, it made for an amazing movie set around Christmas.
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2. Batman Returns, Max (1992)
The next two entries are familiar titles when you think about the best non-traditional Christmas movies. The first is Batman Returns, the 1992 superhero film in the DC Universe. The Tim Burton movie starring Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, and Michelle Pfeiffer is the second installment of the 1989 to 1997 Batman series.
In this film, Batman comes into conflict with wealthy industrialist Max Shreck and the malformed crime boss, the Penguin, during the Christmas season. While not focusing on Christmas, it does play a huge role, as during the Christmas tree lighting ceremony, the Penguin and Catwoman kidnap Gotham’s beauty queen to lure in Batman.
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1. Die Hard, Hulu (1998)
Of course, the favorite when it comes to non-traditional Christmas movies is Die Hard. Fans of the franchise will always argue that this is one of the best Christmas movies of all time, even though it’s more of an action film that is set on Christmas Eve.
The 1988 film by John McTiernan is based on the 1979 novel by Roderick Thorp and stars Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Alexander Godunov, and Bonnie Bedelia. The movie follows a New York City police detective, John McClane, who is caught up in a terrorist takeover of a Los Angeles Skyscraper while visiting his estranged wife.